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In this never-before-assembled collection of lost landmarks, historian Sarah Downing evokes the Outer Banks of yesteryear.

Drawn from the vast collections of the Outer Banks History Center and from locals mourning the forever changed character of the area, these vintage images reflect the hotels, stores, restaurants and bandstands that appeared in the boom time following World War II but have since been lost to progress. An honorary native, Downing has preserved the Pirate's Ball at Nags Head Casino, Doc Watson playing at the Sound Side on Kitty Hawk Bay and grits at the El Gay in this collection of hangouts and haunts of yesterday's summer.

Most people thought it would take a miracle to bring the Gamecocks’ women’s basketball team to the nation’s top teams, but Dawn Staley has always beaten the odds.

She stood at the podium on May 10, 2008, and promised to bring national prominence to South Carolina, and with a lot of hard work, Staley’s vision for the Gamecocks’ women’s basketball team came true over the next nine years, culminating in the 2017 national championship. Her willingness to keep striving and to deliver on her promise was met with early resistance, but it paid off with several winning seasons, terrific recruits, and finally, the only prize Staley had not obtained in a lifetime of championship basketball. David Cloninger takes you on the team’s journey to the national title.

“The book includes parts of Campbell’s history at the turn of the century, theories of what may have provoked the killings and the manhunt that never led to Dunham’s capture.”—The Mercury News

On the morning of May 27, 1896, the peaceful township of Campbell awoke to shocking news. Six people were brutally murdered at the home of Colonel Richard P. McGlincy, one of the town’s most respected citizens. The suspect, James Dunham—the colonel’s son-in-law—fled the scene and disappeared into the hills of Mount Hamilton overlooking Santa Clara County. This heinous crime triggered a massive, nationwide manhunt while investigators pieced together the details.

Author Tobin Gilman examines the mind and motives of the killer, the sensational media coverage and the colorful personalities associated with the protracted and unresolved pursuit of justice.

The eleventh-oldest college in the nation, the College of Charleston stands as one of the country's most historic academic institutions.

Over the past few centuries, the College has provided education and opportunity for students, faculty, and local Charlestonians against a rare Southern backdrop, with a campus that mirrors the architectural charm and elegance of the peninsula city. This volume, with over 200 black-and-white photographs, transports readers on an incredible visual journey across an nineteenth- and twentieth-century landscape of Charleston, a time and place unique in the city's and school's history. Documenting the school's antebellum days as the first municipal college in 1837, the turbulent years of the Civil War, the campus's growth and evolution in the earlier part of the twentieth century, and the traditions that continue today, this pictorial retrospective explores the many elements of the Cougar experience: the College's student life, the development and preservation of its buildings, its athletic teams and events, and the many diverse student-run organizations.

Recognized as one of the best small towns in the United States, as well as the Bourbon Capital of the World, this community has some big city renown. During the early part of the nineteenth century, Bardstown excelled in state issues, including politics, religion, education, and business. The Civil War would bring significant tensions and a decline in the town's population, but through industrial growth and the development of the lucrative distilling industry, Bardstown gained much fame. Although Prohibition proved economically devastating to many residents, Bardstown survived and grew, enjoying a strong tourist trade today with its almost 300 historic structures and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival each fall.

Dreamers, Risk Takers, Innovators…

The chain of barrier islands that skirt the coast of North Carolina from the Virginia border to Cape Lookout were once remote. Today the Outer Banks is one of America’s most popular vacation destinations, welcoming millions of visitors each year. Like Walt Disney World or Las Vegas, the initial ideas around what is today a glittering vacation capital were, at one point, nothing more than a shared vision of what was possible. A series of dreamers fired the engines of the popular attraction to this scattering of sandy islands that resonates across much of the Eastern United States today.

Author and Outer Banks native Clark Twiddy chronicles the region’s journey from isolation to popularity through the stories of these innovators and risk-takers.

Beyond the façade of stately Louisiana platations are stories of hope and subjugation, tragedy and suffering, shame and perseverance and war and conquest.

After sixteen workers chopped down most of the Houmas House's ancient oak trees, referred to as the Gentlemen, eight of the surviving trees eerily twisted overnight in grief over the losses wrought by a great Mississippi River flood. An illegal duel to reclaim lost honor left the grounds of Natchez's Cherokee Plantation bloodstained, but the victim's spirit may still wander there today. A mutilated slave girl named Chloe still haunts the halls of the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville. Cheryl H. White and W. Ryan Smith reveal the dark history, folklore and lasting human cost of Louisiana plantation life.

Over one hundred vintage photographs document the successful execution of the Nemours Foundation’s goal to create a holistic approach to pediatric health that has since grown into a multi-state hospital system.

