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Years before the first shots of the Civil War were fired, Florida witnessed a clash of wills and ways that prompted three wars unlike any others in America's history.

Among the most well-known of Florida's native peoples, the Seminole Indians frustrated troops of militia and volunteer soldiers for decades during the first half of the nineteenth century in the ongoing struggle to keep hold of their ancestral lands. While careers and reputations of American military and political leaders were made and destroyed in the mosquito-infested swamps of Florida's interior, the Seminoles and their allies, including the Miccosukee tribe and many escaped slaves, managed to wage war on their own terms. The study of guerrilla warfare tactics employed by the Seminoles may have aided modern American forces fighting in Viet Nam, Cambodia, and other regions.

When the Strasburg Rail Road was chartered in 1832, no one anticipated the myriad of obstacles the short line would encounter. This book chronicles the unlikely success of America's oldest continuously operating railroad.

What began as an afterthought in the early 19th century eventually became one of America's premier steam train excursions and the most visited heritage railroad in the continental United States. By 1957, the declining condition of its rails and the lack of freight and passenger service seemed to mark the end of the railroad, but it was given new life in 1958, and not even the wildest imagination foresaw the remarkable transformation and development this "Methuselah of railroads" would undergo. Explore how and why Strasburg's four-and-a-half-mile line survived, and discover the story behind its ascension to prominence as an iconic, internationally known, small-town steam railroad.

A sweeping, illustrated history of the lakeside hideaway turned resort and leisure park enjoyed by Pennsylvanians for over a century.

In 1877, a humble boat landing was constructed on Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania's largest natural lake. Colonel Frank Mantor, a visionary, discovered and purchased the property and convinced investors from the Pittsburgh, Shenango, and Lake Erie Railroad to extend the railroad line to a newly built resort on the site. In 1892, Exposition Park—a permanent fair exhibiting machinery and livestock—was founded. Amusement rides were added alongside hotels, cottages, restaurants, and other businesses. The resort grew into an amusement park and was renamed Conneaut Lake Park in 1920. Conneaut Lake Park illustrates the evolution of this lakeside resort with images of long-gone attractions such as the Hotel Elmwood, Temple of Music, Jungle Cruise, Fairyland Forest, and Wild Mouse. Recent favorites such as the Blue Streak, Tumble Bug, Ultimate Trip, and Devil's Den are also included.

Discover the many faces, places and events that marked the evolution of Chicago's South Shore from Hyde Park to Jeffery Manor and South Chicago.

Chicago's South Shore has a mature, urban nature that disguises its evolution from marshland to farmland, and from suburb to city neighborhood. Located between Jackson Park and 79th Street, and from Lake Michigan to Stony Island, the marshland of the 1800s was first settled by German and Scandinavian truck and flower farmers. Beginning in the 1890s, the Illinois Central Railroad Electric Line expanded into what was largely undeveloped farmland, setting the stage for 100 years of development and demographic change. German, Swedish, Irish and African-American families are just a fraction of the many groups who have called South Shore home. Today, largely through the redevelopment efforts of South Shore Bank, the neighborhood promises to build on its glorious past and play a vital role in Chicago's future.

The surpsing story of the Cog Railway on Mount Washington, and how one eccentric man's dream paved the way.

On July 3, 1869, the three-and-one-third-mile track leading to the summit of picturesque Mount Washington opened for public use. Once, only those daring enough to scale the 6,288 feet could enjoy the splendor of the scenery, but now everyone could journey to the summit using the invention of retired businessman Sylvester Marsh, who dreamed of this mountainous mode of transportation. Created at the height of the age of rail, the Cog Railway continues to chug up the mountain and into the hearts of tourists each year. Local historian Bruce D. Heald ties the history of its construction together with the grand romance of the railway as they triumphantly converge at the top of Mount Washington.

What began as a small farming community has grown into one of the fastest developing cities in the Pacific Northwest. Kent, Washington is a part of the White River Valley, about 7.5 miles south of Seattle and 18 miles northeast of Tacoma.

