Name: The Perfect Amount of Wrong
Brand: Mike Bridenstine
SKU: 9781467154079
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

The Perfect Amount of Wrong

9781467154079

$24.99

In just over a decade, a tiny, do-it-yourself stand-up scene on the North Side of Chicago produced some of the most successful and influential stand-up comedians of their generation. Hannibal Buress, T.J. Miller, Kyle Kinane, Cameron Esposito, Pete Holmes, Beth Stelling, Matt Braunger and Kumail Nanjiani make up a partial list of names of comics who emerged from a scene that had very little industry attention—or even a home club.

It was also a scene that took a backseat to the city’s vaunted improv institution, and if we’re being completely honest, it was a scene where comics mostly performed to drunks in the backs of dingy bars on their off nights. None of it was glamorous. None of it should have worked at all. But somehow, some way, the comedians from this scene have managed to etch their own names into the Chicago comedy pantheon. The Perfect Amount of Wrong is the story of that scene, as told by its veterans.

The Chicago Cub Shot For Love

9781467148481

$21.99

In the summer of 1932, with the Cubs in the thick of the pennant race, Billy Jurges broke off his relationship with Violet Popovich to focus on baseball. The famously beautiful showgirl took it poorly, marching into his hotel room with a revolver in her purse. Both were wounded in the ensuing struggle, but Jurges refused to press charges. Even without their star shortstop, Chicago made it to the World Series, only to be on the wrong end of Babe Ruth's legendary Called Shot. Using hundreds of original sources, Jack Bales profiles the lives of the ill-fated couple and traces the ripple effects of the shooting on the Cubs' tumultuous season.

Mount Greenwood Cemetery

9781467112666

$24.99

Established in 1879 on 111th Street in the Beverly area of Chicago, Mount Greenwood Cemetery is an open-air museum that reflects three centuries of history. The Victorian cemetery--with its large, decorative monuments set on a rolling landscape amid winding roads--is an oasis treasured by its neighbors and by families whose loved ones rest there. It is home to educators, artists, veterans, businessmen, social reformers, ministers, and everyday people. The grounds also host heroes who stepped up in a time of need and people who lost their lives in epidemics and horrific disasters. On any given day, joggers in colorful gear can be seen running past a group on a brisk morning walk. Signs announce an upcoming history program or 5K race. Workers plant flowers on the grounds, while family historians ponder the memorials. A Civil War group places markers on veterans' tombstones. Members of a service organization walk to their monument, planning an event. A group of schoolchildren examines graves, and a journalist snaps a photograph.

Hawthorne Works

9781467111355

$24.99

Discover the maufacturing plant that typifies the era when American industrial giants dominated the global economy and generations of blue-collar workers strived for a fair share of the ""American Dream.""

A burgeoning town on the fringes of Chicago rose and fell with the successes of the Western Electric Company. For almost 90 years, the Hawthorne Works plant employed, educated, entertained, and defined the township of Cicero. As the manufacturing arm of Western Electric, Hawthorne contributed greatly to the prosperity and national defense of the United States. As the site of the controversial Hawthorne Studies of workplace motivation and behavior, the plant reconfigured business and social science models. A community within a community, Hawthorne had its own sports teams, social clubs, hospital, railroad yards, and savings and loan. At its peak, the works was the largest single-site employer in Illinois and one of the biggest manufacturing establishments in the country, second only to the Ford plant in Detroit.

Rockford

9780738532639

$24.99

With a collection of nearly 240 vintage postcards, Rockford: 1920 and Beyond captures this dynamic, ever-changing era.

Rockford's economic boom of the early twentieth century continued into the Roaring Twenties, when Rockford's newly-erected skyscrapers symbolized the city's sky's the limit ambitions. But the good times came to a crashing halt with the arrival of the Great Depression in October 1929. With its longstanding blue collar industrial roots, Rockford would enjoy renewed and even greater prosperity as it readily capitalized on the World War II war effort and the post-war economic boom years. With a collection of nearly 240 vintage postcards, Rockford: 1920 and Beyond captures this dynamic, ever-changing era as Rockford transformed into Illinois' Second City. Inside, see now-familiar skyscrapers like the Rockford News Tower, Talcott Building, and Faust Hotel enliven Rockford's downtown skyline. Take a nostalgic trip to the Blackhawk Park Zoo and the Central Park and Kiddieland amusement parks. Watch post-war car culture change the face of the city with its drive-ins, shopping centers, and expressways. Witness the World War II revival of Rockford's storied Camp Grant. See the famed Wagon Wheel Resort in its high-flying, star-studded Hollywood heydays. Marvel at the destructive power of Rockford's deadly Cyclone of '28.

Cover image for Rockford, isbn: 9780738532639

Stories of Springfield

9781596299320

$21.99

Discover new stories about the famous characters of Springfield, Illinois, and why some of its lesser-known citizens deserve to be famous too. Learn about the first Lincoln museum and its controversial creator, the cholera epidemic that spared the town and the operators of Springfield's Underground Railroad. Unearth the mysteries of a local poet's wrenching death and "airship" sightings from the nineteenth century. From Springfield's fatal pole wars of 1844 to the invention of better dental forceps, local historian Tara McClellan McAndrew's research splices together the comic, the tragic and the completely unexpected in these chronicles from Lincoln's town.

Barrington

9780738588568

$24.99

Barrington, located between Chicago and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, along the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad corridor (now Metra), has enriched area history from the days of the Potawatomi Indians through the railroad age. Later, Barrington became the stage for relaxed country living away from the busy financial and industrial districts of Chicago. Businesses, churches, and architecture are captured in these historical postcard photographs, along with the people who helped the community grow and prosper.

Midwest Sweet Baking History

9781609493448

$23.99

Discover how the Midwest refined the nation's sweet tooth through a delicious mix of immigrant traditions and American ingenuity.

Chef Jenny Lewis dips a spoon into generations of homemade desserts and examines the inner workings of some of the biggest brands of the baking industry. Learn how to make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, witness the rise of Red Star Yeast, and plumb the secrets of the Kraft Oil Method, before sitting down to consume an engaging history in which Midwest beet sugar, vanilla cream and evaporated milk are mixed into a narrative of wars, social shifts, and politics. Encounter a rich medley of true stories and irresistible recipes from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan in this delightful collection.

Cover image for Midwest Sweet Baking History, isbn: 9781609493448

Edwardsville

9780738560182

$24.99

Edwardsville, named for territorial governor Ninian Edwards, began life as a frontier fort and gateway to settlers. It became the seat of law and government of Madison County, which at that time encompassed much of the Illinois Territory. The town was incorporated shortly after Illinois became a state in 1818. In 1890, industrialist N. O. Nelson began a manufacturing complex and established the model town of Leclaire Village. Edwardsville grew rapidly through the late 1800s and early 1900s. Main Street became a bustling business district while elegant mansions were constructed on St. Louis Street. Take a nostalgic look at Edwardsville 100 years ago with a stroll down Main Street, a walk through City Park, or a glimpse of the weeklong Madison County Centennial festivities.

