Louisiana

In Images of America: Lake Pontchartrain, photographs document memories of a time that not even Hurricane Katrina could erase.

Native Americans used Okwata, meaning ""wide water,"" as a shortcut for inland trade between the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River. When the Europeans arrived, the original inhabitants showed them the route--the settlement near the river became the city of New Orleans, other lakeshore communities grew, and Lake Pontchartrain continued to be a vital waterway well into the 20th century. Aside from its economic value, Lake Pontchartrain was a cultural mecca: Mark Twain wrote about it and jazz sprang from its shores; locals and visitors traveled out to the amusement parks and opera pavilions, simple fishing villages and swanky yacht clubs, forts and lighthouses; and majestic hotels and camps perched precariously over the water.

New Orleans was one of the first cities to embrace street railways, and the city's love affair with streetcars has never ceased. New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line showcases photographs, diagrams, and maps that detail the rail line from its origin and golden years, its decline and disappearance for almost 40 years, and its return to operation. From the French Quarter to the cemeteries, the Canal Line ran through the heart of the city and linked the Creole Faubourgs with the new neighborhoods that stretched to Lake Pontchartrain.

Discover how Jazz shaped the history and enhanced the life of the citizens of New Orleans.

From the days when Buddy Bolden would blow his cornet to attract an audience from one New Orleans park to another, to the brass bands in clubs and on the streets today, jazz in New Orleans has been about simple things: getting people to snap their fingers, tap their toes, get up and clap their hands, and most importantly dance! From the 1890s to World War I, from uptown to Faubourg Treme and out to the lakefront, New Orleans embraced this uniquely American form of music. Local musicians nurtured jazz, matured it, and passed it on to others. Some left the city to make their names elsewhere, while others stayed, playing the clubs, marching in the parades, and sending loved ones home with ""jazz funerals."" Older musicians mentored younger ones, preserving the traditions that give New Orleans such an exciting jazz scene today.

Explore the social, family, political and religious history of the Italians - one of New Orleans' most remarkable ethnic groups.

Between 1850 and 1870, New Orleans boasted the largest Italian-born population of any city in the United States. Its early Italian immigrants included musicians, business leaders, and diplomats. Sadly, in 1891, 11 members of the large Sicilian settlement in New Orleans were victims of the largest mass lynching in American history. However, by 1910, the city's French Quarter was a "Little Palermo" with Italian entrepreneurs, laborers, and restauranteurs dominating the scene.

Get to know one of the most unique cities in the world!

New Orleans is unlike anywhere else on Earth--the fusion of cultures, people, and food all establish a whole greater than its constituent parts. From migration to politics to music to ethnic culture and identity, this comprehensive volume touches on all aspects of New Orleans history for the past 300 years.

With contributions from some of the leading influencers and scholars of New Orleans cultural history, including a foreword by Professor Emeritus Lawrence N. Powell, no stone is left unturned. This is the quintessential book on New Orleans for every history buff, citizen of New Orleans, or visitor wanting to know more about who we are and how we got here.

Trace the history of Lake Charles in pictures as it grew from a small town to a a lumber industry center, and to the petrochemical hub and vibrant city it is today.

Isolated from the main transportation routes during the early 19th century, Lake Charles was a backwater of 500 people when incorporated in 1867. The arrival of the schooners and the railroad integrated it into the corridor between Galveston, Houston, and New Orleans, and Lake Charles grew rapidly after the Civil War. Streams of migrants from Europe, nearby communities in Texas and Louisiana, and northern states moved here and built a booming lumber industry. Though beset by fires, storms, and floods, the city rebuilt many times, and in the 20th century, Lake Charles and its environs became an important petrochemical center. Today, the city sponsors annual festivals that celebrate its heritage. Lake Charles supports many fine public schools, a regional university, and artistic endeavors of which it is justly proud, including a symphony, a community band, and a variety of choruses, theater associations, and dance companies--all of which are pictured within the pages of Images of America: Lake Charles.

Southwest Louisiana is famous for time-honored gatherings that celebrate its French Acadian heritage. The culinary star of these gatherings? The pig.

Whether it's a boucherie, the Cochon de Lait in Mansura or Chef John Folse's Fete des Bouchers, where an army of chefs step back 300 years to demonstrate how to make blood boudin and smoked sausage, ever resourceful Cajuns use virtually every part of the pig in various savory delights. Author Dixie Poche' traverses Cajun country to dive into the recipes and stories behind regional specialties such as boudin, cracklings, gumbo and hogs head cheese. From the Smoked Meats Festival in Ville Platte to Thibodaux's Bourgeois Meat Market, where miles of boudin have been produced since 1891, this is a mouth-watering dive into Cajun devotion to the pig.

A tour of some of the most historic saloons in America.

There is no doubt that New Orleans has more drinking establishments per capita than any other city in the United States. Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 photographs, this elegant pictorial history provides a glimpse into the architectural and cultural treasures still operating today. From urban legends to classic recipes, all is revealed in this collection of fascinating true stories.

Images of America: Barksdale Air Force Base covers the history of the base from 1924 to the present with over 200 moving black-and-white photographs, many that have never been published before. This vivid history of United States military aviation includes everything from World War II to the Korean War, from the skies over Vietnam to alerts in the Cold War, from the sands of the Persian Gulf to the mountains of Kosovo, and on into the present-day War on Terrorism.

The beautiful homes and classic recipes of the Crescent-City holidays! Tour the stunning sights of the season in this beautiful volume. Decorations, including garlands, mantels, table settings, and Christmas trees, deck the pages. Luminous photographs portray public events such as Celebration in the Oaks and caroling in historic Jackson Square. Bring in the New Year with recipes from traditional reveillon feasts at the city's most famous restaurants. Private and historic homes from Uptown to English Turn open their doors to readers, while residents and designers discuss their holiday embellishments and themes. Glimpse parties, family celebrations, and more. Recipes and details abound in this stunning snapshot of a magical season.

The Voodoo tradition continues in the Crescent City even today. Rory Schmitt and Rosary O'Neill study the altars, art, history and ceremonies that anchor Voodoo in New Orleans culture.

There is no more compelling nor more spiritual city than New Orleans. The city's Roman Catholic roots and its blended French, Spanish, Creole and American Indian populations heavily influenced the rites and rituals that West Africans brought to Louisiana as enslaved laborers. The resulting unique Voodoo tradition is now deeply rooted in the area. Enslaved practitioners in the nineteenth century held Voodoo dances in designated public areas like Congo Square but conducted their secret rituals away from the prying eyes of the city. By 1874, some twelve thousand New Orleanians attended Voodoo queen Marie Laveau's St. John's Eve rites on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The Voodoo tradition continues in the Crescent City even today.