Name: Long Island City
Brand: Greater Astoria Historical Society
SKU: 9780738555430
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Long Island City

9780738555430

$24.99

Between the 1890s and the 1930s, new bridges and trains made access to Long Island City quicker and easier than ever before. The community grew as people and industry moved into the neighborhood. These changes were captured in postcard images that served as an inexpensive, mass-produced means of communication. Long Island City features hundreds of postcards that provide a unique chronicle of Long Island City and its communities, including Old Astoria Village, Steinway, Ravenswood, Dutch Kills, Hunters Point, and Blissville/Sunnyside. This book offers a rare glimpse into the soul of a once and future city of promise.

Along the Tuolumne River

9781467132930

$24.99

The Tuolumne River begins up in the Sierra Nevada and flows through Mariposa County, Tuolumne County, and, finally, Stanislaus County. From its origins to the endpoint flowing into the San Joaquin River, it provides life and an economic source for this entire region. Once a major shipping route, it now provides irrigation water to one of the most agriculturally industrious regions in the world. The history of the Tuolumne River is the story of Stanislaus County and the surrounding areas.

Glendale

9780738547657

$24.99

Glendale is one of the oldest towns in Southern California, getting its start during the rail boom of the 1880s. In 1904, it was one of the earliest communities to be served by the vast electric streetcar system consolidated throughout the Los Angeles region by tycoon Henry Huntington. In the postwar era, Glendale became a model of suburban growth and today is the third largest city in Los Angeles County. Glendale's diverse neighborhoods and commercial districts have offered pleasant living and a gamut of goods and services to residents, workers, and visitors alike. These vintage postcards spanning generations showed them a vision of Glendale at its most attractive.

West Whiteland Township

9781467122917

$24.99

Located in Chester County, Pennsylvania, West Whiteland Township was established in 1765 when Whiteland Township divided into East and West. Readers can glimpse into the past at establishments such as The Guernsey Cow restaurant, Strawbridge & Clothier, and the Valley Creek Coffee House. A chapter on Richard Downing provides firsthand accounts by quoting personal letters of his life in West Whiteland in the 1850s. There are beautiful photographs from the time when riders chased foxes as members of the Whiteland Hunt. The township began to change after the invention of the automobile; for over 100 years, the area had primarily been a farming community, until businesses began to spring up along Lincoln Highway and Pottstown Pike. With rapid development in the late 1970s and 1980s, many historic buildings were saved through the preservation efforts of the West Whiteland Historical Commission.

Princeton-by-the-Sea

9780738555836

$24.99

The isolation imposed by the sometimes raging Pacific Ocean and breathtaking coastal barrier mountains helped mold the historic personalities of Princeton-by-the-Sea and neighboring Miramar. In the early 1900s, these towns were placed along the Ocean Shore Railroad to attract visitors and settlers from San Francisco to these peaceful shores. Rumrunners, bootleggers, operators of shady roadhouses, and a brazen red-haired madam were characters here in the 1920s. In the 1940s, wind-gnarled fishermen, funky eateries, and a miniature cannery row stood watch over the northern end of the bay, under the stunning rock landmark of Pillar Point. In these pages are the boats, fishermen, buildings, beaches, and personalities that make Princeton-by-the-Sea and Miramar anything but typical Bay Area suburbs.

The Village of Hoffman Estates: An Atypical Suburb

9781596298071

$21.99

Established in 1955 by home builder and entrepreneur Jack Hoffman and incorporated in 1959, the Village of Hoffman Estates has flourished into one of the largest suburbs in Northeast Illinois. In this commemorative history celebrating fifty years of the Village, Cheryl Lemus uncovers the unique character and spirit that emerged as Hoffman Estates grew from an isolated farmland where residents woke to the sounds of cows mooing into a modern vibrant suburb with a strong business and residential community. What started out as a typical neighborhood development has today blossomed into an atypical suburb, defying stereotypical expectations and conventions.

Cover image for The Village of Hoffman Estates: An Atypical Suburb, isbn: 9781596298071

Grove City

9780738561721

$24.99

As part of the Northwest Territory, the land encompassing Grove City served as payment to war heroes Gen. Daniel Morgan and Col. William Washington, a distant relative of George Washington, for their Revolutionary War service. They in turn sold this land, and in 1803, the region's first pioneers, Hugh Grant and his wife, Catherine Barr, settled close to what is now downtown Grove City. In 1852, Grove City founder William F. Breck laid out the town plat and helped incorporate the village in 1856. Grove City remained a small farming village throughout the 19th and much of the 20th century, despite its proximity to the fast-growing capital city of Columbus. While the beginning of the 21st century has brought dramatic growth, Grove City continues to hold on to its vibrant, small-town character through its Roaring Twenties-era Thoroughbred racetrack, its picturesque town center, and the numerous educational activities hosted by the Southwest Franklin County Historical Society.

Cover image for Grove City, isbn: 9780738561721

Barnstable

9780738598369

$24.99

In 1639, Barnstable was established by the Plymouth Plantation Colony as the third town on Cape Cod. Over time, Barnstable was divided into six distinct villages: Centerville, Cotuit, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, Osterville, and West Barnstable. Each of these communities grew and developed their own libraries, schools, churches, and general stores. Local industry was abundant, and residents were employed as blacksmiths, cobblers, copper smiths, and farmers. Saltworks, cranberry bogs, shipbuilding, and light industry also supported the area. Barnstable documents the evolution of the town between the 1839 centennial celebration and the 1939 tercentenary and shows how the advent of both the railroad and steam-powered ships spurred great change in the town's communities. Today, economic life revolves around Hyannis while the other villages have become more residential in nature.

Missoula

9780738558882

$24.99

Missoula began in 1860 as Hellgate Village, a trading post located about 4 miles west of what is now downtown. In 1864, the construction of a mill powered by water diverted from Rattlesnake Creek drew residents of Hellgate to the new town, and the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883 assured Missoula's future. The establishment of the University of Montana led to growth on the south side of the Clark Fork River, and the timber industry drove the economy. Missoula has evolved into a trade, medical, educational, and governmental center of western Montana.

Lost Mount Prospect

9780738540917

$24.99

Mount Prospect dates back to the 1840s. The village has a fascinating legacy as an immigrant community, an ambitious small town, an early progressive suburb, and a classic postwar community. However, few of today's residents are aware of this legacy. Much of Mount Prospect's past has been overshadowed by the incredibly rapid development of the past half century. The population of Mount Prospect in 1950 was around 4,000 people, the population was almost 19,000 by 1960, and today it approaches 60,000. This amazingly rapid development fundamentally changed how Mount Prospect saw itself and redefined the community's landscape. Many of the older buildings were demolished to make way for new developments or were modernized and are now hard to identify. The farms and early industries were replaced with houses and shopping areas. By the time this rapid development was over, it was hard to see what had been here before. Lost Mount Prospect is an examination of this history. It is a look at the village through the lens of what no longer exists.

Rock Island County

9780738552392

$24.99

The history of Rock Island County, once known as the "farm implement capital of the world," starts well before that industry sprung up on the Mississippi River at a point where the river runs east to west. Fur trading, farming, mining, milling, and lumber all played a key role in the county's formation. As the railroad moved west, the first rail bridge over the Mississippi at Rock Island created a transportation hub and furthered the area's process of industrialization. This volume of vintage pictures looks at the county from the early 1800s, prior to its creation, through the mid-1960s. It illustrates the rich rural influence of the settlements, villages, and townships; the development of the cities and their industries, businesses, and educational and cultural centers; and how the people who worked the fields and factories made use of and enjoyed their leisure time.

Around Boulder City

9780738558769

$24.99

The original planners of Boulder City, Nevada, did not expect that the community of workers and engineers would outlast the construction of the great Hoover Dam. The subsequent years challenged this assumption, however, as Boulder City continued to grow and thrive even after the dam was completed and the waters of the Colorado River were harnessed. As more families took road trips to visit the dam and other southwestern attractions, Boulder City became a tourism hub. Shops, restaurants, and hotels, including the famous Boulder Dam Hotel, were built, and even more visitors flocked to the nearby Lake Mead National Recreation Area after its establishment in 1964. Elton M. Garrett aptly described the city in the masthead of his newspaper, the Boulder Dam Challenge, in 1936: "Boulder City Carries On With Spirit With Which Boulder Dam Challenged Rio Colorado."

Reedley

9781467132671

$24.99

It was in 1888, four short years after he first came to Fresno County to farm wheat, that Thomas Law Reed made a deal with the Southern Pacific Railroad. In exchange for a half-interest in 360 acres of Reed's farmland, the railroad would build a depot along its east side branch and help develop a townsite. The town was Reedley. See what happened when settlers arrived. Watch as homes are built, as businesses are started, and as schools and churches are founded. Witness farmers cultivate the region's rich soil, and with irrigation, grow a bounty of crops that they will ship near and far. View a place of dusty streets and simple wooden buildings transformed into a modern 20th-century community. Meet the people of Reedley as they work, learn, worship, and celebrate. This book is Reedley's family photo album.

Clayton

9780738567433

$24.99

Chartered in 1869, Clayton traces its roots to Hinton's Quarter, Johnston Liberty Meeting House, Roxboro, Gulley's Store, and Stallings Station, and owes its existence to the North Carolina Railroad, completed in 1856. By 1890, several citizens amassed fortunes in cotton, lumber, merchandising, and textile manufacturing, and the town was recognized as the nation's wealthiest municipality of its size. Nationally and internationally known natives, including Dartmouth professor Herman H. Horne, historian and diplomat William E. Dodd, Baptist stalwart John E. White, architect Douglas Ellington, and pioneer aviator Eric Ellington, gave the town additional notoriety in the early 20th century. This glimpse into Clayton from the 1850s to 1946 introduces those who transformed a rural hamlet into America's "richest little town." When economic depression wiped out fortunes in the 1920s and 1930s, the town's greatest assets--strong families, churches, schools, and community spirit--remained intact.