Starved Rock State Park

9780738551364

$24.99

Starved Rock State Park is located midway between Ottawa and LaSalle. The park has more than 2,630 acres that include 18 beautiful canyons and waterfalls. One of the largest Native American encampments, the Grand Village of the Kaskaskia was located near Starved Rock. Fr. Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet are believed to be the first white men to have set eyes upon the rock. Ren©-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, built Fort St. Louis on the rock. Legend has it that a band of Illinois Indians starved to death while seeking refuge from its enemies on the rock, hence the name Starved Rock. Starved Rock State Park has remained virtually
unchanged through the years as its history is told through the author's vintage postcards.

Bartlett

9780738523286

$24.99

The Village of Bartlett got its official start on February 11, 1891 when the petition for incorporation was filed in Springfield, Illinois. Beginning with the fledgling Village that existed at the turn of the century and continuing through Bartlett's coming of age in the mid-1960s, Bartlett: Our Past and Our Progress chronicles the emergence of a community that has grown to epitomize the all-American town. This historical walk through Bartlett includes more than 200 images that portray many of the area's important firsts, as well as its ongoing traditions. It features photographs of significant local landmarks such as the first train depot, Immanuel United Church of Christ, Bartlett Grade School, and most importantly, many wonderful pictures of its residents--past and present. Residents have generously shared their photos and recollections with the Bartlett History Museum in order to tell the story of their hometown.

Chicago Beer

9781467149259

$21.99

Long before corner bars stitched the social fabric of Chicago's neighborhoods together, raucous pioneers like Mark Beaubien were fermenting over the untapped potential of the unbroken prairie. Take a determined saunter from the clamor of Chicago's first breweries, through the hidden passages of thousands of speakeasies and then back into the current of the contemporary craft beer revival. Follow a path plastered with portraits of infamous saloonkeepers and profiles of historic bars. Author June Sawyers serves as an expert guide, stopping every so often to collect a vintage beer label, explain an original recipe or salute the heady history that sits atop the City of Big Shoulders.

Homewood

9781467127271

$24.99

From its beginnings as one of the first stops on the Illinois Central Railroad in 1853, to its position as "the jewel of the south suburbs" today, Homewood has had a rich and varied history. Located 25 miles south of Chicago, Homewood has capitalized on its location along a major rail line, Canadian National Railway today, and the network of interstate expressways that continue to fuel its growth and prosperity. This access to transportation allowed the industrious Gottschalk family to make a fortune selling hay to Chicago's stockyards and, later, bricks to communities throughout the area. Rail access, combined with the abundance of hayfields surrounding Homewood, allowed the area to be transformed into a golfer's paradise at the start of the 20th century and into a suburban bedroom community by mid-century.

Marengo

9780738550855

$24.99

Imagine a landscape alternating between groves of majestic hardwood and vast prairies. Filled with lush grasses, native plants, and sweet, clear streams and abundant with wildlife, it is a gracious land filled with promise. In the distance, smoke rises above a Native American village along one of the many trails in the area. A gathering of 10 to 15 wigwams is situated near a dancing ground and round council house in the area that would come to be known as Coral. So it had to be for the early settlers--Richard Tompkins, the Spencers, and the Brayton, Sponable, Blakesley, Belden, Tower, Bache, and Dunham men--who were the first to arrive in the fall of 1835. From these environs, these men continued toward the nearby valley that would become Marengo. While the majority staked their claims a short distance from the present-day intersection of Routes 20 and 23, it was Calvin Spencer, officially recognized as the city's founder, who built his cabin on the ground that was initially called Pleasant Grove, then Marengo.

Asian Indians of Chicago

9780738519982

$24.99

From the infectious rhythm of the bhangra dance and the sizzle of the tandoori platter to landmark achievements in research laboratories and corporate boardrooms, the Asian Indian presence has very quickly become a lively and colorful part of the daily life of the Chicago metropolitan area.

Arriving in Chicago in the mid 60s, the first wave of Indians were mostly professionals who intended to return home. But as they stayed on and were joined by others, their population began to reflect the tremendous ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity of India. Today, Indians are the largest Asian-American immigrant group in the Chicago area.

Recognizing that first-hand resources would still be available for compiling their history, the Indo-American Center appealed to Chicago area residents of Indian origin and to their organizations to select photographs and documents from their personal collections to tell the story of the community. This book is a result of their enthusiastic response. Here, then, is a history in the making,-the record, in pictures, of the life of a diverse and vibrant community as told by the people who live it and shape its course.

Geneva in Vintage Postcards

9780738533476

$24.99

From scenes of the historic business district to the banks of Island Park, the vintage postcards of Geneva reveal a community rich in history and charm.

Geneva was an ideal location for settlement, with rich farming soil, a river to power the mills, and a plentiful supply of trees for lumber; it didn't take long to attract and support a thriving community. Incorporated in 1858, Geneva remains an idyllic village, home to fine architecture from the mid- to late-19th century, scenic parks along the banks of the Fox River, and a sense of community spirit and pride. Geneva in Vintage Postcards opens a window into the past, allowing us to experience what this community most wanted to present to others and what visitors most wanted to share with their families and friends.

Batavia

9780738507958

$24.99

Situated directly west of Chicago is Batavia, Illinois, world famous as the home of Fermilab, a center of nuclear research that hosts scientists from all over the world. Few people realize that this city has had a long history of leadership in the development of energy resources. In Batavia we endeavor to explore that history, with a look at power from windmills to power plants. Also part of the fabric of Batavia's past are the community leaders who transformed a river village (settled in the 1830s) into a vibrant and vital modern city. You will view a 1910 photographic essay capturing Batavians on the streets of their city, discover a unique early high-tech company that produced beauty and dietary consumer products in the 1930s, and experience an architectural walking tour (complete with a map) of old Batavia and her famous citizens. And to complete our journey through time, you will learn how Mary Todd, wife of Abraham Lincoln, came to live in Batavia.

Chicago Ridge

9781467111126

$24.99

Chicago Ridge has never lost its small-town feel, with generations of families building long-standing businesses and residents cultivating a sense of civic pride. Developed around Stony Creek and the Wabash Railroad and located 15 miles southwest of Chicago, Chicago Ridge acquired its name after eight trains of fill were used to build up the grounds of the Columbian Exposition, leaving a "ridge" in the landscape. Transformed into a feeder canal, Stony Creek proved alluring to settlers in the 1840s. With the expansion of the Wabash Railroad in 1882, German and Dutch immigrants established farms along the railway. The village incorporated in 1914 and benefited from the economic influence of a slot-machine factory and nearby racetrack. The 1950s arrived with an increase in population and the expansion of road networks. Residents joined civic organizations and stood behind one another, much as they do today.