Situated between the two ports, Kent is in an advantageous position for trade and development. It was named after the county in England for its shared history of growing hops. Due to frequent flooding, the rich soil was good for growing a variety of crops. The hills on either side of the valley were abundant in red cedar; the logging and farming opportunities made the land a popular spot for white pioneers to set out to make their fortunes. Within the last 50 years, both Boeing and Amazon have built facilities in the city.

Rachel E. Friedland has lived in Kent for over 20 years. She has a bachelors degree in history from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and a certificate in museum studies from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. She has been an educator for five years and a volunteer at the Greater Kent Historical Society. Compiled from images from the Greater Kent Historical Society, the Museum of History and Industry, and the White River Valley Historical Museum, this book is a visual journey through the rich history of Kent.

Beginning with the Spanish padres in 1769 and reaching its apex in the 1950s, California’s rise to a global leader in agriculture rested on a series of converging events. California’s population exploded during the Gold Rush, and many who chose to stay found their gold in California’s sunshine, fertile soil, and optimal growing climate.

Initially, those settlers grew staples such as grain, but by the early 1900s, due to innovations in irrigation, transportation, mechanization, and food processing, California rose to the nation’s top grower and shipper of fresh produce. California currently grows over two thirds of America’s fruits and nuts and over one third of its vegetables, and each fruit, vegetable, nut, and grain has its own unique backstory. California’s crop history is full of the risk-taking and determination of pioneers, immigrants, and entrepreneurs. California also deserves credit for many modern marketing and advertising methods, and the preponderance of food “capitals of the world” is a nostalgic feature of California culture.

Patti DesMarais has lived in six California cities. She has a bachelor of arts degree in television and film production from San Diego State University and a master of arts in humanities from California State University, Dominguez Hills. She collects vintage crate labels and has picked lemons, oranges, grapefruits, peaches, and avocados from her own California backyards.

Fiesta Days parades, Saturday nights at the Vacaville Theatre, and Bulldogs and Wildcats everywhere.

Exquisite food coupled with the wonder and whimsy of the world-famous Nut Tree restaurant. Beating the heat at The Blue Lagoon Waterslide Park or getting lost in the giant maze, The Wooz. Trips to the burger joints on “Hamburger Hill” while the scent of dehydrating onions from the Basic Vegetable Products plant wafted through the air. Savoring Vasquez Deli burritos with the radio station tuned to KUIC. Celebrating with hometown heroes Super Bowl Champion Jarrett Bush, World Series MVP Jermaine Dye and iconic rock band Papa Roach.

Author and accidental historian Tony Wade leads this vivid tour through bygone Vacaville.

The railroads and coal industry permanently changed both the economy and culture of Floyd County, Kentucky.

Floyd County, named for Kentucky pioneer John Floyd, was formed in 1799. Originally encompassing all of the Big Sandy River Valley and much of eastern Kentucky, the boundaries included portions of what are now Pike, Martin, Knott, Magoffin, and Johnson Counties. Because of its river access, Floyd County developed earlier than many counties in eastern Kentucky; Prestonsburg, the county seat, became a major river port and center of trade in the region. With the coming of the railroad in 1903 and the coal industry, the county rapidly grew, in no small part thanks to the rapid rise in population due to the migration of white Americans from around the country, European immigrants, and African Americans from southern plantations and coalfields. What had been an agrarian, white population suddenly took on a whole new face, one more reflective of the nation. The history of coal production plays a large role in this book, particularly the Wheelright Coal Camps, but we know how much Kentucky has given to contribute to the story of America.

The prosperous town of Wyandotte in Michigan, named for the Wyandott Indians, has been the home to American industry and the people who helped to build it.

Wyandotte, located between Detroit and Toledo along the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario, has enriched area history from the days of the first inhabitants, the Wyandott Indians and French farmers, through the industrial ages of iron and steel. In latter years, Wyandotte has been the stage for the manufacture of the first steel rails and iron plate and was home to shipbuilding and chemical industries. All of these contributed significantly to the growth of the nation and to the continuing development of a great American city. Businesses, churches, and community organizations are captured in these historic photographs, along with the people whose commitment to hard work helped the city prosper and grow.

Constructed as the Easton and Amboy Railroad, opened by 1875, the Lehigh Valley Railroad was instrumental in developing commerce and communities of central New Jersey.