In 1935, American industrialist Alfred I. duPont sparked what would become a model of pediatric medical and research excellence. With an endowed trust, his widow, Jessie Ball duPont, established the Nemours Foundation. In 1940, the foundation opened the Alfred I. duPont Institute, a small pediatric orthopedic hospital on the duPont estate in Wilmington, Delaware. Today, duPont’s legacy lives on at Nemours Children’s Health, the nation’s only multistate pediatric health care network. With two children’s hospitals in Delaware and Florida, nearly 100 pediatric care locations, an office of policy and prevention in Washington, DC, and award-winning patient education initiatives such as KidsHealth.org, Nemours has touched the lives of millions worldwide.

R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, is president and chief executive officer of Nemours Children’s Health. He is a pediatric surgeon, biomedical researcher, and educator. The images in this book have been collected, preserved, and archived by the staff of Nemours Estate and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

In chapters ranging from food and drink to history and war, this book shares real-life stories that only New Orleans could produce. Errol Laborde founded Lundi Gras and the now-beloved tradition of Zulu meeting Rex at Spanish Plaza before a loud, excited crowd on the eve of Fat Tuesday. He tells that origin story here, along with other vignettes adapted from his national-award-winning Streetcar column in New Orleans magazine.

Visit "The Hot," "The Warm," "The Healing," Bath Alum and Millboro Springs as they once were. See the gentry who paid small fortunes to "take the waters," and the generations who served them with grace. Our breathtaking views may seem to have changed little through the years; these photos show just how different the view over Warm Springs Gap was a century ago, just how Hot Springs appeared when Main Street was barely more than a flower-filled field. Bath's proud, independent, industrious population is shown at work and play, at school and church, at home on the porch. Fabled, long-gone faces once again come into focus, while those still enjoying life here today are captured in childhood, or the glow of youth.

Images of America: Bardstown is an educational and entertaining volume that will delight residents, visitors, and lovers of history everywhere.

A visitor to Bardstown today can view as many as 300 buildings listed on the National Register and marvel at their age and condition, but the original state of many of these landmarks has long since been altered or forgotten.

Fire destroyed many buildings during the late 1800s, and commercial progress in the 1900s prompted the demolition of more than 100 of the area's homes and businesses. In this remarkable new volume, the search of public and private collections for photos of local landmarks and events has resulted in the lost puzzle pieces needed to complete the history of Bardstown's physical heritage. In 190 rare photographs, Bardstown reveals the people and places who have contributed to its growth and gives readers the opportunity to witness the changes that have occurred throughout the history of this close-knit, Southern community.

Images in this collection include recently discovered photographs of the tragic Shepherdsville Train Wreck of 1917; the effects of Prohibitionn on a community with 12 distilleries; the changing faces of My Old Kentucky Home (the inspiration for Kentucky's state song); and unique views of the fires that destroyed Heaven Hill Distillery and the Talbott Tavern.

Ludlow depicts the gripping history of this small Kentucky town.

Disproportionate to its small size, Ludlow's history is undeniably spacious. Situated along the Ohio River, Ludlow is located in the northernmost region of Kentucky, south of Cincinnati. Although not officially incorporated until 1864, Ludlow had been established much earlier by a handful of affluent families. As an alternative to chaotic city life, Ludlow offered residents vast land and tranquil surroundings where they could build their estates. Shortly thereafter, however, the late 19th century would bring the railroad to Ludlow, sparking dramatic growth and expansion of the city. Images of America: Ludlow displays a spectrum of photographs, from the hardworking faces of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad to the lively happenings at the Lagoon Amusement Park. Opening in 1895, the amusement park provided over two decades of entertainment and leisure activities for the community. Extensively photographed, it now endows us with striking images featured in a unique chapter. Additional views of businesses, churches, schools, and citizens give further glimpses of early life in Ludlow. Several historic family homesteads are displayed, including Elmwood Hall, the city's earliest known permanent residence.

Lakeland offers an entrancing mix of urban, rural, and historic aspects that earn it the title of ""Florida's Best Town.""

Munnville, Rome City, and Redbug were just a few of the suggested names for the small Central Florida community that would come to be known as Lakeland. Not long after its founding, other descriptive monikers-""Lovely City of Lakes"" and ""Highest, Healthiest, Busiest""-would be applied. Recently ranked as the tenth ""Best Place to Live"" of medium-sized cities in the South, Lakeland today offers an entrancing combination of contrasting elements that all work well together. Fields of strawberries and rolling hills covered with citrus groves surround a growing city comprised of a mixture of structures, both new and old, modern and beautifully preserved. Commercial entities join with cultural organizations in mutually beneficial relationships to produce a quality of life that many other cities only hope to attain. Lakeland may well be as it was advertised in 1905-""Florida's Best Town.""