The Uncompahgre Valley

9780738580715

$24.99

Settlers of European heritage arrived in the Uncompahgre River Valley after the Ute tribe was ordered to reservation lands in Utah by the federal government in 1881. The pioneers staked out properties and established covenants. The Uncompahgre River carried the usual annual melt from the San Juan Mountains through today's Ouray, Montrose, and Delta Counties toward its confluence with the Colorado River near Grand Junction. But the settlers' crops required more water than the river or irrigation ditches could bring. Engineers assessed the failed farms and abandoned villages in the wake of the Uncompahgre Valley's over-settlement and looked east of Montrose to the Black Canyon, cut by the nearby Gunnison River. They drilled the Gunnison Tunnel to bring the snowcap melt from the Continental Divide's western slopes to the Uncompahgre Valley, creating one of the Rocky Mountain region's most fertile valleys. The tunnel, completed in 1909, was the biggest irrigation project up to that time.

Lost Minden

9781467113199

$24.99

Minden has transformed quite a bit since Charles Vedeer founded it in 1835. The town has suffered damages of the Civil War and Reconstruction and between 1872 and 1933 the devastation of five fires and a killer tornado. Despite disaster, Minden continues to progress, but adaptation and rebuilding have caused many familiar landmarks to vanish from the local landscape. The 1902 fire led to the enactment of a city ordinance banning wooden structures downtown; as a result, many edifices were reconstructed. Today, not a single building in the business district predates the 1870s, and the roles of those still standing—such as the First National Bank, which is expected to reopen as a restaurant—are continually changing. In 1918, another fire destroyed the Minden Lumber Mill, the town's largest industry. Later in the 20th century, the development of a city government complex demolished an entire shopping district, the 1905 Webster Parish Courthouse, and Minden City Hall. Lost Minden captures catastrophes, celebrations, storefronts, and back streets that otherwise only remain in memories. John Agan is a lifelong Minden resident who has been actively involved in local history writing and research for more than 30 years. In the course of these activities, he accumulated most of the vintage photographs in this volume that depict the Minden that has since been lost.

Cover image for Lost Minden, isbn: 9781467113199

Littleton

9781467132558

$24.99

In 1858, gold was discovered where Little Dry Creek joins the South Platte River, four miles north of what is today Littleton. After the initial rush of gold-seekers, agriculture sustained growth when the gold deposits played out. In 1861, Richard S. Little filed claims for agricultural land along the South Platte River in what would become Littleton. Little was not only a farmer but a land developer, and he filed his plat at the Arapahoe County Courthouse in 1872 for streets and homes on his property. When the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built south from Denver through Littleton in 1871, development soon followed, and Little had no shortage of buyers for his plots of land. Thus began Littleton, and over the years of boom and bust, this early settlement has transitioned from village to county seat to one of Denver's finest suburbs.

Roanoke

9780738584584

$24.99

The first pioneers who came to the Roanoke area in 1844 were led by Lewis and Charles Medlin of Missouri. This group consisted of about 20 families, including the 10 sons of the Medlin brothers. They came for an opportunity where each married man could obtain 640 acres and single men could receive 320 acres. Settlers were primarily looking for water, timber, and abundant game, which they found near Denton Creek. They built log houses and a school (where church was held), and they soon began businesses to sustain their new town. Today Roanoke is a fast growing, small city that is distinguished by a charming and eclectic downtown and steady lines of hungry diners. Roanoke was appointed "the Unique Dining Capital of Texas" for its concentration of delicious and entertaining family-owned restaurants and welcomes thousands of visitors each year to enjoy many special events, including the annual Celebrate Roanoke in October.

Redwood City

9780738559247

$24.99

Redwood City's slogan, "Climate Best By Government Test," describes the fair weather at San Mateo County's seat, which was established in 1851 as the bayside terminus for the peninsula's lumber industry. Wharfs located along Redwood Creek formed the basis of the town's commercial district, and in the 20th century, the city's port expanded with new industries, such as the Pacific-Portland Cement Company, the Morgan Oyster Company, and Leslie Salt. Meanwhile, Redwood City's downtown area hosted many civic events, numerous theaters, and the region's largest retail district. In the 1950s, the city grew along Woodside Road and, soon thereafter, when Redwood Shores was added to its boundaries, expanded north. Today Redwood City has come full circle with a revitalized downtown and a beautifully restored courthouse square.

St. James

9780738546100

$24.99

St. James sits among a variety of old and intensely interesting communities that dot the north shore of Long Island, many of which date to the mid-1600s. After being named in the mid-1800s, it quickly became one of the hot spots that stars of the American vaudeville stage made their own. Built beside the homes of farmers and millers were hotels, a casino, and the mansions of the rich and famous, giving the community a fascination all its own--a fascination that is clearly captured in the pages of St. James.

Big Bear

9780738559124

$24.99

Big Bear is known throughout the southland of California as an outdoor recreational destination. Located high atop the San Bernardino Mountains, the area was once home to the Yuhaviatam Indians, the "People of the Pines." In 1845, a party lead by Benjamin Davis Wilson, the grandfather of Gen. George S. Patton, entered the valley and discovered the area alive with grizzly bears, giving the valley its name. A dam, completed in 1884, created Big Bear Lake, which provided water to citrus growers in the area of Redlands and later lead to the water-related recreations, camps, resorts, and the welcoming community that Big Bear is famous for today.

Escalon

9780738559032

$24.99

Between San Francisco and the Sierra Nevada stands the small farming community of Escalon. In the mid-1800s, miners and freight haulers traveled rough roads through this unpopulated part of the state to the foothills, much as tourists today travel its highways on their way to Yosemite National Park. Pioneer John Wheeler Jones settled here with his family in the late 1800s and was instrumental in the development and growth of agricultural production, the routing of the railroad through the area, and the creation of this crossroads community. John's son James chose the name Escalon, Spanish for "step" or "stepping stone," for this important gateway to the Sierra Nevada.

Worthington and Springdale

9781467112949

$24.99

The Jefferson County communities of Worthington and Springdale are located on Brownsboro Road, 12 miles east of Louisville. The area's abundant water sources and fertile soil attracted the earliest settlers in the late 1700s, and farms, mills, and blacksmith shops sprang up along the streams. The Brownsboro Road (originally called Brownsboro Turnpike) served farmers selling their produce, as well as the wealthy gentleman farmers who built fine homes in the rural countryside. The fertile soil was particularly suited to growing potatoes, and the Worthington Potato Growers Cooperative handled thousands of barrels daily. The community came together to construct churches and a fine stone school building, establish a cemetery, and organize a fire department. The historic African American community of Taylortown survives in the Taylortown African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church, established in 1868. Today, suburban sprawl has erased all but a few vestiges of the once-thriving farming communities.

Cover image for Worthington and Springdale, isbn: 9781467112949

Morristown

9780738592800

$24.99

The seat of Morris County, Morristown began as a small rural settlement centered around a common green. The small village soon earned its place in American history when George Washington chose to make Morristown the site of his headquarters twice during the Revolutionary War. Just a few decades later, history was made again when Samuel Morse made Alfred Vail his partner in developing the telegraph at Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown. The town continued to grow as successive immigrant groups created ethnic enclaves. The Gilded Age came to Morristown, and by 1900, dozens of millionaires called the community home and brought the trappings of wealth, from lavish homes to social clubs. Today, while Morristown continues to evolve, numerous historic sites and museums document its rich past.

Plainfield

9780738550299

$24.99

There are two dozen places in the United States named Plainfield, but Plainfield, Connecticut, was the first. When it was incorporated in 1699, Colonial governor Fitz-John Winthrop named the town for its rich, fertile fields along the Quinebaug River. During the 1700s, the town was transformed from Native American country to a farming community populated by English settlers. In the 1800s, textile mills were built along the Moosup and Quinebaug Rivers, and Plainfield became an industrial town attracting workers from all over New England, Canada, and Europe. Today the textile industry is gone, and the surviving mills have been converted to other uses. Located in the northeastern part of the state, Plainfield is in the heart of the breathtaking Quinebaug-Shetucket National Heritage Corridor.

Yavapai County

9781467124508

$24.99

In 1864, Arizona was divided into four counties named after the local Indian communities: Yavapai, Yuma, Mohave, and Pima. Believed to have been the largest county ever created in the lower 48 states at the time, Yavapai encompassed over 65,000 square miles until 1891, when the state was divided into additional counties. Yavapai finally settled to 8,125 square miles. While still a US territory in 1900, Yavapai County had a population just under 13,800 people and was quite remote. Within a few years, postcards started appearing in drugstores, such as Brisley, Timerhoff, Owl, Heit, Corbin and Bork, or Eagle Drug in Prescott and Lynn Boyd or Mitchell in Jerome. Many of the original postcards showcase early mines, towns, and buildings that no longer exist today.

Cover image for Yavapai County, isbn: 9781467124508

Powelton Village

9781467124348

$24.99

From its humble beginnings as a strip of wilderness just west of William Penn's greene country towne, Powelton Village has seen a rise in both prestige and activism since its inception in the late 17th century. An aristocratic estate at its founding, Powelton has found itself in a state of constant evolution, from the summer retreat of George Washington to the home of Pennsylvania's agricultural fair and from the playground of the elite to a hotbed of activism. In spite of, or because of, its mixed history, Powelton Village is unique among Philadelphia neighborhoods, both in its eclectic diversity and in its historic roots to the founding of the nation. Today, Powelton serves as a home to academics and their students, to the urban poor of Philadelphia, and to the elites of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University.