Thout it no longer runs, it was originally built to haul unending trains of black diamonds from Pennsylvania to Perth Amboy, the Lehigh Valley Railroad became so much more than a conduit for shipping coal. In building across the state, it became instrumental in not only hauling produce to New York City markets but also for providing service to companies like Johns-Manville and Lionel Trains. From Phillipsburg to Jersey City and all points in between, the Lehigh Valley Railroad hauled freight and passengers, while at the same time contributing to the social fabric of the area. The Lehigh Valley Railroad across New Jersey paints a picture of a railroad that provided over 100 years of quality service to the Garden State.

Garden State Parkwayshows how this iconic New Jersey roadway gained its place in history and continues to combine safe transportation in a parklike setting.

The Garden State Parkwayhas transformed the lives of New Jersey residents since opening in 1954. Spanning 173 miles from Cape May to the New York State line, it has fostered tourism to the Jersey Shore and given commuters an easier way to get to work.

Gov. Alfred E. Driscoll had envisioned the impact a new highway could have on the state, and a large team of planners, engineers, and contractors made it happen. In 1952, the legislature created the New Jersey Highway Authorityto ensure the funding and completion of the $330-million parkway and to self-sufficiently operate the roadway through toll revenue.

Located near Charlotte, Carowinds has long been considered the Thrill Capital of the Southeast!

Inspired by a trip to Disneyland in 1957, Hall envisioned an amusement park for the citizens of the Carolinas. The brainchild of Earl Patterson Hall, a self-made businessman and real estate developer, Carowinds is an exciting day for children and adults alike. In 1973, after four years of planning and construction, Carowinds opened to the public on a large site that straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Throughout the 1970s, visitors enjoyed rides such as the Witchdoctor and White Lightnin'. Currently, the park features rides, shows, and attractions for all, including Intimidator, the tallest and fastest coaster in the Southeast. Carowinds showcases the rich history of this Carolina amusement park celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2013.

Health, history ... and horses! See the Saratoga Springs experience that has been spread out for visitors, year after golden year!

Brilliant afternoons awash in sunshine in Saratoga Springs. Nestled in the foothills of the Adirondacks, it has been the midsummer mecca across two centuries. From the long distant past, the powerful waters from deep in the earth made this place a wellspring of the healing arts. The allure of meeting in the healthy country environment brought society first from the eastern cities and then from all points of the globe. Society itself became an object for summer entertainment, and connecting with living history came to be a recreational pursuit. However, there is more to Saratoga Springs.

While the Spa City opens its arms to all travelers, along with the charms there stands a robust, cheerful, and stalwart core of residents who have over the years transformed a northern wilderness into an oasis of leisure and elegance. Behind the grand hotels of Broadway and America's Monte Carlo are the mansions of Union Avenue and Circular Street, the winter play, and the personalities shaping a place of character, comfort, and culture.Saratoga Springs: A Historical Portraitis their story--the small town at the heart of the City in the Country.

The Lost Towns of the Quabbin Valley highlights the life and times of these towns from 1754 to 1938, when the inhabitants were told, ""All Must Leave.""

The Quabbin Reservoir in central Massachusetts was created in 1938 to supply the state's growing population with a source of drinking water. In order to create the reservoir, it was necessary to dam three branches of the Swift River, and to flood the valley which was home to five small towns- Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, Prescott, and parts of New Salem, all of which now exist underwater. More than two thousand people were displaced when the Quabbin Valley was flooded, and now these former towns are only accessible through memories, SCUBA equipment, or a time machine.The Lost Towns of the Quabbin Valleypresents rare photographs of town life, including images of students at the first Hillside School and Dr. Mary Walker, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and Greenwich summer resident. The images are drawn from the archives of the Swift River Valley Historical Society. Although the towns are gone, their stories are alive and well.

With images from the Connellsville Historical Area Society's archives and private collections, encounter the hidden history of Connellsville.