Mention Daytona Beach, and most people would have images of brilliantly painted stock cars roaring over the racetrack at over 200 miles per hour.

Some would envision sun-worshipping beach-goers covering the beaches during spring break. However, the Daytona Beach area has a colorful history that reaches back decades before the town became one the world’s key auto racing centers as well as one of the most famous and beautiful beach communities.

Experience the brilliant mind of a man who sacrificed his life for the people of Shreveport.

From 1854 to 1873, Servant of God Father Louis Gergaud, native of Heric, France, served as a dedicated missionary priest in northeast Louisiana. These years, often fraught with hardships, culminated in his decision to offer his own life for the people of Shreveport during the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1873. The narrative of his life during these years, drawn from his own letters and papers, provide insightful commentary on issues as diverse as Catholic-Protestant relations in the nineteenth century South, the economics of commerce in an expanding nation, and the social impacts of the Civil War. Most importantly, these papers provide context to understand the character of a man whose heroic virtue led him to the sacrifice of his own life for strangers.

Bite in to this refreshing history of sweet foods in the Sunshine State!

Sweets and the Sunshine State are a match made in heaven. Centuries ago, native Floridians used honey to sweeten dishes, as well as prickly pears and other wild fruits and berries. Spanish explorers introduced citrus to the area, leading to a major industry. Florida pioneers planted sugar cane and sweet potatoes as basic crops. Cane grinding, taffy pulls and homemade ice cream socials were once beloved community events across the state. The state pie of Florida, the Key lime pie, has been an addition to family affairs and restaurant menus since its inception in the late 1800s. From strawberry festivals to Florida flan, author Joy Sheffield Harris uncovers the state's unique sweets with a taste of sunshine.

Raise a glass to Virginia, birthplace of American spirits, and its long history of distilling and imbibing.

Colonist George Thorpe first crafted “corn beere,” an ancestor to bourbon, in 1620 at Berkeley Plantation, and George Washington once operated one of the nation’s largest distilleries. Icy mint juleps were first served in Virginia until the state was one of the first to enact Prohibition. That dark period gave rise to bootlegging, moonshining, and even NASCAR.

Through well documented research, interviews with key stakeholders, and plenty of cocktail recipes for the reader to shake and stir at home, author Patrick Evans-Hylton showcases the rich history of 400 years of drinking in the Commonwealth.

Asheville, North Carolina has a long history with beer, one that is still easily seen in this city today, from moonshine to craft beers and breweries.

Drinking local harks back to the founding of Asheville in 1798. Whether it be moonshine or craft beer, the culture of local hooch is deeply ingrained in the mountain dwellers of Western North Carolina. Both residents and visitors alike enjoy Asheville's wealth of breweries, brewpubs, beer festivals and dedicated retailers. That enthusiasm earned the city the coveted Beer City, USA title year after year and prompted West Coast beer giants Sierra Nevada, New Belgium and Oskar Blues to establish production facilities here. Beer writer and educator Anne Fitten Glenn recounts this intoxicating history, from the suds-soaked saloons of Hell's Half Acre to the region's explosion into a beer Mecca.

The rich history of Tallulah Falls School mirrors the story of northeast Georgia, from a rural, remote past to a bright, boundless future.

The school, established in 1909 in response to the unmet educational needs of area children, has evolved through the decades, now meeting the needs of students both near and from countries around the world. Today, the school serves more than 500 students in grades 5 through 12, representing 20 countries. With a robust college-preparatory curriculum delivered with an equal focus on character development, students leave Tallulah Falls School well prepared for future success. The imprint of those who attended the school in the past is still visible today, with vintage structures alongside modern classroom buildings and new athletic facilities. Weathered rock walls wind through campus, reminders of those formative years. They mark the way for those who will pass through these historic gates, adding their contributions to the storied history of Tallulah Falls School. This book builds on the history established in these early records of the school, adding the exponential significance of the past 15 years to the archives.

E. Lane Gresham serves as the director of communications and media for Tallulah Falls School. Passionate about local history, Gresham brings her talent for storytelling to this project and the many roles she plays within the school community and beyond.

Take a trip down memory lane to beloved destinations for fun and families across Virginia’s tidewater.

Cruise the rails of Ocean View Amusement Park’s “The Rocket” roller coaster, dig for fossils at Hampton’s Rice’s Fossil Pit, celebrate the winter season at Portsmouth’s Coleman’s Nursery and learn the significant role that Buckroe Beach’s Bay Shore Beach Park played in American history. From the Great White Fleet to a Wild West park, journey through this vibrant history with author and historian Nancy E. Sheppard and discover whether such cherished places can ever truly be lost.

Home of the oldest prehistoric pottery found in North America, Columbia County was one of the first counties in Georgia and is still growing today.