Cover image for Powelton Village, isbn: 9781467124348

Williamston

9781467114844

$24.99

The rich history of Williamston lives in the memories and memorabilia passed through generations of individuals. Williamston's raconteurs tell vivid tales of energizing spring water; a thriving community of hotels, restaurants, and theaters; and a school system reaching unbelievable heights. Founded by West Allen Williams near a natural mineral spring in 1842, the town of Williamston beckons for all to hear its history and soak in its rejuvenating heritage of trust, hope, and assurance. The town grew to accommodate travelers who arrived by train to partake of its medicinal waters. Many stayed in the Mammoth Hotel, the largest building in South Carolina at the time of its construction. The Civil War brought an end to this era of prosperity, but the turn of the 20th century saw the rise of cotton mills on the banks of the nearby Saluda River. This book unveils the timeless tapestry of Williamston's past—a history woven through time that unites people from all walks of life.

Cover image for Williamston, isbn: 9781467114844

Thetford

9781467122900

$24.99

Soon after Thetford was chartered in 1761, settlers from southern New England arrived and began transforming the forestland into a community. They took advantage of both the Connecticut River and the Ompompanoosuc River to forge a lively and self-sustaining collection of mill villages within the town. The railroad arrived in 1848, enabling three depot villages to blossom. Thetford Hill, with neither mills nor transportation, became home to the renowned Thetford Academy, the first coeducational secondary school in Vermont. Thetford's mill-based commerce ebbed significantly by 1900, but tourism became a prevalent industry, with city dwellers flocking to summer retreats such as Camp Hanoum and the Lake Fairlee camps. Despite fires, floods, and hurricanes, as well as the construction of the Union Village Dam in 1950 and Interstate 91 in 1971, Thetford has retained its resilient spirit and looks much as it did a century ago.

Edmonds

9781467132046

$24.99

Before Edmonds became a town, it was a forest of cedar trees and evergreens. The Puget Sound's various Indian tribes used the land for camping, the sea for fishing and clamming for meals, and the marshes for harvesting tules that they used to weave into items such as mats and baskets. Later, the area became known as Brackett's Landing, named after the man who began logging the forest and founded the town of Edmonds in 1890 and opened its first mills and schools. The Great Northern Railway arrived in 1891, bringing with it great prospects for commercial and residential prosperity. As the young town grew into a city, it thrived because of its location on the water. Private ferry boats called the "Mosquito Fleet" came from Seattle, and to this day, commercial and passenger ferries cross the Puget Sound to the Port of Edmonds, Kingston, and the rest of the Olympic peninsula.

Boomtime Boca

9780738544434

$24.99

From farming community to prominent neighborhood, this book gives a unique look at the past of Boca Raton, Florida using vintage images.

Boca Raton, Florida, was a tiny farming community on the southeastern coast of Florida when the state's 1920s real estate boom grew into a national phenomenon. Investors and new residents were drawn to the state from all over the country, a time Floridians referred to as ""the Boom."" In April 1925, well-known Palm Beach society architect Addison Mizner revealed his plans for an ambitious new development in Boca Raton. The plans included a gigantic oceanfront hotel, elegant mansions, golf and polo grounds, and palm-lined boulevards. The popularity of Mizner's projects stimulated many similar developments within the region, increasing the population of the town from 100 to several hundred residents. By the fall of 1926, however, the Florida land boom came to an end. Boca Raton returned, for the most part, to its small-town agricultural heritage by 1930. By the end of the 20th century, boomtime dreams were fully realized and Boca Raton became one of Florida's most prestigious addresses.

Ottumwa

9780738550831

$24.99

Ottumwa was established in 1843 on the banks of the Des Moines River. The city quickly became a center of retail trade and industry for southeastern Iowa, as well as a railroad hub that shipped products across the country. More than 200 vintage postcard images show the booming industrial and retail city at the beginning of the 20th century and after--from the river to the railroads, from parks and recreation to business and retail, from quiet residential streets to churches and ice-cream parlors--bringing back the bygone days of a still thriving city.

Council Bluffs

9780738550756

$24.99

During the 1830s, a path appeared where Indian Creek flowed out of the loess hills at Caldwell's Potawatomi village and led west across the Eight-Mile
Prairie. A decade later, that path became Broadway through Mormon Kanesville where California-bound 49ers found anything for sale. Kanesville became Council Bluffs after 1852 as Broadway spread from Mud Hollow and Old Town past the Fourth Street Angle across a "sea of prairie grass and sun-flowers" to the ferries on the Big Muddy, the Missouri River. More changes came with the Northwestern, Union Pacific, and Illinois Central Railroads as Broadway evolved into the route of four U.S. highways. People went to work at World Radio, Woodward's, and Omaha Standard, and notorious mobster Meyer Lansky ran greyhounds where stock cars later raced at Playland Park while teenagers cruised for hamburgers and entertainment.

Euclid Golf Neighborhood

9780738532547

$24.99

Discover the excellent planning and history of Ohio's Euclid Golf Neighborhood, one of the finest in the country.

Euclid Golf was built on land owned by John D. Rockefeller, who lent it to the Euclid Club for its golf course. Developer Barton R. Deming employed Garden City principles and deed restrictions to entice the elite of Cleveland, while architects Howell and Thomas, Charles Schneider and others designed splendid houses in the revival styles that defined gracious living. As prominent Clevelanders made their homes in Euclid Golf, Fairmount Boulevard became known as ""The Euclid Avenue of the Heights.""

Artesia 1875-1975

9780738508788

$24.99

This three-generation endeavor started in 1975 when Albert O. Little, known for his dedication to the community as "Mr. Artesia," began working on two volumes of history: The Artesians: How It Began One Hundred Years Ago and The Artesians: Twenty Years of Incorporation. He gathered photographs and considerable narrative material, hoping that one day he would be able to share his historical knowledge and his love for the city with the rest of the community in a pictorial history. Sadly, while in the process of putting it together, he passed away. Nothing would have made him more proud than to have seen this project be completed and made available to the residents of Artesia. Veronica Little Bloomfield is Albert Little's daughter, and coauthor Veronica Elizabeth Bloomfield is his granddaughter. Together, they have honored his legacy of love and dedication by going through old pictures, talking about the faces and places that defined Artesia, and compiling
these materials into a history. The images and words in this text come from Little's archives and the many friends and associates he had in this town over the years. Images of ranchos, farming, schools and homes, incorporation and consolidation, and of course, the Artesian wells for which the city was
named, document the early agricultural community that was Artesia.

Cover image for Artesia 1875-1975, isbn: 9780738508788

Clarksville, Indiana

9780738519180

$24.99

Located at the falls of the Ohio River, Clarksville's
history extends back to the Revolutionary War. Named in honor of General George Rogers Clark, the town was founded in 1783. Captured here in over 200 vintage images are the trials and triumphs of America's first town established in the Old Northwest
Territory. Despite its historical importance, many people are unaware of Clarksville's unique place in America's development of the Midwest. As well as being the recruitment location for Captains Lewis and Clark's nucleus of the Corps of Discovery, the little town was also the site of one of Indiana's earliest state prisons. Over the centuries, its identity wavered from prison town, Civil War camp, and the center of nightlife and gambling for the entire Louisville metropolitan area. With the housing boom of World War II, Clarksville's population soared. Pictured here are the residents, businesses, and homes that survived some of the town's most trying times and ultimately defined the area, including the Graninger Home, the original Club Greyhound, Camp Joe Holt, and infamous Cell House C.

Revere

9780738536712

$24.99

The city of Revere was one of the first suburbs of Boston, located approximately five miles north of the city. It is best known for its three-mile crescent-shaped beach that has entertained throngs of visitors through the years, but the beach is only a small fraction of the history of this great city. From shopping on Broadway, Revere Street, or Shirley Avenue to local names such as Horatio Alger Jr., Tony Conigliaro, and singer Jack Haley, Revere's history is explored through vintage images, many never before published. This book is a look back at a sweeter time, when a trip on the narrow-gauge railroad was a delightful adventure and the street was a more animated place for residents to sit and visit with neighbors.

Aurora

9780738550558

$24.99

Located in northeastern Ohio, Aurora began as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve and drew many of its first settlers from New England. The city was founded in 1799, with its residents making their living from hunting, farming, and milling. As settlers cleared the land, planted their crops, and raised their animals, they retained their New England heritage, reflected in the many "century homes" found in the town. The area remained largely rural until the mid-20th century, with dairy farmers shipping cheese all over the country and to Europe from 1850 to 1910. Aurora has served as a bedroom community from the 1900s to the 1960s, and Geauga Lake has been a vacation destination since the 1860s. Currently Aurora retains much of its rural charm with Audubon lands, nature reserves, and many lakes and wetlands.

The Grand Haven Area 1905-1975 in Vintage Postcards

9780738523378

$24.99

By the start of the 20th century, the Grand Haven area had begun to establish itself as a desirable vacation spot, as well as the center of a vigorous manufacturing base. Trains, stately steamers, and private automobiles brought visitors to the resorts of their choice, while many new companies joined other well-established firms, broadening employment opportunities for local workers. It was a time of significant change, and the picture postcard helped record those changes. In this book, a companion to The Grand Haven Area: 1860-1960, the history of Grand Haven and the surrounding area is revealed through picture postcards. Lakeshore scenes, resorts, and cottages are paired with images of bridges, streets, homes, and people at work and play to document a remarkable era of originality, enjoyment, and progress.