A Chicago Firehouse

9780738518572

$24.99

From its humble beginnings in 1884 as a one-story frame building with one bay to house Hose Company 4 and its team of horses, Engine Company 78 has been the firefighting sentinel at the end of Waveland Avenue, sitting in the shadow of Wrigley Field. Using vintage photographs and moving stories from firefighters themselves, Karen Kruse captures the spirit and heroism of this historic Chicago landmark. Captain Robert F. Kruse served the Chicago Fire Department for 30 years, half of those at Wrigleyville's Engine 78. Growing up within the tight-knit firefighting community, Ms. Kruse records the dramatic and touching stories from her father's and his peers' experiences, and combines them in this volume exploring the unique history of Lakeview's firehouse, including a foreword by Mike Ditka and preface by Fire Commissioner James Joyce. With details about little known historic districts and a brief guide to Chicago's cemeteries and their relations to firefighters, A Chicago Firehouse: Stories of Wrigleyville's Engine 78 relays in first-hand accounts some of Chicago's most fiery tragedies, the brave men who battled them, and the diversity of the neighborhood that housed them.

DeWitt County

9781467163057

$24.99

Readers interested in the America's heartland and the growth of both nuclear power and agriculture will delight in DeWitt County. Founded in 1824 by settlers such as Prettyman Marvel and Cicero Twist, DeWitt County was considered an abundant area because of its flat, open prairies that could be used for farmland and its plentiful forests. Within 15 years, DeWitt County was officially formed, with the first census including approximately 600 people. Over time, several towns changed their names: Mount Pleasant became Farmer City, Marion became DeWitt, and Dunham became Midland City. Other towns came and went, such as Shoo-Fly and Niptight. Clinton, the county seat, drew lawyers and politicians, allowing Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Vespasian Warner, and many others to make impressions first in Illinois and then throughout the nation. Over 180 years from DeWitt’s founding, factories and a nuclear power plant boosted population by 15,000. The county’s fertile sediment of rich minerals and organic matter left by glaciers and wind over millennia helps Illinois rank as the third state in total prime agricultural acreage.

Images of America: DeWitt County provides photographs covering almost 200 years of engaging county history. The author of two other Images of America books, Maureen Holtz lives in Champaign with her husband and cat. Her two other books about Robert Allerton were published locally.

Cover image for DeWitt County, isbn: 9781467163057

Macoupin County on Route 66

9780738550770

$24.99

Each community in Macoupin County has its own flavorful history. Historic Route 66 passes through many towns in the county. Some communities are
located on a major Native American trail. The courthouse in Carlinville was once the largest outside New York. Early labor organizer Mary Harris "Mother" Jones is buried in Mount Olive.

Downtown Lake Forest

9780738560434

$24.99

See how Lake Forest's downtown and Central Business District have been the heart of the community for over 150 years.

Lake Forest is a picturesque city built on the shores of Lake Michigan and has been home to Chicago's capitalist families, who developed estates around beautiful Lake Forest College. For over 150 years, the Lake Forest Central Business District has been the heart of the community. Now, you can see for yourself why that is thanks to never-before published photographs from personal collections, the estate of Griffith, Grant and Lackie, the City of Lake Forest and others.

Chicago's 1933-34 World's Fair:

9780738519845

$24.99

"You will enter A Century of Progress for the first time perhaps like an explorer-curious and eager-penetrating an amazingly rumored domain in search of treasure."

-Official Guide Book to the Fair, 1933

One century after Chicago's incorporation, the city hosted the 1933 World's Fair, which was so successful it was held over for 1934. Aptly named "A Century of Progress," the fair confirmed Chicago's emergence as a major American city. Like the phoenix from the ashes, Chicago emerged from its devastating fire of 1871 as one of the most architecturally significant and aesthetically inviting cities in the world.

On 424 lakeside acres located on Chicago's near south side, the Fair brought together innovators and inventors from around the world. Chicagoans hosted visitors from all corners of the globe, commemorating human progress, despite the Great Depression that was devastating the nation's economy.

Western Kankakee County

9781467107211

$23.99

Kankakee County, named after the Kankakee River, was created in 1853 by an act of the Illinois Legislature. The western portion of the county is an extensive geographic area even though it has only a handful of small towns. Nestled in swaths of farmland, which serve as the foundation of the area, the villages of Herscher, Irwin, Bonfield, Buckingham, Limestone, Cabery, Reddick, Essex, and Union Hill make up Western Kankakee County. In addition to farming, all of these towns owe their existence to the coming of the railroads beginning in 1878. Wherever a railroad decided to build a station, a settlement became a town. Settlements that were bypassed by the railroads vanished. Today, the region's agricultural heritage is on proud display as farming remains the biggest economic factor, along with the Herscher School District and the gas pipeline storage area. The communities of Western Kankakee County continue to be great places to work and play.

Genoa and Kingston

9780738584478

$24.99

In 1835, while Charles Darwin aboard the HMS Beagle was exploring the Galapagos Islands, the northern Illinois municipalities of Genoa and Kingston were being settled. Pioneers arrived via the historic Chicago-Galena stagecoach trail. Thomas Matteson, a Revolutionary War soldier from Ohio, and his family traveled in three covered wagons and became Genoa's first settlers. Genoa was incorporated as a village in 1876 and as a city in 1911. Kingston became a village in 1886. In addition to sharing a boundary, the municipalities share the Genoa-Kingston Fire Department, Genoa-Kingston Middle School, and Genoa-Kingston High School. During the Civil War, 109 men from Genoa and 105 men from Kingston, roughly a tenth of the population of each municipality at that time, enlisted in the Union Army. Men and women from Genoa and Kingston have continued to serve in the U.S. military from World Wars I and II to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

East Alton

9781467125734

$24.99

East Alton has a long and proud history. From the earliest settlement, Beeman's (Benen) Fort, in 1811, the village of East Alton has long been an industrial powerhouse. The home of Olin Corporation's Winchester Division, East Alton's industrial production played an important part in winning both world wars. East Alton shared a synergistic growth with Olin Corporation. Having all the trappings of a company town, it somehow transcended this to become a thriving diverse community, filled with a dedicated citizenry, strong schools, generous communities of faith, and a guiding government. East Alton's incorporation in 1893 was just four years before this country's first economic depression, the Depression of 1897. Overcoming economic challenges and fostering growth has enabled the village not only to survive but also to succeed.

Cover image for East Alton, isbn: 9781467125734

Chicago Boxing

9780738532103

$24.99

Professor Mike Donovan, Battling Nelson-"The Durable Dane," and "Stockyards" Harold Smith-- their stories are as colorful as their names. Chicago's boxing history is as exciting and unpredictable as any prize fight within the ring. Some of the most memorable bouts--great, infamous or otherwise--took place in the city's clubs, parks and arenas, and Chicago has seen its share of champions and top contenders over the years. The Gans-McGovern fight in 1900--the "Big Fix"--set the sport back 25 years in Chicago. The "Long Count" between Tunney and Dempsey, in 1927, may still be the most controversial bout of all time. Chicago Boxing is a story not only of great boxers, but of the fans who embraced them, the promoters who made them big, and even a few mob bosses who made good on their talent.