From the tumultuous years of the Civil War to the 20th century, Columbia County’s history is recorded in these vintage images, many of the photographs never before seen by the public, as well as several ambrotypes of Confederate soldiers. The history of the county's education system, one of the state's best, is traced with snapshots of old field schools and village schoolhouses, and its industry is revealed, from locally-owned lumber yards to the famous Lake Thurmond Dam, which created the largest recreation facility in a five-county area. Culled from individuals, family collections, and county organizations, these pictures are treasured items offered for public perusal. An engaging retrospective, Columbia Countyoffers something for everyone, from the history buff to the nostalgia seeker to the leisurely reader.

Now, author and journalist Fran Marscher has captured these rich, vibrant stories for all to enjoy.  

Remembering the Way it Was at Beaufort, Sheldon and the Sea Islands is a collection of these priceless oral histories, which offer a glimpse of simpler times and unspoiled landscapes that cannot be found anywhere else.  In their own words, the residents of old Beaufort County reveal a time when turnips and scrawny chickens substituted for legal fees among some of the clients of Grace White, the county's first female attorney; when Henry Chambers' Aunt Henrietta—rumored locally to be the richest woman in the world, and an Italian princess to boot—stunned everyone when she brought her magnificent yacht right up the Beaufort River.  And much, much more.

A fascinating history of Floyd County, Georgia, from its beginnings in Spanish exploration to its modern day success.

Floyd County, Georgia, located in the picturesque northwest Georgia mountains, has a long and fascinating written history that stretches back to 1540 and the Spanish explorers of that era. The Mississippian, Creek, and Cherokee Nations preceded the arrival of Europeans to the area. Soon after, industry and commercial agriculture began to flourish, and in 1845, riverboats began carrying products down the Coosa River from Floyd County to Mobile, Alabama.

How Food Became a Point of Pride

For more than a century, hickory smoke has shaped the identity of Lexington, North Carolina. Long before food television and festivals, pit fires burned behind canvas tents and small-town joints, giving rise to what the world now knows as Lexington-style barbecue—slow-cooked pork, kissed by wood smoke, served with tomato-based dip and red slaw, passed down through generations of hardworking families.

Author Caleb Sink takes readers inside the true heart of North Carolina barbecue history, tracing the evolution of Lexington-style barbecue from its earliest pioneers to the legendary restaurants and pitmasters who carried the tradition forward. Learn the human story behind the pits—of families like the Monks, Conrads, and Stameys, and of countless unnamed workers whose labor built a culinary legacy.

Get a place at the table for a cultural history of barbecue in Lexington NC, exploring how a simple sandwich became a point of civic pride, a tourist destination, and a symbol of resilience. Along the way, readers encounter friendly rivalries, vanishing icons, presidential visits, and the annual Lexington Barbecue Festival that draws over 100,000 visitors each year.

Explore the story of a city under martial law during the Civil War

The day after Virginia’s secession in May 1861, Union troops marched from Washington to occupy its neighbor Alexandria. A former powerhouse in the slave trade, Alexandria was the first Confederate city in Virginia to be occupied during the Civil War, and it was governed under strict martial law. Overnight, this bustling urban town on the Potomac River transformed into a center of disease, death, and debauchery. Viewing all residents as potential threats regardless of allegiance, the military government resorted to heavy-handed actions to control its transient soldier population, counteract civilian opposition, combat waves of gunshot wounds and illness, and imprison those deemed disloyal to the Union cause.

Drawing upon true accounts of civilian and soldier experiences, historian Madeline Feierstein explores whether Union authorities kept order within the city or watched it fall into chaos. 

One Deadly Time in the Old Dominion

Violence and lawlessness plagued late nineteenth-and early twentieth-century Virginia, and with no bureau of investigation or state police force, the Old Dominion relied on the Baldwin-Felts Detective Agency to solve a multitude of crimes.

Formed by William G. Baldwin and Thomas L. Felts, the agency, headquartered in Roanoke, was charged with investigating some of the state’s most sensational murder cases. Among these were the brutal killing of Fannie McCue, wife of the former mayor of Charlottesville; the slaughter of a mountain family in Buchanan County; the shotgunning of Louise Beattie, the young wife of a wealthy Richmond playboy; and the unprecedented shootout in the Carroll County courthouse that left five dead.

Author and historian Phillip Andrew Gibbs recounts how the Agency’s detectives who worked these cases succeeded in bringing some of the state’s most heinous criminals to justice.

Hidden in an urban oasis, the house museum now known as Historic Rosedale is one of the oldest and finest examples of Federal-style architecture in the Southeast. Constructed in 1815 by Charlotte tax collector and postmaster Archibald Frew, the house served as a private home for 173 years to five generations of intertwined families—the Frews, Caldwells, and Davidsons.