The Grand Haven Area 1905-1975 in Vintage Postcards

Around La Porte

9780738584904

$24.99

The city of La Porte and the surrounding communities are laden with historical events and characters. Pioneers began settling 10 years before the Battle of San Jacinto, where Texas gained its independence. The land that was to become the cities of Morgan's Point, Shoreacres, Lomax, and La Porte was home to such Texas luminaries as Gen. Sidney Sherman, Gov. Ross Sterling, Andrew Jackson Houston, and James Morgan. The beauty of the area attracted legions of summer visitors, including Sam Houston and Dr. Ashbel Smith. Years later, pioneers of the Texas oil industry looked to the shores of Galveston Bay in La Porte to entertain and build summer places. La Porte was legally organized January 1, 1892, and for over a century of ups and downs has remained steadfast in preserving the natural beauty that is its legacy, the friendliness that is its nature, and the educational excellence to which the city's founders aspired. Today, La Porte is a unique combination of quaint small-town living with big-city amenities.

Around Shinnston

9781467123723

$24.99

Surrounding the West Fork River and its tributaries, the communities in northern Harrison County are rich in both history and pride. With an abundance of natural resources, such as coal and oil, the areas featured in Around Shinnston developed into industries that brought growth and commerce. Many of these towns were named for the coal companies that established mines there, including Gypsy and Owings. Viropa was named for Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, while Wyatt, previously called Goosetown, was renamed to honor a local physician. Big Elm once carried the roots of the largest water elm tree on record, and Enterprise was a large Indian territory. Shinnston is the largest community in Clay District (third largest in Harrison County) and is home to the oldest structure in this part of the state. These areas were the heart of the Bituminous Coal Fields and today take pride in their history.

Wood River

9780738523439

$24.99

Since the mid-1700s, Native Americans, pioneers, farmers, and entrepreneurs have made their home in the fertile plains and valleys of the Mississippi River Bend. However, it wasn't until Standard Oil opened its first refinery in 1908 that the towns of Wood River, Roxana, South Roxana, and Hartford were established. Essentially communities of refinery workers and their families, the towns thrived for decades as an influx of refineries brought more work to the area. This collection of images hearkens back to a time when there were more taverns than churches in Wood River, company homes lined the streets of Roxana, and a shoe factory made its home in Hartford.

Cover image for Wood River, isbn: 9780738523439

South Holland

9780738523347

$24.99

Settled by Dutch pioneers in 1847, South Holland has known many names-De Laage Prairie, Holland Bridge, and Low Prairie. It even earned the title of "Onion Capital of the World" thanks to the early Dutch settlers who farmed the area's fertile soil, planting cabbages and onions. They also brought traditions and values that have remained a fundamental part of the community's life. South Holland is a visual history of this proud community, told through photographs from the late 1800s to the present day. In close to 200 images, including ones of youngsters gathered by Thorn Creek, hard-working farmers, and the town's many places of worship, this collection provides a fresh portrayal of an interesting and intriguing place.

Cover image for South Holland, isbn: 9780738523347

Wadmalaw Island

9780738594422

$24.99

A once-thriving economy, Wadmalaw Island boasted cotton, indigo, and rice plantations, but even after hardship, Wadmalaw has remained a timeless representation of a bygone era.

Wadmalaw wasn't home to just plantations, but also the town of Rockville, a quaint, seaside retreat for the local planters. Lowcountry architecture was seen throughout the island in the designs of the plantation and summer vacation homes, and it became a favored holiday spot for the wealthy elite. Time and events did not leave the island unscathed though, and Wadmalaw fell victim to war and financial hardship as did the rest of the South after the Civil War. Wadmalaw weathered the harsh conditions and was able to continue its sleepy way of life into the 20th century. Rockville also became home to the well-known Rockville Regatta that brings thousands of visitors to the island every year. Despite surrounding growth that has threatened it, Wadmalaw has continued to maintain its unique noncommercial air and retains the agricultural focus on which it was founded.

Hebron

9780738536439

$24.99

Settled in 1704 and incorporated in 1708, Hebron is one of the oldest towns in Connecticut. Predominantly a farming community for generations, Hebron is also the home of many famous people. Hebron contains pictures of Governor John Peters, Dr. Charles Douglas, author Annie Hutchinson Foote, poet Susan Pendleton, the musically gifted Tennant family, Hebron's turn-of-the-century baseball team, and the Porters, the Hills, the Hildings, and many other lifelong Hebron residents. Hebron was also an industrial center with its own Ams-Sterling automobile, a busy train depot that connected travelers with New York and Boston, silk mills, and cottage industries. This book is the first pictorial history of Hebron ever published and contains many rare photographs from private collections.

Cover image for Hebron, isbn: 9780738536439

Early County

9780738588100

$24.99

The territory out of which Early County was formed was obtained by Gen. Andrew Jackson from the Native Americans in 1817 at the conclusion of his march through their territory in southwest Georgia. In 1818, the legislature of Georgia divided the land into three counties, Early, Irwin, and Appling. Early County received its name in honor of Gov. Peter Early, said to be one of Georgia's purest and ablest statesmen of the day. From 1857 to 1923, the county's 3,750 square miles were divided into a total of 10 counties, leaving Early with only 514 square miles. From the very beginning, agriculture was the dominant industry, and Early County became known as "the Peanut Capital of the World."

Plainfield

9780738594484

$24.99

Plainfield, Indiana was settled by Quakers in the early 1800s. Explore the town's past in images of the old town and its development.

In 1820, abolitionist Quakers from North Carolina settled in Plainfield, Indiana. These early settlers provided the foundation for Plainfield's rich heritage, which has evolved into today's diverse blend of residents. In 1832, Levi Jessup and Elias Hadley platted the town of Plainfield with 64 lots straddling the National Road. The record of the first lot sold is dated May 2, 1833--much has happened since that day. Images of America: Plainfield presents a visual journey into Plainfield's past through nostalgic images of early downtown buildings, the Indiana Boys' School, the railroad, schools, churches, and much more.

Portage Township

9780738523224

$24.99

It has been over 40 years since the trinity of Crisman, McCool, and Garyton united to become Portage, Indiana.

Located 50 miles from downtown Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, Portage Township has emerged as a growing residential, commercial, and industrial center. Portage became a town in 1959 and attained city status in 1967, but the region's history begins with the indigenous Wey Indians of the 1700s and the Potowotamie, whose land was sold in 1834. Pioneers then settled the land alongside immigrants. For many generations Portage has offered a new beginning to those who sought work, political asylum, or simply a better life.

Cover image for Portage Township, isbn: 9780738523224

Around Hartwick

9781467123747

$24.99

Around Hartwick depicts the history of the rural Hartwick Township at the geographical heart of Otsego County, nestled along the Otego Valley between western hills and the Susquehanna River. Named for John Christopher Hartwick, an itinerant German preacher with the dream of a "New Jerusalem" church and school, the township became the site of the first Lutheran Theological Association in America. Abundant water sources powered large woolen, cotton, and paper mills in Clintonville, Toddsville, and South Hartwick. Fertile land produced farm crops, including a contribution to the highest yield of hops in the world. With extension of the electric trolley north through the Otego Valley to the Mohawk Valley, the Hartwick hamlet prospered as the site of railway headquarters, central carbarns, and the sole power source for this vital transportation link. With the advent of the mechanical age and changing economics, mills relocated, the railway ceased, and farm production declined. Today, the township enjoys renewed prosperity with the influence of history museums and baseball from nearby Cooperstown.

Troy's Little Italy Revisited

9781467123709

$24.99

A significant part of Troy's history, and that of its neighborhood, is the immigration of diverse ethnic groups. By 1900, the US Census reported 465 Italian-born residents in Troy, and in 1930, there were 2,000 Italian immigrants. From 1900 to the 1950s, Little Italy, bordering the central business district from Ferry Street to the Poestenkill and from Fourth Street to Prospect Park, was predominately an Italian or Italian American neighborhood. Among the close-knit families of Troy's Little Italy were import stores, 60 mom-and-pop shops, churches, schools, a community center, and a veterans' post, all of which were found within a 20-block radius. America's Little Italy neighborhoods became centers of ethnic culture and heritage. In the 1960s, urban renewal challenged Troy and other cities with mixed results. Today, there is resurgence in Troy, with plans to expand the city's central historic district to include most of Little Italy. In the meantime, empty nesters, artists, and young professionals are moving into the neighborhood as valuable community partners continue to support the efforts of the neighborhood group Troy Little Italy.

Pembroke Chronicles

9781626199743

$21.99

In its earliest days, Pembroke offered abundant fishing and lush forests for its Native American inhabitants. Starting in the 1640s, European colonists began turning the town from a farming community into a successful hub for shipbuilding. Pembroke's long history is colored by remarkable stories. Atop the old Pembroke Public Library rests a bee sculpture designed by Pembroke artist Richard Edlund, representing the spelling bees held each spring at the library since 1875. The Pembroke Monument Association first met in 1879 to discuss the purchase of a Civil War soldiers' monument for the town, yet it was nearly a decade before the monument was erected. In this collection of articles from her Pembroke's Past column, Karen Cross Proctor captures the spirit of the community.

Cover image for Pembroke Chronicles, isbn: 9781626199743

Little Italy

9781467114424

$24.99

Originally called Alta Villa (the high place), Little Italy was settled in 1915 by a group of northern Italian immigrants who came to Arkansas looking for an opportunity to achieve the American dream. Though smaller than other Italian colonies in the state, like Tontitown or Lake Village, Little Italy's centralized location and skilled winemakers created the perfect atmosphere for a Prohibition-era oasis where central Arkansans could purchase clean, safe alcohol at a time when thousands throughout the nation had died because of poisonous, alcoholic brews. Recognizing the value of this operation, regional politicians allowed the residents of Little Italy to continue producing wine and cognac, thus establishing the community as a regional curiosity and a popular weekend travel destination.