Cover image for Chicago Boxing, isbn: 9780738532103

Bethalto

9781467110570

$24.99

The village of Bethalto is perched upon the edge of the rolling Illinois prairie. Low green hills and picturesque farms frame this attractive community of nearly 10,000 residents. The peaceful setting and relaxed lifestyle make Bethalto an ideal place to raise a family, yet its close proximity to the St. Louis metropolitan area makes it impossible to exhaust the tremendous variety of nearby cultural opportunities and entertainment. Bethalto is home to the St. Louis Regional Airport, a beautiful arboretum, an extensive public library, a community senior citizen center, and several parks with walking paths, fishing lakes, children's playgrounds, pavilions, and ample green space. Additionally, a municipal swimming pool, lighted tennis courts, a skateboard park, a soccer field, a newly remodeled basketball court, and a number of baseball diamonds provide activities for more than 2,000 youths. In Images of America: Bethalto, readers will discover people, businesses, organizations, and events that contributed to the village becoming one of the fastest-growing communities in Madison County.

Downtown Naperville

9780738560625

$24.99

Downtown Naperville is a place unlike many others because of its long, wonderful history and contemporary success. More than just a central business district, downtown Naperville is a beloved asset to many residents and gives Illinois' fourth-largest city a small-town feel. What began in the mid-1800s as a service center for an agrarian community 30 miles from Chicago has become a shopping and social hot spot of Chicago's western suburbs and a potent draw for new residents. Many of the same buildings settlers built remain, but downtown Naperville has changed in many ways-local businesses have come and gone, and the area was once threatened by indoor mall development. The community's dedication to building the Riverwalk in 1981 sparked a resurgence of Naperville's quaint and celebrated downtown. On the eve of the new millennium, Naperville threw a huge celebration on the streets of downtown to welcome the 21st century, but the party could have been a farewell to the downtown of old as well. A new era began at about that time, as many longtime local service businesses began leaving downtown while national retail chains and restaurants moved in. Through photographs of each stage of downtown Naperville's vibrant history, see the area change from 1831 through the 20th century to today.

Legendary Locals of Aurora

9781467100359

$24.99

Joseph G. Stolp settled in Aurora on June 12, 1837, when there were 33 residents in the pioneer village. Stolp's vision helped shape the city's destiny. The Aurora Electric Light and Power Company used 2,000-candlepower electric lamps for the first streetlights in 1881. Today, the "City of Lights" is home to 200,000 residents and a diverse population with 42 percent of Hispanic heritage. The character of her people made Aurora an enterprising city. Notable residents include Maud Powell, violin virtuoso, and Harry C. Murphy, president of the Burlington Railroad. Profiles of Greek immigrant George Andrews and Aurora-born artist Wendell Minor, as well as Polish leader Bruno Bartoszek, color these pages with biographies of greatness. Astute business leaders include Robert Bonifas, Ken Nagel, Louis Leonardi, and Frank C. Schaefer. Dr. Stephanie Pace Marshall, Dr. Christine Sobek, and Dick Schindel give testament to adroit educational leadership. Legendary Locals of Aurora chronicles how the city's history has been blessed with noble and innovative leaders.

Chicago's Horse Racing Venues

9780738560809

$24.99

The popularity of horse racing in Chicago has yet to be rivaled in any other metropolitan area. Since the 1800s, the Windy City's enthusiasm for both harness and Thoroughbred racing led to 10 major racetracks being built in the Chicago area. Four of those raceways—Balmoral, Maywood, Hawthorne, and Arlington—are still racing and thriving today. From Washington Park, Lincoln Fields, and Worth Raceway on the city's South Side, to the Near West Side venues of Hawthorne Race Course and Sportsman's Park, to Arlington Park's northwest locale and Aurora Downs to the west, Chicago's racing community has enjoyed a long and sometimes scandalous history. Chicago's Horse Racing Venues provides insight into Chicago's rich racing history and a behind-the-scenes look at the people and horses involved.

Cover image for Chicago's Horse Racing Venues, isbn: 9780738560809

Cold War Illinois

9781467145022

$21.99

From Walt Disney and Ronald Reagan to chess matches and Nike missiles, trace the Illinois roots of prominent players in the longest and costliest conflict in American history. Discover a mobster's involvement in assassination attempts of Cuban leader Fidel Castro and how the nuclear age began at a college football field on Chicago's south side. Visit the graves of Communist Party leaders and the high-alert heritage of military bases across the state. Local author Christopher Sturdevant, chairman of the Midwest Chapter of the Cold War Museum, follows up his look into Cold War Wisconsin with its neighbor to the south in a fascinating tale of Illinois's role in the fight between East and West.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

9780738540467

$24.99

Student life at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has undergone remarkable changes since the Second World War. What had been Southern Illinois Normal University became Southern Illinois University, which in turn became Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The university grew from a campus with 2,000 students principally drawn from the immediate region to a university 10 times that size with students coming from throughout the nation and from overseas. This history focuses on the changes in student life during this era, including fashions and fads, homecoming parades and politics, and housing and hangouts. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is about students who have

attended the university over the past seven decades.

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

Taylor Street

9780738551074

$24.99

Take a tour of Taylor Street, the heart of Chicago's Little Italy, with local historian and journalist Kathy Catrambone. A must-have for fans of Italian-American history.

Chicago's Near West Side was and is the city's most famous Italian enclave, earning it the title of Little Italy. Italian immigrants came to Chicago as early as the 1850s, before the massive waves of immigration from 1874 to 1920. They settled in small pockets throughout the city, but ultimately the heaviest concentration was on or near Taylor Street. At one point a third of all Chicago's Italian immigrants lived in the neighborhood. Some of their descendants remain, and although many have moved to the suburbs, their familial and emotional ties to the neighborhood cannot be broken.

Taylor Street: Chicago's Little Italy is a pictorial history from the late 19th century and early 20th century, from when Jane Addams and Mother Cabrini guided the Italians on the road to Americanization, through the area's vibrant decades, and to its sad story of urban renewal in the 1960s and its rebirth 25 years later.

Cover image for Taylor Street, isbn: 9780738551074

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.

Plano

9780738594040

$24.99

Plano's founders, Marcus Steward and John F. Hollister, along with their families, settled in Kendall County in 1838. Hollister selected the town's name from the Latin planus, signifying "flat" or "plane." With the invention of the first successful harvester in 1861, Plano earned the title of "Birthplace of the Harvester" and established the town as a leading manufacturer of farm implements. It continued to attract a variety of factories, most notably Plano Molding Company, creator of the first plastic tackle boxes. Under the leadership of Joseph Smith III, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints established its national headquarters in Plano. Its original "stone church" is a landmark, as is the world-famous Farnsworth House, designed by influential architect Mies Van Der Rohe.

Italians in Chicago

9780738508467

$24.99

Author and history professor Dominic Candeloro presents an intriguing narrative record of the earliest beginning of the Italian communities in Chicago.