These families, along with several generations of Black families, both enslaved and free, were essential to the survival of this extraordinary property. Through the initiative of the home’s final occupants, the house and the immediately surrounding grounds were preserved. Today, Historic Rosedale, located three miles from uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, and adjoining the notable NoDa neighborhood, is open for guided tours of the furnished house and nine acres of gardens. Here, visitors will be intrigued by the beauty of the site and the stories of the many people, Black and White, who lived here. For over 200 years, Rosedale has served as tribute to the history and inhabitants of Mecklenburg County and the North Carolina Piedmont.

Author Cheralyn Lambeth is lead interpreter at Historic Rosedale and serves as the museum’s events coordinator and collections associate. Elizabeth Medearis Myers served as Rosedale’s former site manager and head gardener, and Ronald L. Schumann III is an associate professor specializing in hazards and cultural geography at the University of North Texas. They credit the staff, the board of directors, Rosedale’s African American Legacy Committee, and Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for the success of this book.

On a cold February morning in 1990, a commuter driving Georgia Highway 190 near Pine Mountain made a discovery that would haunt Harris and Meriwether Counties for years: a young man, barely alive, abandoned on the roadside with brutal injuries that didn’t match any “accident.” What first looked like a hit-and-run quickly unraveled into something darker—an organized act of violence tied to the cocaine trade, barroom power, and a crew that believed fear was currency. Follow the death of Paul McKeen Jr. from the first 911 call through the long, grinding years of false stories, intimidation, and silence. As investigators dug past staged explanations, witnesses began to crack: ex-girlfriends, ex-wives, frightened associates, and reluctant insiders finally admitted what they heard, what they saw, and what the men involved bragged about afterward. The case became a test of whether justice can survive when physical evidence is thin—but human truth keeps surfacing. Author Clay Bryant traces the path from roadside mystery to indictments, pretrial strategy, and a high-stakes trial built on testimony, pattern, and motive.

Wander the history-filled streets of Savannah. Saunter through Savannah's varied streets and squares with this invaluable guide. Tour the city's oldest buildings and majestic homes, such as the Mercer House and the De Soto Hotel, and savor the histories and traditions of the relics of the romantic past. Accompanied by charming photos, this work provides insight into life in the 1800s, Savannah's Historic Plan, industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and local art, all of which are revived in these pages.

Learn the history of one of the oldest Black churches in the United States.

The First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, Virginia, stands as a living monument to the enduring power and resilience of its congregation. Beginning in the hush harbors on plantations owned by Virginia’s most powerful leadership, First Baptist emerged as a powerful force, inextricably linking religious salvation and education as tools of liberation and agency for Africans in America. The church was involved in the American Revolution and the Civil War, thus sealing its place as a key player in Williamsburg. Through the antebellum period, Reconstruction, and modern times, First Baptist and its congregation also resisted the growth of slavery, the dissipation of the rights of free Black people, and the removal of Black-owned homes and businesses.

A powerful icon for freedom, resilience, and hope, the church reflects the larger story of Black voices in Virginia and America.

Discover the landscapes, culture, and communities that shaped one of the South’s most beloved literary voices through an immersive journey across South Carolina’s storied Lowcountry. From the tidal marshes and historic streets of Charleston to the quiet charm of Beaufort, readers are invited to explore the places that inspired a lifetime of storytelling by Pat Conroy. This engaging history and travel narrative highlights the region’s rich heritage, coastal beauty, and vibrant culture while tracing the author’s deep personal connection to the communities he called home.

Follow the path through beloved Lowcountry destinations including Fripp Island, St. Helena Island, and Daufuskie Island—locations that appear frequently in Conroy’s novels and memoirs. The journey also explores formative chapters of his life, from his time as a cadet at The Citadel to his years teaching in Beaufort County schools and on remote coastal islands.

Blending literary history, regional storytelling, and practical travel inspiration, this richly detailed guide offers readers a unique perspective on the South Carolina Lowcountry. Along the way, it highlights historic landmarks, Gullah Geechee heritage, scenic waterways, renowned coastal cuisine, and authentic local experiences that continue to define this extraordinary region.

Author Lynn Seldon details this unforgettable literary and historical journey through the places, people, and traditions that shaped Conroy’s enduring connection to the Lowcountry.

Readers interested in the beginnings and development of Mexican and Mexican American culture and education in Texas will delight in this pictorial history. The Blackwell School, established in 1909 in Marfa, Texas, served as a segregated school for Marfa’s Mexican and Mexican American students. Operating until 1965, eleven years after the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education, the Blackwell School shaped the lives of its students while reflecting the struggles of Hispanic segregation in the West Texas community. Despite the challenges, the Blackwell School fostered a sense of community through sports, extracurricular activities, and community-oriented pageants. Today, the Blackwell School stands as a national historic site under the management of the National Park Service, reflecting Marfa’s legacy of resilience and commitment to preserving its history.