Malden

9781467123426

$24.99

By the turn of the 20th century, Malden had become a fairly large city and was home to wealthy families, immigrants, and workers. Farms disappeared as factories and businesses of all types and sizes grew. Elisha Converse, the city's first mayor and founder of the Boston Rubber Shoe Company, left his mark on Malden by funding a public library and hospital and designating land for development of Pine Banks Park. A vibrant downtown emerged at the intersection of two colonial roads. It became a regional center of shopping and commerce as well as a hub for transportation by train, trolley, or automobile. The early 1900s were marked by the construction of grand residences, business buildings, numerous parks and churches, and many schools. However, by mid-century, many of these institutions had undergone great change, if they had not entirely disappeared.

Vilano and the North Beaches

9781467114356

$24.99

Vilano and the North Beaches are perhaps most known as small, eclectic beach communities within sight of St. Augustine, the nation's oldest city. For centuries, people have flocked to this coastal playground by horse-drawn trolley, ferry, and more recently Florida's Coastal Highway, State Road A1A. They came for recreation, jobs, and sunny weather in the late 1800s, when Henry Flagler attracted Northerners to his new and novel hotels. Visitors were excited to learn the ocean was just across the bay. Tourism provided jobs for settlers, like the Minorcan, Usina, and Capo families, offering fun excursions. Nowhere else were horse-drawn trolleys delivering beachgoers across sand dunes to the sea. Like Ponce de León, who was smitten with the pristine beaches, the area's story is one of developing the land along an isolated coastline. Road and bridge construction after World War II encouraged migration as well as visitors to the beaches, fish camps, and Art Deco motor courts. This nostalgic 1950s look remains today, attracting those curious about the region's multicultural history.

Cover image for Vilano and the North Beaches, isbn: 9781467114356

East Contra Costa County

9780738547749

$24.99

Ho for California! The terminus of the first overland immigrant pack train destined for California was John Marsh's adobe, Brentwood. Since 1841, East Contra Costa County has been a grain and fruit basket to the world, a recreational playground for resort living, and a home for health and family life. Its wheat was exported for brewing Guinness beer, and fresh apricots, peaches, and cherries still bring produce fanciers for summer harvest. Weekenders houseboat, wakeboard, and fish through the region's thousands of miles of delta waterways. This sentimental history of the communities of Brentwood, Bethel Island, Byron, Discovery Bay, Knightsen, and Oakley reveals the importance of these California Delta communities in settling and developing the Golden State.

Crofton

9780738567839

$24.99

Established in 1964 as a planned community, Crofton's almost 2,000 acres have been colonized and cultivated since the mid-17th century. Its roots can be traced to America's first planned community—Williamsburg, Virginia. Williamsburg's elegance and charm inspired developer W. Hamilton Crawford's idyllic design for Crofton: a grand boulevard, curving residential streets, arching trees, a country club, and easy access to nearby Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. This collection of photographs from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century reflects the life and times of the maturing village of Crofton. Fields of tobacco and corn, towering woodlands, cherry tree saplings along Crofton Parkway, the dedication of Crofton Park, summer Little League camp—Images of America: Crofton is a compendium of dreams fulfilled. Independence Day parades; fairs; bicycle races; pumpkin-design competitions; softball, soccer, and basketball teams; and summer concerts on the Green are all here. While historians record the facts, artists and cameras capture the small moments as well as the grand events. Those moments, large and small, are what readers will find between these covers.

Cover image for Crofton, isbn: 9780738567839

Grinnell

9781467114196

$24.99

A passion for education, opposition to slavery, and yearning for a moral life led Josiah B. Grinnell and his band of like-minded New Englanders to establish a town and a college on the Iowa prairie in 1854. Over the years, a remarkable number of dreamers and doers from all walks of life have emerged from Grinnell, including pioneer aviator Billy Robinson; Harry Hopkins, advisor to Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt; and Robert Noyce, cofounder of Intel Corporation. Today, Grinnell is a distinctive blend of urban and rural culture that has been marked by the idealism of its beginnings, molded by the surrounding agricultural economy, and shaped by prestigious Grinnell College. Proudly known as the Jewel of the Prairie, Grinnell is recognized in the National Register of Historic Places with two historic districts and 15 individual buildings. The Merchants National Bank designed by Louis Sullivan is a National Historic Landmark.

Cover image for Grinnell, isbn: 9781467114196

Jefferson

9780738585321

$24.99

Jefferson, Texas, began as a simple ferry crossing on the Big Cypress Bayou. By 1841, Allen Urquhart had realized the potential for a town at this spot and purchased 640 acres. Daniel Alley bought the adjacent tract, and the city of Jefferson was born. The town flourished as a steamship port during the 1800s and became the second-largest city in Texas. Steamboats from as far south as New Orleans would dock in Jefferson, unloading travelers and freight before taking on new cargo and starting on the return trip. When the water levels in the bayou eventually fell, Jefferson was no longer accessible by steamship, and the population began to dwindle. Many saw this as the end of the city. However, the 1960s brought a rebirth to the town, and today Jefferson shares its rich history with travelers from across the nation.

Orangeburg Revisited

9780738516677

$24.99

Orangeburg, South Carolina, is home to an abundant history, shown in this second volume through over 225 rare images of times gone by. The epitome of the small town, Orangeburg is where friends would gather at the famous Bluebird Theatre or the old soda fountains at a turn-of-the-century drugstore. Residents marveled when the Orangeburg Hotel was constructed in 1909; at the time it was the second tallest structure in all of South Carolina. Marchant Music Co., whose showroom is featured in this volume, recalls the days when everyone gathered around the piano in the parlor. Beauty queens from the old Fall Festival, which preceded the formation of the Orangeburg County Fair, grace the pages of this collection. Even the first motor-powered fire truck makes an appearance, as do the stalwart men who comprised the old volunteer fire departments. Also notable in this volume is the rarely mentioned George H. Cornelson, who had more impact on the city than any other person over the last 130 years.

Yorktown

9780738516554

$24.99

Yorktown, Virginia, first came to prominence in American history when the Revolutionary War brought the final battle to the city. Once a battlefield and later planned to be a golf course and grand hotel, the site today is a historical monument maintained by the National Parks Service. The history of this colonial town has evolved tremendously from the 17th century through the present. Focusing on the period of 1900 through the 1940s, Images of America: Yorktown highlights the places, people, and times before the area's designation as a historical monument. Among the photographs contained within this volume are those illustrating Yorktown's bustling port, pre-World War business development, and celebration at the conclusion of the Great Depression that characterize some of the area's proudest times.

Grayslake and Avon Township

9780738550978

$24.99

Starting in 1836, permanent settlers came into the area to be known as Avon Township. They found fertile prairie, groves of virgin timber, and pristine lakes, and they broke the soil and tilled the ground to make a subsistance living. The coming of two railroads promoted the growth of villages and made it easy for city people to come and enjoy the recreational activities offered by the lakes. These people soon stayed, and the farmland began disappearing. Today Avon Township is home to several incorporated villages, the Lake County Fair, the
College of Lake County, and the University Center of Lake County.

Collierville

9780738542898

$24.99

In 1836, Collierville received its name from Jesse R. Collier, a local entrepreneur, who advertised lots for sale in what he called the "Town of Collier." Even after its formal incorporation in 1850, the town was mistakenly known as both Oak Grove and Colliersville. Additionally documents from the late 19th century put Collierville in both Tennessee and Mississippi. By 1858, the population was recorded at around 250 people, doubling by 1860. Much of the town was destroyed during the Civil War, but in 1866, the town sprang back around a park designated as a "public square." Once a stagecoach rest stop and later a railroad stop, the town anchors the southeast corner of Shelby County, lying about 30 miles east of Memphis and the Mississippi River. Today Collierville's population has grown to more than 42,000 people. With its downtown a jewel of Victorian-era homes and churches surrounding the Historic Town Square, Collierville, Tennessee, retains a small-town charm that keeps longtime residents rooted and draws increasing numbers of new citizens yearly.

Etowah County

9780738516240

$24.99

Drawing from, among other sources, the collection of famed photographer Adolph Lebourg, a French immigrant who traveled to Alabama with a circus, Scarboro and Goodson combine wonderful images with insightful text to provide a unique look at the county's heritage. Especially evident in Lebourg's photographs is a passion for motorcycles, providing a great point of interest for many of the book's images. Etowah County includes such points of interest as the Kyle Home, which once stood on the present site of the Etowah County Courthouse, the home of Alabama Power Company founder W.P. Lay, and
several of the county's early movie theaters. Many local businesses and industries are highlighted in the early years of their existence. Also included are glimpses of such local events as parades, sporting events, and the beautiful Nocallula Falls. Whether one is a longtime resident familiar with all the area has to offer, or a newcomer eager to learn more of the county's heritage, Etowah County is a wonderful look at days gone by.

Cover image for Etowah County, isbn: 9780738516240

Etowah County Volume II

9780738516257

$24.99

Etowah County Volume II traces the history of everyday citizens in this Alabama community. Largely derived from the collections of local photographers Bob Scarboro and Hugh Hall, the images in this volume depict the county's championship sports teams, the drive-in theaters and restaurants of the post-World War II era, and the mansions that once lined Forrest Avenue. Also included are two rare and seldom-seen photographs-the old dummy engine of the streetcar line that ran from Gadsden to Attalla, and the wooden dance pavilion located beneath Noccalula Falls at the turn of the century. Readers will discover the lasting contributions made to Etowah County by such notable early settlers as Col. R.B. Kyle, Capt. James M. Elliott Jr., Gen. Daniel Turrentine, and Judge John H. Disque. Many of the area's schools, businesses, and churches can be attributed to the efforts of these enterprising individuals. Etowah County Volume II also celebrates the contributions made by the hard-working, everyday people who have made this Alabama community a memorable place to live.