The stories of Chicago's Italian communities are an important part of the rich and diverse mosaic of the city's history. As a rail center, an industrial center and America's fastest growing major city, Chicago offered opportunities for immigrants from all nations.Italians in Chicagoexplores the lives of 10 significant members of the Chicago Italian-American community going back to the 1850s.

This book is a collaborative and cumulative effort, and gives glimpses and echoes of what occurred in the Italian-American past in Chicago. Including vintage images and tales of such individuals as Father Armando Pierini, Anthony Scariano, and Joe Bruno, and groups such as the Aragona Club and the Maria Santissima Lauretana Society, this collection uncovers the challenges and triumphs of these Italian immigrants.

St. Mark United Methodist Church

9781467103282

$24.99

Three important events occurred in Chicago in the landmark year of 1893. First was the Chicago World's Fair, second was the founding of Sears Roebuck and Co., and third was the establishment of St. Mark Methodist Episcopal Church, initially located in a storefront on State Street in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. After 125 years, only St. Mark Church is alive and flourishing. Rev. S.C. Goosley was invited to come to Chicago for the purpose of developing a Methodist presence in the African American community. In 1907, St. Mark moved to Fiftieth Street and Wabash Avenue, and the congregation worshipped there until 1959. The church moved to its present location on Chicago's far South Side. Being the largest African American United Methodist congregation in the region, St. Mark parishioners humbly stand on the strong shoulders of their ancestors as they spread the word of the healing gospel to the community.

Cover image for St. Mark United Methodist Church, isbn: 9781467103282

Legendary Locals of Oak Park

9781467100861

$24.99

Founded in the 1830s by Joseph and Betty Kettlestrings, an intrepid young couple from Yorkshire, England, the small settlement of Oak Park grew slowly until the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Before the ashes had cooled, Oak Park's population boomed as displaced families relocated into the community on the west edge of Chicago. By the turn of the 20th century, this thriving village became a magnet attracting ever-larger numbers of prosperous, progressive people to settle in what many referred to as the finest of the streetcar suburbs. In the 1960s and 1970s, Oak Park became widely recognized for encouraging racial and ethnic diversity. Though best known for such residents as architect Frank Lloyd Wright and novelist Ernest Hemingway, Oak Park also lays claim to scores of others who have shone brightly in the national spotlight, as well as current folks who are passionate, daring, and dynamic. More than 100 noteworthy Oak Parkers— past and present—are featured in this volume, from writers and restaurateurs to mobsters and movie stars.

Cover image for Legendary Locals of Oak Park, isbn: 9781467100861

Around Shabbona

9780738588674

$24.99

Nestled on the southern edge of the timber, the town that Shabbona would become grew rapidly but then slowed by not having a railroad. John Ray, John Palm, and Charles Stevens made an agreement with F.E. Hinckley, president of the Chicago & Iowa Railroad, for the purpose of locating the depot and suitable sidetracks in exchange for eight acres of land. John Palm generously gave the undivided one-half interest in 40 acres of land for a village plat besides giving the right-of-way through 160 acres to the railroad company. His gift to the railroad was double that of any other individual and was the means of inducing others to give. He also gave away a number of lots to encourage the growth and settlement of the village.

Pekin and Tremont, Illinois in Vintage Postcards

9780738507057

$24.99

From 1898 through the middle of World War I, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this "golden age" are today considered works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of local children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history. This fascinating new history of Pekin and Tremont, Illinois, showcases more than 200 of the best vintage postcards available.

Pekin and Tremont, Illinois in Vintage Postcards

Chicago Cubs

9780738539812

$24.99

The Chicago Cubs of the mid-1920s through 1940 were one of the most talented and exciting ball clubs the city ever produced. The Northsiders enjoyed 14 consecutive winning seasons and claimed the National League pennant four times (1929, 1932, 1935, and 1938), but fell to a dominant American League club in each World Series appearance. Four legendary baseball names led these Cub teams during this amazing stretch. Three eventually landed in Cooperstown (McCarthy, Hornsby, Hartnett), and many believe the fourth (Grimm) should have joined them. This was also the era when Cubs Park was transformed into Wrigley Field, under the guidance of Bill Veeck Jr., with its trademark bricks and ivy, hand-operated scoreboard, and outfield bleachers.

Hidden History of Lincoln Park

9781626198449

$21.99

Before Lincoln Park cemented its trendy reputation, plenty of odd and unruly history managed to settle into its foundation. A Viking ship, mob henchmen and ladies of the evening all took up residence in the same part of town where Dwight L. Moody went from selling soles to saving souls. Thanks to a Confederate ferryboat crewman, many of Lincoln's personal effects belong to the neighborhood named after him. Patrick Butler uncovers Lincoln Park's forgotten contributions to Chicago's heritage, from the Pleasure Wheel on Navy Pier to the city's cycling craze.

Cover image for Hidden History of Lincoln Park, isbn: 9781626198449

Bear Memories

9780738539874

$24.99

"Halas would provide food according to how we had fared against the Packers. If we won, it was steaks for everybody. But if we lost, we were lucky to be served hamburgers."
--Harlan Hill, 1950s

"I didn't have any particular grievance with any of the Packer players, I just wanted to beat them all."
--Hall of Famer Doug Atkins, 1960s

"Doug Buffone took me aside to tell me about Green Bay games . . . to set me straight about the importance of the rivalry. It definitely was not a game to be taken for granted."
--Brian Baschnagel, 1970s

"Each year at the start of the season, fans we'd meet would just have the one request--please beat Green Bay."
--Jim Flanigan, 1990s

Cover image for Bear Memories, isbn: 9780738539874

Hudson

9780738583419

$24.99

The village of Hudson greets visitors with signs stating, Pride of the Prairie. The first settlers arrived in Hudson Township in 1829, settling near a Potawatomi Indian village about 1 mile west of where Hudson now stands. The boulder identifying the last stand of the Potawatomi village in McLean County was placed near the village's origin in 1920. The boyhood home of the famous author and philosopher Elbert Hubbard, built in 1857, still stands at Broadway and Walnut Streets. Constructed in 1929, the man-made Lake Bloomington offers both residential and recreation areas. The Evergreen Lake area includes a county park with camping, picnic areas, and a beach. In Hudson, readers will catch glimpses of these things and more: the past 175 years of people, agriculture, organizations, churches, and schools—all built on the strong foundation of the early settlers.

Cover image for Hudson, isbn: 9780738583419

The University of St. Francis

9780738584164

$24.99

The story of the University of St. Francis began in 1920 when the seeds were planted for Assisi Junior College. The school's evolution continued when, as the College of St. Francis, it awarded bachelor's degrees in 1930, became coeducational in 1970, and attained university status in 1998. The university owes its existence to the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, founded by Mother Alfred Moes in 1865, with Mother Thomasine Fryewska serving as the first president of the institution. Currently this vibrant community claims over 3,500 students on the main campus in Joliet, the many off-campus sites, and online. Throughout the years, the school has grown, adding buildings, programs, and students, but has remained rooted in its Franciscan identity of respect, service, integrity, and compassion.