Cristobal Lopez has a master of arts in history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. As a field representative for the National Parks Conservation Association, he helped establish the Blackwell School as a unit of the National Park Service. Dr. Kirsten Gardner is a Distinguished Teaching Professor in the University of Texas San Antonio Department of History. Dr. Gardner teaches courses on US history, women and gender studies, history of medicine, modern US history, and public history. The images for this book were selected from the Blackwell School Alliance Virtual Museum, Marfa Public Library, the Presidio County Museum, and the Library of Congress.

Dark history lives beneath Georgia’s southern charm. In this gripping work of Georgia true crime history, veteran journalist Neely Young investigates the Peach State’s most chilling stories of crime, corruption, racial violence, and injustice. Blending narrative journalism with deep historical research, this book reveals the hidden side of Georgia history—where power, prejudice, and profit often collided with law and conscience.

Travel to July 11, 1964, when U.S. Army reservist Colonel Lemuel Penn became the victim of a shocking Ku Klux Klan murder on the Broad River Bridge, an act of civil rights era racial terror that helped galvanize national outrage. Step back to 1873 and the violent world of Reconstruction-era Georgia, where a young Doc Holliday was linked to deadly clashes long before becoming the legendary gunfighter of Tombstone fame. Through stories of mob vigilantism, political corruption, backroom deals, lawmen, outlaws, and unsolved crimes, Young uncovers the events that shaped the state’s darker legacy.

Perfect for fans of Southern true crime, American crime history, and historical crime nonfiction, this book offers a compelling look at real crimes that influenced culture, justice, and memory. Readers interested in civil rights history, historical murders, and true crime books about the American South will find a powerful blend of investigative storytelling and historical insight.

From hidden archives to notorious crime scenes, these unforgettable accounts show how the echoes of Georgia’s violent past still resonate today.

Jacksonville and Northeast Florida may be famous for pristine beaches, championship golf, and the nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine, but beneath the surface lies a rich and often overlooked history waiting to be rediscovered. Florida author Ron Whittington uncovers the forgotten stories, lost landmarks, and colorful characters who shaped the region from the Civil War to modern times. Dive beneath the St. Johns River to explore the wreckage of a sunken Union steamship. Discover how the mineral-rich waters of Doctors Lake once attracted the nation’s wealthy elite seeking health and luxury. Meet the visionary developer who transformed the sandy marshes of Ponte Vedra into the world-famous Sawgrass resort and golf destination. And uncover Jacksonville’s surprising role as a military and industrial powerhouse during World War II. Whittington brings to life the people and events that made Jacksonville a cultural crossroads and economic engine for the Southeast. From Gilded Age travelers to wartime heroes, this book reveals how Northeast Florida’s past continues to shape its identity today. Whether you’re a lifelong resident, newcomer, or history lover exploring the Sunshine State, this is an unforgettable journey through the stories time almost forgot.

In today's Florida of strip malls and mega attractions, there is little perception of the state as part of the American frontier, but the hardy folks who settled Gulfport were truly pioneers. Moving away from lives disturbed or destroyed by the Civil War and its aftermath, these early families made homes on an isolated bluff surrounded by tidal flats and bayous, filled with virgin pine and palmetto scrub. From these modest beginnings, a small but thriving fishing village emerged.

As the years passed and the Florida boom took hold, Gulfport began to know a new kind of prosperity: tourism. Fancy hotels, shops, and restaurants were built and entertained a steady flow of visitors. A popular winter destination for wealthy Northerners following the Depression era, Gulfport became an interesting study in contrasts. Vacationing gentlemen fished on piers alongside the rugged local seamen; well-dressed tourists played bridge on manicured lawns across the street from rowdy taverns. The middle of the century saw rapid residential expansion as returning servicemen needed homes for their young families and retirees flocked to the area for its mild climate and economical living.

Pondera County, located in north central Montana, was Blackfeet territory prior to the arrival of fur traders beginning in 1848.

The Blackfeet Indian Reservation was established in 1851 and forms the westernmost portion of present-day Pondera County. The Montana Territory was established in 1864, with the area originally being included in the vast Choteau County with Fort Benton as its county seat. The 1880s brought cattlemen and sheepherders, with Montana becoming a state in 1889. The Carey Land Act of 1894, subsequent amendments to the act in 1909 and 1912, and newly built railroads brought homesteaders and businesses to what would become Pondera County in 1919. Pondera County has a rich history of Blackfeet Indians, fur traders, trading posts, the Whoop-Up Trail and Riplinger Trail to Alberta, stagecoaches, mule trains, cattlemen, sheepherders, homesteaders, the Great Falls–Canada Railroad, and the Great Northern Railroad. Communities and towns established in Pondera County have included Fort Conrad, Robare, Willow Rounds, Pondera, Dupuyer, Conrad, Valier, Heart Butte, Williams, Manson, Fowler, Sollid, Brady, Ledger, Lytle, and Lucille. Most communities are still in existence.