Cover image for Etowah County Volume II, isbn: 9780738516257

Pryor Creek

9781467114875

$24.99

Pryor Creek, originally named Coo-y-yah (Cherokee for huckleberry), incorporated as a city in 1894. Also known as Pryor by the US Postal Service, it is located in northeastern Oklahoma and is the seat of Mayes County. The community is rich with history that dates back to its early days as Indian Territory, where many early residents settled after suffering a grueling journey on the Trail of Tears from the old Cherokee Nation. After starting as a rural farming community, with the addition of the railroad in 1870 Pryor Creek grew to become a major industrial economic force in the region following World War II. During the war, the area was home to a massive ammunition ordnance plant, which eventually became the largest industrial park in Oklahoma. In 1942, Pryor Creek's downtown business district was destroyed by the fifth-deadliest tornado in Oklahoma history. Pryor Creek is also a gateway known for its regional lakes and recreational areas.

Cover image for Pryor Creek, isbn: 9781467114875

Emigrant Gulch

9780738520780

$24.99

In 1864, an Oregon Trail wagon train of pioneers from Pennsylvania and Iowa found their way to Emigrant Gulch and Park County in search of gold. The first settlers staked 200-foot claims at the mouth of the Gulch, in what had been called the Curry District. One of the oldest mining districts in Park County, the history of the area is reproduced here in almost 200 vintage photographs, and captures America's fascination with the development of the Wild West.

Park County, so named due to its proximity to Yellowstone Park, was established in 1887. Placer gold was discovered in the Gulch in 1864, and with this discovery came miners and prospectors from all over the country, ultimately resulting in the development of Yellowstone City and other communities. While open hostilities with the native Crow Indians in the region would eventually dissuade continual mining in the region, many stayed to populate the area. Pictured here are the miners, residents, businesses, street scenes, and social activities that made Park County what it is today.

Around Prattsburgh

9780738576923

$24.99

Jared Pratt and his wife first settled in the Prattsburgh area in 1800. In 1802, Capt. Joel Pratt, Jared Pratt's uncle, and William Root, of Albany, purchased the township from the Pulteney estate. The town was officially formed on April 12, 1813, and named after Captain Pratt. During Prattsburgh's peak, it was a thriving place, boasting such businesses as the J.H. Frost Wagon Shop, Mrs. Clark's Millinery, Crossman's Blacksmith Shop, and Clary's Cooper Shop. The number of established schoolhouses and churches in town is proof of how very important education and religion were to the early settlers. Even today, Prattsburgh's rich agricultural history is still evident. Prattsburgh's success gave rise to Wheeler, a town of industries such as Renchan's Mills, a hotel, school, and general store. The remainder of the Sir William Pulteney estate became the town of Pulteney--another thriving community in its day --home to a rickshaw factory, a rattan basket factory, and many vineyards.

Lake Sunapee

9780738591322

$24.99

Lake Sunapee in southern New Hampshire is one of the gems of New England. It is 10 miles long, and at 1,100 feet in elevation, it is the highest large lake in the state. It is dominated at its southern end by the magnificent Mount Sunapee. The lakeshore has an unusually interesting history, traced here in postcard views, many from the start of the 20th century. They tell a story of large resort hotels, steamboat travel, and trains, all in the era before the automobile. The lake itself has been a major center of sailing, powerboating, water skiing, fishing, and swimming. Today, the large resorts are gone, and the shore is dominated by thousands of cottages along its 32 miles of waterfront. The towns on the lake as they were a century ago are also fully illustrated--Sunapee Harbor, Georges Mills, New London, Blodgett Landing, Newbury, and Burkehaven.

Bear Creek Valley

9780738570419

$24.99

Memories of Montana's Bear Creek Valley flicker briefly to life each February on the anniversary of its darkest day. It is remembered as the site of Montana's worst coal mining accident, which claimed the lives of 75 miners, but the valley was so much more. For decades it was Montana's coal basket, housing two towns, dozens of coal mines, and a population equaling that of neighboring Red Lodge. Businesses included a movie theater, dry goods store, grocery stores, hotels, hospitals, butchers, banks, bars, and union halls, all serving residents with pan-European origins. Its schools produced championship sports teams and community leaders. Gone, but not forgotten, Bear Creek Valley lives on in this book.

Cover image for Bear Creek Valley, isbn: 9780738570419

Hailey

9780738588995

$24.99

When Hailey was founded in 1881, it was one of many boomtowns that sprang up as a result of the lead-silver rush in the northwestern United States. The city was named for John Hailey, a successful entrepreneur who operated a freight hauling business before the railroad reached the Wood River Valley. The new town's strategic location--in proximity to surrounding, rich lead-silver deposits and at the junction of the Wood River and Croy and Quigley Canyons--allowed Hailey to become a bustling center of commerce and mining. Over the years, Hailey grew and changed with the rise and fall of the local mining and sheepherding industries. In recent years, Hailey has reinvented itself yet again, with tourism as the mainstay of the local economy. More than 130 years after its founding, Hailey remains a vibrant and energetic community in the heart of the Wood River Valley.

Largo

9780738582214

$24.99

Pioneer settlers came to the west-central Pinellas peninsula in the years before the Civil War. The arrival of the railroad in 1888 brought truck farmers and expansive citrus groves. Decades before the city's incorporation in 1905, Largo became an important area for raising livestock, harvesting crops and timber, and trading citrus. Largo's farmers fed nearby urban communities during the Florida land boom while also providing winter fruits and vegetables to distant markets. Packing houses dotted the rural landscape during the years prior to World War II. By the 1960s, Largo expanded eastward toward Tampa Bay as new subdivisions sprouted in former groves. Known at various times as Citrus City, Fair City, Clean Air Capital, and City of Progress, Largo has grown from its roots as a small farming settlement to become the central crossroads and the third largest city in Florida's most densely populated county.

Clark's Fork Valley

9780738581675

$24.99

Many of the great icons of western American history left their mark on Carbon County while living in or traveling through the natural byway that is Montana's Clark's Fork Valley. The Apsáalooke, or Crow, people called the valley home for centuries. The Lewis and Clark expedition recorded and named the valley's river in 1806. In 1807-1808, John Colter, the discoverer of Yellowstone Park, explored the southern end of the valley. The Rocky Mountain Fur Company and adventurers like Jedediah Smith, Joe Meek, and Thomas Fitzpatrick soon followed. In 1864, Jim Bridger blazed the Bridger Trail through the valley. Chief Joseph and his band of Nez Perce followed the valley north from Yellowstone Park during their 1877 flight toward Canada. Calamity Jane and Caroline Lockhart, a noted author and literary rival of Zane Grey, once called the valley home, and Buffalo Bill Cody and John "Liver-Eating" Johnston visited it frequently.

Beartooth Mountains

9780738593319

$24.99

The name Beartooth suggests strength, rawness, and force. Indeed, the Beartooth Mountains are a power and are unsurpassed in splendor and beauty.

The voluminous masses are said to compromise one of the largest contiguous areas in North America. Early natives came in search of game in both the high country and rich valleys, especially the Crows, who used the area frequently. Later, miners appeared in search of precious metals and developed gold, chrome, and platinum mines. Geographers came and scaled mountain peaks, defining, naming, and mapping. Cattle and sheepmen were also lured to the lush mountain pastures. Eventually, trails became roads, and the Beartooth Plateau was easily accessible upon the completion of the Beartooth Highway. With the creation of the US Forest Service, forestlands were surveyed and protected by wilderness status. Soon, dudes were upon the landscape, and an industry was created amongst the peaks and prairies of the Beartooths.

North Adams

9780738549736

$24.99

North Adams is nestled in a comfortable valley in the northern Berkshire Mountains. It exhibits a rich diversity of character, mirrored by its textured and varied environment. The city's history goes back to the 1700s, with a military encounter during the French and Indian War that set the tone for future challenges. Through vintage postcards, North Adams reflects the unique history of this city. The postcards represent what is essentially a highlight tour of North Adams, a journey through its first golden era from its incorporation as a city in 1895 to the 1940s. Whether native, newcomer, or tourist, these postcards serve up a taste of North Adams that is both nostalgic and golden.

Cover image for North Adams, isbn: 9780738549736

Ohio Valley Pottery Towns

9780738520322

$24.99

The Land Act of 1796 opened the gates for a flood of settlers into the lands of the Upper Ohio River Valley. The natural clay soils of the valley, coupled with an abundance of salt for glazing and the Ohio River as a nearby source for transportation, laid the foundation for what would become the pottery capital of the United States. Naming their new towns for those they left behind-Liverpool, Chester, Newell-English and Irish entrepreneurs established factories for making crockery. The industry boomed and, by the turn of the twentieth century, Ohio Valley pottery was being exported throughout the world. The story of pottery production is more than a list of manufacturers; the towns that grew around these factories and the lifestyles of the people who worked in them provide the social fabric of the Ohio Valley. From the early pioneer villages of the "hand-thrown" period to the towns with bustling shops and regular trolley service, residents built homes, schools, and churches, creating thriving communities.

The MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program

9781467134804

$24.99

The MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program was created at the University of Washington in 1968 as one of the nation's first physician assistant (PA) programs. A joint project of the Washington State Medical Association and the University of Washington School of Medicine, MEDEX was designed to meet the needs of overworked physicians in rural communities. As envisioned by MEDEX founder Dr. Richard A. Smith, Physician Assistants were created by physicians, for physicians. Initially, all MEDEX students were former military corpsmen returning from Vietnam. Based on their extensive clinical experience, they were well accepted by doctors and their patients. Dr. Richard Smith was a former Peace Corps physician and leader of the federal project to desegregate the US hospital system as a requirement for Medicare reimbursement. Dr. Smith's founding principles for MEDEX included a collaborative model for community and practitioner involvement—the framework for the MEDEX Program throughout its 45-year history.

Cover image for The MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program, isbn: 9781467134804

Forgotten Foster Park

9781467132770

$24.99

Surrounded by steeply sloped hillsides, Foster Park was a tiny rural community that took shape during the oil boom of the 1920s. It was situated at a bend on Highway 33 adjacent to Foster Memorial Park, for which it was named. Among the 50 or so homes was a thriving business district that most notably included a dance hall hosting musical greats of the time—such as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Everly Brothers—and a saloon equipped with a boxing ring. The Ventura River, once loaded with giant steelhead trout, and the Southern Pacific Railroad both ran through the town. It has been described as unreal by some and a rural slum by others. With the makings of a Norman Rockwell portrait, it came to its end in the mid-1960s to make room for the hotly contested extension of the Ojai Freeway. To younger generations and newcomers of the area, Foster Park's former existence is virtually unknown.

What We Cook on Cape Cod

9780738594934

$21.99

A Cape Cod cook book! you who stray / Par from the old sand-bordered Bay, / The cranberry bogs, the tossing pines. / The wind-swept beaches frothing lines, / you city dwellers who, like me. / Were children, playing by the sea. / Whose fathers manned the vanished ships / —Hark! do I hear you smack your lips? —Joseph C. Lincoln, Harwichport, Mass., August, 1911

Cover image for What We Cook on Cape Cod, isbn: 9780738594934

Tacoma Illustrated

9780738594880

$21.99

The work herewith presented needs little introduction to the citizens of Tacoma, but to the public at large, whose hands it is destined to reach, some explanation may not be out of place. The object of the publication is the embodiment, in concise and correct form, of the rise and progress of a city whose growth in population, trade, manufactures, and whose surrounding resources are almost without parallel. The resources of the State of Washington are first given a space in our columns; then a cursory history of Tacoma and her important interests, followed by full descriptions of these interests, and concluding with histories of her leading business houses. The familiar features of some of our prominent and enterprising citizens will also be recognized in its pages; many others are equally deserving a place in our limited gallery, but further space could not be afforded.

Cover image for Tacoma Illustrated, isbn: 9780738594880

Souvenir of Daytonia

9780738594866

$21.99

Daytonians hold in profound reverence the memories of their forefathers, who risked their lives and their fortunes in subduing the unbroken forest and its savage denizens, and in laying strong, wide, and deep the foundations of a city which to-day contains as many elements of advancement, and is endowed with as many of the attributes of genuine happiness, as any city in the United States. There is a just cause for congratulation in the growth and development of Dayton. Its magnificence is a crowning monument to the enlightenment and progresssiveness of its citizens--a devout, law-abiding, and upright people, whose stalwart and robust Americanism constitutes their chief excellence. It is no such Americanism as turns up its pantaloons every time it rains in London, or affects a pronunciation of our glorious tongue unknown to lexicons, but presumed to be an echo of the British Isles. Far from it. Dayton proudly boasts of an exalted citizenship, imbued with the spirit of an undying loyalty to country, whose pride and inspiration are not in Frederick the Great, or Louis XIV, or William the Conqueror; not in a hero of England, or of Germany, or of France, or of Ireland, but in George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Berlin

9780738587820

$24.99

Two hundred years ago, no one could have foretold that a picturesque valley in the shadow of Mount Washington, with ample virgin timber and flowing rapids, would develop into one of the most technologically inventive and ethnically diverse communities in New England. Berlin, New Hampshire, is a city that truly epitomizes the term "melting pot." With the Androscoggin River serving as a catalyst for the paper industry-based economy, this "city that trees built" has always paid homage to the ingenuity of the Brown Company. Through the Browns' industriousness, fortitude, and character, they forged a way of life for the many immigrants who toiled tirelessly--not only for their mentors, but for future generations. Through the brawn and taming of this wilderness came a necessary component of a burgeoning city. The evolution of the business, civic, and religious communities came together to weave an ethnic quilt--a mosaic tinted with the autumn colors of the hills that would ultimately come to provide Berlin with her labor, culture, and pride.

Plymouth's First Century

9780738519876

$24.99

The year 2002 marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of Plymouth Township in Michigan Territory. The first settlers were true pioneers, carving a living out of the wilderness and working together to establish a community. Farms and farmers were the backbone of the community until after the Civil War when two railroads intersected in the Village of Plymouth. The railroads brought many opportunities to the area, and helped spread the products invented by an innovative population.

Plymouth, Michigan's First Century: Innovators and Industry contains more than 200 images from the Plymouth Historical Museum and from the collections of some of Plymouth's current residents. You'll see the township blossom from farms and mills to a cohesive community of inventors and patriots. Early images of the main business block of Plymouth Village are reminiscent of the Wild West; later images depict a vibrant community, as it remains today.

Cover image for Plymouth's First Century, isbn: 9780738519876

Hot Springs County, Wyoming

9780738520582

$24.99

Nestled in Wyoming's Big Horn Basin, Hot Springs County has been home to ranchers, freighters, railroad men, lawmen and outlaws, coal miners and oil field hands. This book, featuring over 200 vintage photographs from the Hot Springs County Museum and the Milek family collection, tells the story of the settlement and culture of the County from 1871 to 1940. One of the last regions to be settled during the United States' 19th-century westward expansion, the springs that gave Hot Springs County its name were considered sacred by many of the native tribes of the region, including the Shoshoni and Arapaho. By 1875, white men were seeking out the healing springs as well as the ranching opportunities at the western end of the county. Along with the industrious and hardworking pioneers came the outlaws and the notorious. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were common acquaintances of county residents, especially local characters such as the mysterious Minne Brown and Tom Skinner, owner of the infamous Hole in the Wall Bar. Captured here are the businesses, mining and oil camps, lifestyles, and residents of the various towns of Hot Springs County, including Thermopolis, Gebo, Crosby, Kirby, Grass Creek, and Hamilton Dome.

Indiantown

9781467111317

$24.99

Indiantown is named after the Seminole Indians who settled there in the early 1800s. Though the city is small in population and size, it boasts a rich and colorful history that includes connections to English royalty and the filming of Hollywood movies, and it is the birthplace of the only female Seminole tribal leader, Betty Mae Tiger Jumper. In 1924, railroad tycoon Solomon Davies Warfield built an extension of the Seaboard Air Line Railway from Coleman, Florida, to West Palm Beach, with a stop in Indiantown. Warfield envisioned Indiantown as the southern hub of the Seaboard rail line and planned a model city. He died in 1927 before his dreams were realized. Today, however, Indiantown boasts a thriving citrus and boating industry, is home to one of North America's largest winter thoroughbred training facilities, and houses the world's first hybrid solar energy plant.

Fort Sheridan

9780738533643

$24.99

Amid Chicago's North Shore communities is a national landmark--the former U.S. Army Base at Fort Sheridan (1887-1993). Fort Sheridan was created out of the civil and labor unrest following the Chicago Fire of 1871, the great Railway Strike of 1877, and the Haymarket Riot of 1886. These events produced an atmosphere of insecurity, prompting Chicago's wealthiest businessmen--North Shore residents and members of the Commercial Club of Chicago--to levy their influence with the federal government in establishing an army presence in their backyards. Fort Sheridan is a place rich in the traditions of the U.S. cavalry and artillery, of training camps, and the Women's Army Corps. This illustrated history explores the many aspects of Fort Sheridan and takes the reader on a journey through military life.

Meredith

9780738589572

$24.99

Uniquely clustered with lakes and rivers, islands and meadows, Meredith is nestled at the foothills of the White Mountains. From its Native American roots as a fishing and farming community, to the industrial era, when factories and inns began to spring up and thrive, Meredith has remained a busy gathering place.

McDonough County Historic Sites

9780738520445

$24.99

McDonough County Historic Sites depicts a remarkable agricultural region steeped in 19th-century tradition and community spirit. Originally set aside by Congress for veterans of the War of 1812 as part of the Illinois Military Tract, the land that is now McDonough County was settled by a diverse and ambitious population starting in the 1820s. From the trials of settlement to the coming of railroads and the establishment of small-town culture, McDonough County history reflects developments that have shaped America. The region's cemeteries, businesses, and homes that have endured-or vanished-offer stories of human endeavor that unite the people of the county to this day. The maps accompanying the chapters locate the county's many historic sites, such as the hotel in Macomb where Lincoln stayed during his 1858 campaign, the Prairie City Drugstore that launched a national poetry publishing company, and the remote village of Vishnu Springs that is now a ghost town. The historic images illustrate McDonough County's progress and controversy, small-town life and rural development, as well as religious diversity and cultural achievement.

La Plata:

9780738520506

$24.99

Despite some of the darker aspects of the upper San Juan Basin, such as the Meeker Massacre, "Mexican Flats," and the presence of the Ku Klux Klan, the fact remains that Utes, Anglos, and Hispanics have co-existed peacefully together in this region for well over a century. Collected in this new book and accented with over 100 vintage images is an oral history of La Plata County and the surrounding areas, featuring the voices of cowboys and Native Americans, ranchers and miners, outlaws and in-laws alike.