Mascoutah

9780738583808

$24.99

German emigrants established Mascoutah in 1837, naming it after the Mascouten Indians. Despite being located in an area filled with swamps, snakes, and disease, the village prospered, owing primarily to a flour mill that drew farmers into town. This brought customers to merchants and tradesmen. By the 1850s, Mascoutah was thriving and had established itself as the social and cultural center of the surrounding area. By 1900, it was the third-largest town in St. Clair County and one of the most progressive. World War I, the establishment of Scott Air Force Base, Prohibition, and the Great Depression soon altered the course of Mascoutah's history, but the town retained its resiliency. For over 170 years, Mascoutah has grown and adapted to meet a changing world, retaining its small-town flair and pride in its German heritage.

Godfrey

9781467110693

$24.99

Capt. Benjamin Godfrey founded Monticello, which later became Godfrey, after he settled in present-day Godfrey Township in 1834. The rolling hills and genteel settlers, including E.A. Riehl and Charles Lock, reminded him of his native New England. The region's first families set the tone for what would become the village of Godfrey, which today is a sylvan community of growth and innovation. Benjamin Godfrey founded Monticello Female Seminary, the first such institution in the West, and it became the centerpiece of the town. The original buildings, now a part of Lewis and Clark Community College, remain the village's most distinctive landmarks. The Godfrey region also served as a vital link in transportation, with interstate steamboats and railroads. Today, Godfrey is a growing bedroom community along a new Illinois highway extension. Godfrey also preserves its magnificent bluffs along the Mississippi River through the Great Rivers Land Trust and other similar organizations, parks, preserves, and green space.

Distilled in Chicago

9781467152280

$23.99

Follow the trickle of alcohol through Chicago's history, starting with the town's first three permanent businesses: the Wolf, Green Tree and Eagle Exchange Taverns. Stir together stories from the Peoria Whiskey Trust and the temperance movement. The cocktails that lubricated the Levee District may have set up Chicago's first gangsters, but Prohibition-era bootleggers changed the city's identity forever. Post-Prohibition alcohol helped to create vast fortunes for Chicago-based families and corporations. Enjoy a thoughtful guide to Chicagoland's new wave of small-batch distilleries, which are adding a distinctive note to the city's well-established flavor profile. From the mash in pioneer stills to the Malört in a hipster's shot glass, David Witter explores how liquor has influenced nearly two centuries of Chicago's existence.

Chicago by the Pint

9781609491253

$23.99

Belly up to the bar and take a swig of Chicago's beer history with this new look at the Windy City's best and most historic brews and breweries. Included are Chicago's most prominent and significant craft breweries, with intricate details on history, important personalities and events in the breweries' past, top beers and more.

Cover image for Chicago by the Pint, isbn: 9781609491253

Legendary Locals of Wheaton

9781467100113

$24.99

A city is not merely its structures but also its citizens, the men and women working hard and raising families, aspiring to ideals or lofty dreams. Since its founding as a farm community by tough New England sodbusters, Wheaton has provided residency for an amazing array of personalities, from ex-slave William Osborne to astronaut Shannon Lucid, from sculptors to preachers, from intensely focused athletes to ordinary citizens performing extraordinary, selfless acts. As Carl Sandburg, poet laureate of Illinois, mused, These are the people, with flaws and failings, with patience, sacrifice, devotion, the people. Portraying glimpses of their humor, insight, dedication, and ability, this book seeks to celebrate only a fraction of these fascinating individuals, the true heart and soul of the city—and the nation.

Cover image for Legendary Locals of Wheaton, isbn: 9781467100113

Germantown

9780738582986

$24.99

Germantown is a unique community located 40 miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. It has a single Catholic church as its center and a rich German heritage. This is a pictorial history of the settlement that grew out of a desire for worship. The first German settlers came to Shoal Creek in 1833 and worshipped in a small house that contained neither benches nor chairs and had a split oak bench supported by four props that served as the communion rail. In 1837, the German homesteaders bought several tracts of land and reserved the ground in the center as church property. Preparations for the present stone building took two years, and it was completed in 1854. At that time, St. Boniface Catholic Church was the largest church in the state of Illinois. It is still referred to as the mother church of Clinton County.

Celebrating Palatine

9781467126885

$24.99

The first settlers came to the area that would become Palatine in 1837, shortly after a treaty with the local Indians. Farmers arrived first, merchants and tradesmen followed, and Palatine Township was formed in 1850. Joel Wood laid out a town and brought the railroad in 1855, and men of the area formed a Palatine company that fought in the Civil War.
On April 2, 1866, 73 men voted to incorporate the Village of Palatine. The town served as a commercial center for the farms surrounding it. Growth was slow, and the population of Palatine in 1945 was still only 4,000. Then came the post-World War II boom. Chicagoans spread out searching for affordable housing, and the jobs and highways followed. Palatine, 35 miles northwest of the city, thus came to be considered a suburb of Chicago and is one of its oldest to the northwest. Its population today exceeds 72,000 residents. The village held special events throughout 2016 to celebrate its sesquicentennial. The articles in this book, which were published in the Daily Herald, were part of that celebration.

The University of Illinois at Chicago:

9780738507064

$24.99

The University of Illinois was founded in 1867 and expanded into Chicago in the 1890s. Through time, demands for the growth of the urban campus were answered. Under the leadership of Mayor Richard J.
Daley, the Circle Campus was created and located in 1965 on the Near West Side of Chicago in the historic Hull-House neighborhood. In 1982, Circle Campus joined with the Medical Center to form the University of Illinois at Chicago. With outreach programs coordinated in the Great Cities Initiative, the University recognized its urban location as a major strength. Over the last decade, UIC has helped to develop a new model of higher education: the comprehensive urban research university. This volume contains almost two hundred historic photographs that
serve as a rich record of the Chicago campus of the University of Illinois. Today, with 15 colleges located in a prominent urban setting, the campus is the largest and most diverse in the Chicago area, serving students from around the world. The University of Illinois at Chicago has grown to about 25,000 students, with 12,000 faculty and staff, and is one of the hundred largest research universities in the nation. It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in more than 230 disciplines.

Chicago's Italians:

9780738524566

$24.99

Since 1850, Chicago has felt the benefits of a vital Italian presence. These immigrants formed much of the unskilled workforce employed to build up this and many other major U.S. cities. From often meager and humble beginnings, Italians built and congregated in neighborhoods that came to define the Chicago landscape. Post-World War II development threatened this communal lifestyle, and subsequent generations of Italian Americans have been forced to face new challenges to retain their ethnic heritage and identity in a changing world. With the city's support, they are succeeding.