Charleston, 1775–1783: where loyalty was as dangerous as rebellion.

Revisit the Revolutionary War through the eyes of Charleston’s most misunderstood figures, the Loyalists. Often erased from more traditional narratives, these men and women lived in the deadliest gray space of the war, where allegiance shifted by necessity, survival outweighed ideology, and every decision carried life-and-death consequences.

Featuring more than eighty rare and striking historic images, this book reconstructs Charleston as a high-stakes garrison town: a city of spies, secret networks, and double agents—one operating directly under General Nathanael Greene himself. Drawn from newly examined primary sources and firsthand accounts, the story exposes the covert war beneath the battlefield, where Patriots and Loyalists often moved indistinguishably through the same streets, salons, and homes.

Beyond the fighting, the narrative follows the war’s long shadow into post-Revolutionary South Carolina, where confiscation, exile, and political vengeance threatened to tear the region apart. Why did iconic Patriot leaders like Henry Laurens, Francis Marion, and Nathanael Greene intervene to restore seized Loyalist estates? And how did those decisions quietly shape the foundation of reconciliation in the new republic?

At the heart of the story are the women of Loyalist Charleston, forced out of the domestic sphere and into the raw machinery of power. Their petitions before the state legislature were pleas for property, protection, and survival.

Authors Kathy Roe Coker and Jason Wetzel detail the these stories and more in a riveting account of loyalty and struggle.

Explore Florida's Everglades, its history, the native tribes that called it home, and the fight to preserve the grassy wetlands documented through a collection of images.

The Everglades once blanketed a quarter of Florida. Stretching from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay, its saw grass prairies, mangrove swamps, and hammocks were home to a profusion of animals, plants, and prehistoric Native Americans, as well as Seminoles, Miccosukees, and Gladesmen of historic times. In 1904, Napoleon Bonaparte Broward ran for Florida governor with the political platform of creating farmland by dredging the Everglades and spilling its water into the ocean. By 1914, this spectacular natural feature was on the verge of destruction, and environmentalist May Mann Jennings led a grassroots movement to preserve Royal Palm Hammock. In the 1930s, Ernest Coe and Marjory Stoneman Douglas fought to preserve a larger area, culminating in the creation of Everglades National Park in 1947. Enjoy the rich history of Florida’s Everglades in this collection of 15 historic black-and-white postcards.

On October 29, 1900, Indiana Fletcher Williams died, leaving her 8,000-acre plantation estate and almost $1 million to create the Sweet Briar Institute.

Later renamed Sweet Briar College, it was founded by Williams to honor her daughter, Maria Georgiana Daisy Williams, who died tragically in 1884 at age 16. For over a century, Sweet Briar has recruited dedicated faculty and staff to teach exceptional students. The school's award-winning lands include old-growth forests, rare arboreal and floral species, scenic hiking and riding trails, and two lakes. Complementing these natural resources are beautiful campus buildings, many of which are listed in national and state historic registers. Each of these features is rare for a college campus; taken together, they compose the rich physical and community heritage of a historic college that celebrates its 115th birthday in 2016

A True Crime Mystery Four Decades in the Making

On the cold night of January 27, 1976, twenty-two-year-old college student Kyle Clinkscales vanished after leaving his bartending shift at the Moose Club in LaGrange, Georgia. His disappearance baffled investigators and devastated his parents, John and Louise, who spent decades chasing rumors, suspects, and false leads in one of the South’s most haunting cold cases.

For years, Kyle’s story became a staple in true crime circles, a case that blended small-town secrets, whispers of foul play, and the agony of parents who refused to give up. Then, in 2021, a shocking discovery was made: Kyle’s car submerged in an Alabama creek, with his remains inside. Suddenly, the case once thought frozen in time was thrust back into the spotlight.

Was Kyle’s tragic end the result of a simple accident? Or was it a carefully staged cover-up, concealing a brutal murder that eluded justice for nearly half a century? With modern forensic analysis and renewed investigative efforts, this chilling mystery raises more questions than answers.

Dive deep inside the twists and turns of Kyle Clinkscales’s disappearance and discovery—exploring law enforcement missteps, local rumors, and the enduring fight of a family unwilling to surrender hope. More than just a Southern true crime story, Kyle’s case helped inspire legislative reform for families of the missing, proving that even decades-old mysteries can change lives.

Author James B Longshore details the forty-plus-year ordeal. 