In compiling these stories of local San Juan Basin residents, Fred Wildfang has recreated life during turn-of-the-century Southwestern Colorado. These individual recollections detail the hardships and triumphs of early pioneer families from the San Juan Basin, including tales of the Old West movie sets, arranged marriages, rash elopements, runaway horses, and ancient native rituals. The voices captured here epitomize the spirit of "nan¡-ma"-as the Utes say-"together," a word meant to stand for a spirit of cooperation among all the peoples in this land.

Around Niwot

9781467133241

$24.99

By the time the Colorado Central Railroad extended its tracks into Boulder County in 1873, much of the land along the foothills was already under cultivation. As rails were laid between Boulder City and Longmont to the northeast, they crossed land belonging to settlers who had first come to the region as prospectors with the Pikes Peak Gold Rush of 1858. At that time, the area was still the hunting and fishing grounds of Southern Arapaho Indians and their tribal leader, Chief Niwot, translated as "left hand" in the Arapaho language. Two ranchers, Porter Hinman and Ambrose Murray, whose land was traversed by the new railroad, platted the town of Niwot in 1875 as a shipping point for transporting local farm goods and livestock to distant markets. Thus the only authentic railroad town in Boulder County was founded.

Early Glenwood Springs

9781467132978

$24.99

Originally planned as the town of Defiance, Glenwood Springs was renamed for its natural hot springs along the banks of the Colorado River and for Glenwood, Iowa, the hometown of Isaac Cooper. In the early 1880s, Cooper had the vision of a spa resort here but not the finances to turn his dream into a reality. He sold out to Walter Devereux and his investors, who saw the construction of the Hot Springs Pool, Hotel Colorado, and Vapor Caves completed. Once railroads arrived in 1887, Glenwood Springs became a playground for wealthy travelers who sought out the hot springs as well as other recreational opportunities, such as hunting, fishing, hiking, and horseback riding. With beautiful scenery, caves to explore, and community festivals, visitors today sustain Glenwood's economy. Located at the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork Rivers, our community has also served as a retail hub for the surrounding area from the 1880s to the present.

Lancaster

9780738578767

$24.99

In 1841, the Republic of Texas was on the brink of bankruptcy, and it needed to attract new immigrants in order to survive. With this important goal in mind, in 1844 the Texas congress authorized the republic's president, Sam Houston, to contract with individuals to colonize the state. In September of that same year, one group headed by Capt. Roderick Rawlins from Illinois came to Texas and settled in what would become the town of Lancaster. Farmers grew grains and cotton, and Lancaster became a trade center with a lively town square. A commercial club organized in order to coordinate advertising for local businesses, and it also held trade days that later became town fairs. Local residents worked hard all week and enjoyed horse races, baseball, forty-two parties, music performances, and other entertainment on the weekends. By the late 1800s, Lancaster was connected to the rest of the state by the railroads, but the town still retained its independent, small-town Texas character.

Cover image for Lancaster, isbn: 9780738578767

Gardiner on the Kennebec

9780738589657

$24.99

Prior to the American Revolution, Dr. Silvester Gardiner, a prominent Boston physician, acquired land on Maine's Kennebec River. His grandson, Robert Hallowell Gardiner, later devoted himself to the civic, industrial, educational, and religious development of the community founded there. In this fascinating pictorial history, Gardiner's story is traced from Colonial times to World War II. The images deliver us to intriguing destinations: along the picturesque Kennebec watching the steamer Star of the East sail to its wharf, and Depot Square in 1884 at the peak of the railroad era. We visit an ice house on the river, where "frozen gold" was harvested; Water Street during the destructive 1896 flood; and Pulitzer Prize-winner Laura E. Richards' "Yellow House," during the visits of her mother, Julia Ward Howe, and her colleague, Helen Keller.

Elkhart Indiana

9780738519791

$24.99

Some 200 years ago, when the Potawatomi Indians were still among the region's primary inhabitants, there was a winding river that was christened "Coeur de Cerf"-the heart of a stag. Legend has it that the earliest settlers were captivated by a small island that resembled an elk's heart. By 1832, Havilah Beardsley began to lay the foundation for what would soon be known as the village of Elkhart. The little island which inspired the Elkhart name would later be called "Island Park." There were only a few dozen lots in that first plat, but by 1858, Elkhart was incorporated as a growing and bustling new city. Today, Elkhart is recognized as being one of northern Indiana's most enterprising communities, as well as one of the most culturally diverse. Throughout its long and illustrious history, Elkhart has been blessed with a celebration of successes, in fields ranging from musical instruments to pharmaceuticals to recreational vehicles. The images in this book offer a glimpse into the events that helped shape Elkhart into the marvelous city it has become, truly, the "city with a heart" in both name and spirit.

Cover image for Elkhart Indiana, isbn: 9780738519791

The Bryn Athyn Historic District

9780738574325

$24.99

The Bryn Athyn Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, is home to some of the most remarkable architecture in the Philadelphia area.

Bryn Athyn was founded in the late 19th century by members of a Christian denomination known as the New Church, and the buildings in the historic district reflect the religious faith and vision of some of the community's earliest residents. Cairnwood, an 1895 country house in the Beaux-Arts style, was built for industrialist John Pitcairn. Cairncrest was the residence of Harold Pitcairn, one of the foremost pioneers of early American aviation. Glencairn, a magnificent castle-like mansion, was designed by Raymond Pitcairn as a home for his family and art collections and built throughout the Great Depression. Bryn Athyn Cathedral was dedicated in 1919 and dubbed a masterpiece of architectural art.

Manchester

9780738575162

$24.99

From a frontier town in the wilderness to a four-season resort, Manchester retains much of its original character, and many of the earliest buildings are still in use. The broad main street in Manchester Village, once canopied with enormous elm trees, has homes that date back to early 1800s. The Equinox, visited by Mary Todd Lincoln and her two sons during the Civil War, is still welcoming guests. In Manchester Center, known as Factory Point until 1886, small manufacturing businesses and mills were thriving into the 20th century. The third center of civic activity, Manchester Depot, appeared after the arrival of the railroad and became an important transportation hub for traveling visitors and the shipment of marble.

Parker

9781467133159

$24.99

The town of Parker underwent several name changes before adopting its current title. First called Pine Grove for its setting in a copse of ponderosa pines at the northern edge of Colorado's Black Forest, that name lasted through the final days of stagecoach travel. When the US Post Office officially began operations in the 1880s, officials requested that Pine Grove be renamed, as another town with that name existed on the Platte River, causing the mail to be mixed up. James Sample Parker requested that the town's name be changed to Edithville, in honor of his young daughter. Again, the US Post Office denied the request, renaming the town Parker to recognize James Sample Parker and his brother, George. From these early beginnings, Parker faced spurts of growth and recession, more recently becoming a significant Denver suburb.

Boone County

9780738589732

$24.99

Boone County, an enlightening new volume of vintage images,recaptures the early days of a quiet, conservative community dedicated to the joys and responsibilities of their faith, their families,and farming their land.

Comprised of more than 200 images, most of which were contributed by residents descended from early Boone County families, this journey back to the early days of Kentucky's Northernmost county celebrates the spirit of the county's residentsand honors their experience from the 1880s to the 1940s. From the county's northern boundary at the Ohio River, where the Anderson Ferry has run continuously since 1817, to the rolling pastures of the southern region, this collection captures the unique personalities of rural communities prior to the wave of development that enveloped the county after the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport began in 1947.

Abilene

9780738590530

$24.99

The first settler to make permanent residence in the Abilene area arrived in 1856. From the humble beginnings of a prairie dugout, Abilene grew to be the first "cowtown" of the West. Joseph G. McCoy set up his stockyards in Abilene, and millions of cattle were driven up from Texas via the Chisholm Trail and shipped out on Union Pacific railcars. Abilene exploded into one of the wildest towns in the West. Several sheriffs tried to tame it, including Wild Bill Hickok, but gentrification came in the form of bankers and businessmen. During World War II, hometown hero Dwight D. Eisenhower led the Allies to victory and eventually became the 34th president of the United States. Today, Abilene plays host to thousands of visitors from around the world and celebrates its rich western heritage with the Chisholm Trail Day festival.

West Brookfield

9781467122726

$24.99

Originally a part of Quaboag Plantation, the town of West Brookfield became independent by incorporating in 1848. Early industries included brickyards and factories for bookbinding and the manufacture of boots, hats, corsets, and condensed milk. The community's earliest days were also committed to education as rural school districts were established, boasting original school buildings that were able to be used through the 1950s. Over the years, many notable residents emerged, including Judge Jedediah Foster, who assisted in drafting the Massachusetts Constitution, and famous suffragist Lucy Stone. Brothers Daniel and Ebenezer Merriam established a printing house and bookstore in West Parish Brookfield. Today, residents and visitors enjoy West Brookfield's most popular attractions: the Rock House Reservation features 196 acres of boulders and stone outcrops and the 315-acre Lake Wickaboag is the scene of winter and summer activities, from icehouses to a nationally recognized water-ski club. The Quaboag Historical Society was founded in 1895 and 120 years later is still a vital part of the community.

Brunswick and Topsham

9780738589800

$24.99

Photographs bring alive our picture of the past and can open a floodgate of memories and nostalgia or inspire curiosity and a sense of history.

Since the development of photography in the mid-nineteenth century, the camera has been used as a tool of both discovery and preservation. Both joined and separated by the Androscoggin River, Brunswick and Topsham were carved from the same land grant in 1715. Despite their proximity, the towns developed separate identities: Brunswick became a manufacturing, commercial, and educational center, while Topsham combined its farms with factories. This fascinating pictorial history illuminates the daily lives of the residents of the two towns, and reveals how life has changed over the past 120 years.