Cover image for Chicago's Italians:, isbn: 9780738524566

Chicago State University

9781467129794

$23.99

In 1867, a teacher training school was formed in a leaky railroad boxcar in Blue Island, Illinois. Over the next 150 years, the school grew from a rural county certificate-granting program to Chicago State University (CSU). During the 1930s, CSU was at the forefront of preparing teachers for diverse learners, and by the 1980s, the institution expanded its influence by partnering with international universities. At its inception, there were 13 pupils, and by the mid-1990s, the university had a student body exceeding 8,500 students. As the school grew, so did its influence. Now in the 21st century, CSU has become a hub for education, science and technology, and health professions, offering baccalaureate through doctoral degrees. In addition to academics, the institution has a rich history of student activism, athletics, and cultural activities.

Cover image for Chicago State University, isbn: 9781467129794

King of the Gold Coast:

9781609493202

$21.99

Chicago's breathtaking Lake Shore Drive, with its beaches and luxury homes, has its origin in a neglected marsh and a clandestine land development. Meet the uncrowned king of the disputed shore, George Wellington Streeter, the outlandish swindler, unlikely hero and self-proclaimed founder of the Gold Coast who tried to secede from the state of Illinois. Opposing him was the quiet vision of Potter Palmer and the full weight of his investment syndicate. With this keen piece of investigative history, Wayne Klatt uncovers the secrets that both sides of the conflict managed to keep in spite of lawsuits, state inquiries, a presidential forgery and two murder trials.

Cover image for King of the Gold Coast:, isbn: 9781609493202

Remembering Champaign County

9781596299634

$21.99

Champaign County's history is an intriguing mix of hard living and higher learning, with a long tradition of bearing witness to progress. That progress was not without struggle, the arrival of the railroad came at a high cost in human life, and the arrival of racial integration was long overdue. These vignettes by former mayor Dannel McCollum provide a memorable glimpse into the heart of the county's history, uncovering new angles on old stories and preserving the familiar features of beloved characters. Reacquaint yourself with entrepreneur extraordinaire Benjamin Franklin Harris, as well as a promising lawyer by the name of Abraham Lincoln who defended the county's first convicted murderer. Then treat yourself to a brief dip into March Madness history with the Fighting Illini's 1989 surge to the Final Four.

Cover image for Remembering Champaign County, isbn: 9781596299634

Onarga

9780738560601

$24.99

How Onarga received its name remains a mystery. Realists believe Illinois Central Railroad land commissioner John Calhoun combined two or three consonants and added the necessary vowels to invent a nice-sounding town name. Many prairie towns in the 1850s, with the arrival of the railroads, received their names by this method. Romantics believe Onarga was named for a young Native American girl, Princess Onarga, daughter of an Iroquois Indian chief. Prior to the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad, Native Americans controlled this part of Illinois, and among the roving tribes that crisscrossed the grand prairie were the powerful Iroquois. Legend says that when a name was proposed for the new town on the railroad, none better than Onarga was given. This mystery may never be solved, but the realists and romantics agree to disagree--agreeing foremost on celebrating and preserving the rich history of Onarga.

North Park University

9780738560618

$24.99

North Park University was founded in Minneapolis in 1891 to provide basic education for Swedish immigrants and theological training for students entering the ministry. The school moved to the North Park community on the outskirts of Chicago in 1894. Since that time, the cornfields and cabbage patches in the area have given way to stores, bungalows, and apartment buildings, and the campus now covers 30 acres in a bustling urban neighborhood. The school has become an ethnically and racially diverse Christian university and seminary offering degrees in a wide range of disciplines and enrolling 3,300 students from across the country and around the world. It is one of the few evangelical Christian universities in the United States located in a major city.

Traveling Through Illinois

9781626190481

$21.99

If you have been driving through Illinois on I-55 and exclaimed, There's nothing out there but corn you aren't alone, but you couldn't be more wrong. Learn why Steven Spielberg visited Waggoner, Illinois, and what fruit Abraham Lincoln used to christen the town named after him, as well as what route was frequented by flesh-eating birds and what antique mall was said to harbor a spaceship. When you travel in the company of LuAnn Cadden and Ted Cable, every mile marker between Chicago and St. Louis hides a story, and even grain silos become adventure destinations.

Springfield's Sculptures, Monuments, and Plaques

9780738551654

$24.99

Springfield is the capital of Illinois and the home of Abraham Lincoln and Vachel Lindsay. The city is filled with history, and that fact is reflected in the many sculptures, monuments, and plaques that have been commissioned to commemorate this history. The city contains more than 14 statues and busts of Abraham Lincoln. Famous sculptors have created 17 statues inside the state capitol alone, and 13 more statues and sculptures are located on the capitol grounds. The state's Capital Development Board sponsors the Art-in-Architecture program and provides funding for newly commissioned sculptures in state-funded public buildings. Several major American sculptors are represented in the many works, including Leonard Volk, Leonard Crunelle, Larkin Mead, Fred Torrey, and James Earl Fraser. Works of contemporary artists such as Michael Dunbar, Richard Hunt, and Preston Jackson are also present. Oak Ridge Cemetery contains four war memorials and Abraham Lincoln's tomb. Each of the sculptures, monuments, and plaques has a story to tell and helps to make Springfield's history come alive.

Springfield's Sculptures, Monuments, and Plaques

Aurora's East-West Football Rivalry

9781626195554

$23.99

For over 120 years, the people of Aurora, Illinois, have gathered together to watch East Aurora and West Aurora High Schools square off in what is now Illinois' longest-running football rivalry. Since first taking to the gridiron in 1893, the schools have laid claim to mythical state championships, represented Illinois in intra-sectional games and pioneered night football. Alumni from these storied rivals include college all-Americans, Hall of Fame coaches, decorated war heroes, an Olympic medalist, a charter member of the NFL, numerous successful high school coaches, outstanding businessmen and civic leaders, including former mayors of Santa Monica, California, and Des Moines, Iowa. Author Steve Solarz pored over the records of more than two thousand games to produce a work that is both an encyclopedic resource and a passionate account of a celebrated tradition.

Cover image for Aurora's East-West Football Rivalry, isbn: 9781626195554

Kankakee

9780738540603

$24.99

Kankakee County was organized in early 1853. In June 1853, the village of Kankakee Depot, later known as the city of Kankakee, was declared the new county seat. The establishment of both Kankakee County and the city of Kankakee owed a great deal to the railroad, particularly the Illinois Central Railroad. By the end of the 19th century, the county had become an important railroad hub where several important lines converged and the city had become a commercial and manufacturing center. By 1900, Kankakee was a growing community possessing a vibrant economy and many fine public and private buildings. The city was also host to the Illinois Eastern Hospital for the Insane, renamed the Kankakee State Hospital in 1910, which at the beginning of the 20th century was the second-largest mental health facility in the United States. It was probably the Kankakee River that most clearly defi ned the community. Many of Kankakee's citizens boated on the beautiful river and enjoyed good times at the "new-fangled" amusement facility, Electric Park. The over 200 vintage postcards displayed in this book illustrate the exciting period from 1900 to 1916.