Kuwohi towers over the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains as the highest point in both the national park and the state of Tennessee.

The mountain holds an ancient allure—the Cherokee treasured it, as did early settlers, and it captivates throngs of visitors today. Senator Thomas Clingman made an 1858 journey to measure the mountain, and it was called by his name until being renamed Kuwohi, restoring the original name given by the Cherokee people. Scarred by logging, invasive species, and modern pollution, the mountain endures. Through lush narratives and fascinating detail, author Marci Spencer presents the natural and human history of this iconic destination.

Unearth the Hidden History of Nashville Sports

Long before the Titans arrived, Nashville’s sports story was already rich with unforgettable moments—many lost to time, now revived through deep research and rare interviews. Bill Traughber brings to light the city’s forgotten athletic past. From Tennessee’s first pro football team in 1938 to how events like Pearl Harbor and President Kennedy’s assassination shaped the local sports landscape, this book is a must-read for sports history lovers and Nashville natives alike. Read about Chuck Connors, star of The Rifleman, hitting a home run at Sulphur Dell Ballpark, and enjoy personal stories from entertainer Pat Boone and U.S. Senators Fred Thompson and Lamar Alexander. Packed with little-known facts, historic photos, and vivid storytelling, this book is perfect for readers who crave the golden era of American sports and its impact on Nashville’s cultural history. A treasure trove of memories, moments, and milestones—rediscovered and retold.

With its storied history and inspiring geology, Ruby Falls is a chosen destination for half a million adventure seekers from around the world each year.

Found in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the iconic towering waterfall, irreplaceable cave formations, and sweeping views instill wonder as much today as when the cave opened to the public in 1930.The attraction's endearing longevity began in 1928 with its accidental discovery by cave enthusiast Leo Lambert. While excavating an elevator shaft to reach another Lookout Mountain cave, his work crew felt a gust of air when the shaft intersected an opening concealed by limestone, 260 feet belowground. Curious where the opening would lead, Lambert scrambled through the void and began what would become a 17-hour journey, 1,120 feet underground, through an undiscovered cave with a magnificent waterfall. Soon after, Lambert decided to name the waterfall in honor of his wife, Ruby.Ruby Falls has long been considered the tallest underground waterfall open to the public in the United States.

A hallmark of every visit to Ruby Falls includes interaction with the staff whose adventurous spirit, whimsy, and charismatic southern charm delight visitors. Ruby Falls, LLC, is committed to cave conservation and environmental safeguards, ensuring future generations will be inspired by its beauty. As the first attraction in the United States to earn certification from Green Globe International, Ruby Falls is a leader in tourism sustainability and environmentally sensitive business practices.

Jacksonville has always been a beer city, with its numerous saloons, bars, and taverns from the 1800s into the present-day era where breweries have now become the dominant feature of the local brewing industry. The brewing industry in Jacksonville began to take shape in the early 1900s with the Jax Brewing Company, which was founded in 1913 and brewed the Jax Beer brand. The New Orleans–based Jackson Brewing Company, which also had a Jax Beer brand, acquired the full rights to sell Jax Beer in the southeastern United States, leading to the Jax Brewing Company closing by 1960. Then the establishment of an Anheuser-Busch plant in Jacksonville in the 1960s drove the local brewing industry out of business due to the increase of more popular brands like Budweiser. Anheuser-Busch continued to fill the void that local breweries left until the advent of the microbrewery industry, which began to take shape in the 1990s with River City Brewing Company. In the 2010s, the brewing industry grew substantially in Jacksonville. By 2024, there were more than 20 breweries and still growing. Brewing in Jacksonville chronicles the history of the local brewing industry from its early days to how breweries gradually gave the Bold City its reputation as a top beer city.

Andrew R. Nicholas is a historian and native of North Florida. He graduated from University of North Florida, majoring in history, and is a member of the Jacksonville Historical Society. The photographs used for Brewing in Jacksonville come from the State Archives of Florida, Jacksonville Historical Society, Beaches Museum, and local residents of Jacksonville.

Established in 1900, the University of Tennessee at Martin (UT Martin or UTM) is a public university in Martin, Tennessee.

Nestled in the small town of Martin, Tennessee, the University of Tennessee at Martin (UTM) serves as a vital cultural, academic, and economic force for the development of rural West Tennessee. UTM’s history traces back to the Hall-Moody Institute, a private Baptist institution established in 1900, which later evolved into a teacher training normal school. As the Baptist organization decided to close its doors, the University of Tennessee recognized the importance of establishing a presence in the western part of the state and brought the institution under its system. Today, UTM enrolls over 7,500 students and boasts more than 50,000 alumni. The university features a Division I athletics program and offers academic resources that play a crucial role in driving economic growth throughout the region. In 2025, UTM celebrates its 125th anniversary.