Cover image for Kankakee, isbn: 9780738540603

Northwestern Wildcat Football

9780738534336

$24.99

Their program was once regarded as a powerhouse, but 25 years ago the Northwestern University football team set records for futility. Defying nearly all expectations, the Wildcats experienced a rebirth in 1995 and have been surprising the college football world since. Northwestern Wildcat Football describes in detail the team's first games in the 19th century, the Wildcats' title runs in the 1930s, the career of NU legend Otto Graham, the 1949 Rose Bowl championship, the era of Ara Parseghian, the woes of the '70s and '80s, and Northwestern's return to football prominence in the past decade. From their beginning as one of the earliest college teams in the Midwest to the recent series of Big Ten championships, the Northwestern Wildcats have clawed their way to claim 8 conference titles, 36 All-Americans, and victory in some of the most thrilling college football games ever played.

Douglas/Grand Boulevard

9780738518558

$24.99

The history of Chicago can be told through its neighborhoods, and perhaps none is more telling than Douglas/Grand Boulevard on the city's south side. The future site of the neighborhood remained a sparsely settled prairie until the early 1850s, when Stephen A. Douglas purchased a large tract of land and began developing a residential subdivision for the wealthy. Douglas/Grand Boulevard: A Chicago Neighborhood explores the development of this distinctive community and the many obstacles its residents encountered. Originally a predominately white neighborhood, Douglas/Grand Boulevard became an African-American community during the Great Migration when thousands of Southern blacks moved north seeking greater opportunities. After the 1919 Race Riot, an increasing number of white residents moved away from the neighborhood, and the community became a national model of black achievement.

When Hollywood Landed at Chicago's Midway Airport:

9781609495923

$21.99

Al Capone dove for the floor when he saw the flash of the camera, while his startled body guards drew their guns. The actress Miriam Hopkins ran screaming from the camera while Lyndon Johnson ran towards it. General Jimmy Doolittle called him a Son of a Bitch, while the Pope called him his friend. Bob Hope asked if he would escort Hope's wife to church, and John Barrymore asked if he would hide him from his mistress. Cary Grant demanded a shoe shine, Eleanor Roosevelt demanded an apology, and Harry Truman demanded a bourbon. Who was this guy? He was Mike Rotunno, and he was a photographer for one of Chicago's newspapers. Yet, he also photographed airplanes for the airlines, starting in the 1920's, the beginning of his 50 year career at Chicago's Midway airport. In that span he got to know everyone, great or small, and his story is like a cross between the movie The Terminal" and "Forrest Gump." He introduced movie stars to baseball players, Marilyn Monroe to a room full o."

Cover image for When Hollywood Landed at Chicago's Midway Airport:, isbn: 9781609495923

Springfield Aviation

9780738561592

$24.99

Citizens of Springfield first witnessed human flight, a balloon ascent, on July 5, 1858. In 1861, the capital city's most famous resident, Abraham Lincoln, then residing in the White House, authorized the creation of the first U.S. "air force," a balloon to observe Confederate troops. Springfield's interface with aviation has been a steady stream of hot-and-cold-running enthusiasm since airplanes began flying from the state fair racetrack infield about 1910. Springfield Aviation chronicles that flow and concludes with photographs from Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in early 2008. It presents photographs of memorable airplanes, airships, and prominent aviators from the author's extensive collection, augmented by contributions from Springfield Airport Authority, Lincoln Library's Sangamon Valley Collection, and many others.

Cover image for Springfield Aviation, isbn: 9780738561592

The Chicago Haymarket Affair

9781467135740

$21.99

On May 4, 1886, a bomb exploded during a labor demonstration near Haymarket Square. The ensuing gunfire and chaos brought a grisly end to what began as peaceful support for an eight-hour workday and led to the trial and execution of rally organizers. The incident also drew irrevocable attention to a conversation about workers' rights and the role of law enforcement that continues today. In this guide to the key moments and sites of one of Chicago's most confusing and chaotic events, author Joseph Anthony Rulli aims to establish a clearer understanding of its historical significance.

Cover image for The Chicago Haymarket Affair, isbn: 9781467135740

Virginia Marmaduke

9780738519661

$24.99

Nicknamed "The Duchess" by a tongue-tied editor early in her career, Virginia Marmaduke is the First Lady of Chicago print journalism. She was the first woman to: cover both crime and sports for Windy City newspapers; be named (by Mayor Daley Sr.) to the Chicago Board of Health; be named Press Veteran of the Year by the Chicago Press Veterans Association; and to be inducted into Chicago's Journalism Hall of Fame.

First with the Chicago Sun, then the Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune, the Duchess's newspaper career ran parallel to the 20th Century. She covered, as she called it, "blood, guts and sex," as well as presidents, natural disasters, women's issues, and-notably-humanitarian causes.

This volume, the first on the life and career of Virginia Marmaduke, reprints many of the famous articles from her Chicago heyday. Additionally, it documents her childhood in Carbondale, Illinois, her first newspaper job, and her return to Southern Illinois where she became a community booster, humanitarian, and beloved "all-Illinoisian."

Lewis University

9780738520223

$24.99

Now the twelfth largest among more than 50 private colleges and universities in the State of Illinois, Lewis University was established in 1932 as a small aeronautical school for boys and has developed into a dynamic, coeducational, and comprehensive Catholic university with a richly diverse student body. Founded by the Archdiocese of Chicago and now sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis is faithful to its Catholic and Lasallian heritage, offering a values-centered curriculum rich in the Mission values of knowledge, fidelity, wisdom, and justice and guided by the spirit of association, which fosters community in teaching, learning, and service. As Lewis celebrates its 70th anniversary, this volume provides a visual glimpse into the history of this unique institution. Included are photographs of its humble beginnings, its evolution during and after World War II, dynamic enrollment growth during the 1960s, the dramatic campus transformation through construction, its student activities, its athletic successes, and the campus today.

Arabs of Chicagoland

9780738534176

$24.99

Arabs first settled in Chicagoland in the mid-19th century, when immigrants from all parts of the world were flowing steadily into the U.S. As tensions in the Arab world flared, immigration increased--the first to arrive were Lebanese Christians, followed by Muslim Palestinians. Today, there are more than 250,000 Arabs in the Chicago area, with equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. A part of the fabric of Chicago, Arabs serve in many roles, from business leaders to elected officials to judges, doctors, engineers, journalists, and more. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Arab Americans have come under great scrutiny and have suffered much misunderstanding. Now, this book, which explores their integral role in Chicagoland's growth, is especially important.

Boone County Originals:

9781596299382

$21.99

Daniel Boone may never have set foot in the Illinois county that bears his name, but his tradition of blazing new trails is certainly honored here. Boone County has been the home of Native American legends, a Major League Baseball player, a Miss America and a cross-dressing Civil War soldier. And don't forget Hairbreadth Harry, King of the Hobos, "? who wrote poetry, walked backward and bathed in gasoline. Enjoy the best of Mike Doyle's historical columns as he introduces the fascinating folk of this "garden on the prairie, "? where some of the tallest tales are true."