Connellsville became the first city in Fayette County when it merged with New Haven in 1909. Connellsville's growth was shaped by the Youghiogheny River, coal mining, and coke production, which fueled the nation's steel industry for nearly 100 years. Known as the ""coke capital of the world,"" Connellsville became an early manufacturing, commercial, and transportation center, attracting a diverse ethnic population. Around Connellsville celebrates this heritage with images of coke ovens, coal patches, railroads, streetcars, and ""Brimstone Corner."" It follows South Pittsburgh Street to Anchor Hocking and the beach, cheers ball teams at Fayette Field in the north end, and admires St. Rita's grotto on the west side. Although recent economic growth shifted from the town center to nearby highways, Connellsville remains the preeminent gateway to the Laurel Highlands Recreational Area, which includes world-class resorts, state parks, historical sites, and the singular beauty of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

Follow the history of New York's Long Beach from abandoned barrier island to bustling City By the Sea.

In 1906, Sen. William H. Reynolds purchased an abandoned barrier island along the south shore of Long Island and vowed to turn it into a great city. What is now Long Beach, the "City by the Sea," soon drew visitors who came for its summer resorts, boardwalk, dance pavilions, casino, and luxury hotels. Two world wars, Prohibition, and easy railroad access turned summer residences into year-long homes for thousands eager to live by the seaside and raise families in what has been known as "America's Healthiest City." The images of Long Beach reflect the diversity of the city's architecture, culture, religions, and unique neighborhoods. Photographs show the storied inhabitants and bungalows of the West End, water-lined homes of the canals, the 2.1-mile boardwalk, and long white sand beach.

Through vintage photographs, McKeesport documents the history of this once booming steel town from the development and subsequent loss of its major industry to its recent revitalization.

Located at the confluence of the Youghiogheny and Monongahela Rivers, McKeesport was settled by David McKee in 1755. In 1769, McKee acquired land from the Colonial government and one of his sons, John, laid out a village that became known as McKee's Port because a ferry was operating there. Early industries included coal mining and the building of flatboats, and in 1851, an iron rolling mill was started. Industry continued to boom as steamboats and railroads soon appeared, and in 1872, National Tube was founded and joined by other steel industries and foundries. The growing industries created an abundance of jobs, and immigrants from throughout Europe flocked to the area. McKeesport still maintains a strong ethnic heritage.

The town of Wellington was located by the Stevens Pass summit in the Cascade Mountains. During the last days of February in 1910, the snow was relentless in the Cascades, falling as much as one foot per hour and rising up to 20 feet deep in areas. Rotary plows could not keep the lines open as snow covered the railroad tracks almost immediately after being cleared. The Seattle Express, coming from Spokane, and a fast mail train were stranded just beyond the safety of the Cascade Tunnel, where they remained unmovable for almost a week under the snow packed mountains. On March 1, an avalanche swept away the tracks and passengers aboard the two trains as well as several of Wellington's buildings and homes. Almost 100 individuals were killed in just a few seconds, creating America's deadliest avalanche and train disaster in history. Today, the site is part of the Iron Goat Trail off Highway 2, east of Skykomish. The snowshed, the abandoned original Cascade Tunnel, and various scraps of the trains left in the ravine are the only evidence that remain of Wellington, its long-forgotten inhabitants, or the disaster.

See how O'ahu's North Shore became and why it has been recognized as a special place for as long as people have inhabitated it.

Once the site of the largest heiau, or temple, the North Shore of O'ahu contained two large valleys and other things considered so valuable that bloody wars were fought over their control. Later, the North Shore became famous for sugar, pineapples, ranching and the plantation life that brought thousands of immigrants from all over the world to the most remote part of O‘ahu. It was on the North Shore that Hawaiians mixed with Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Koreans, Filipinos, Puerto Ricans, Spaniards, Irish, Scots, English, and Americans to mold the rural yet cosmopolitan society for which Hawai‘i is now famous.

Today, the Hawaiian temples are silent, sugar is gone, and only remnants of the old plantation buildings and ranches remain. But the North Shore's fame is now refocused, as it is recognized as the surfing capital of the world.

This volume about Fresh Meadows, Queens captures the optimism of the postwar era by illustrating how middle-class families thrived in an environment that combined the best aspects of urban and suburban living.

Located in northeast Queens, Fresh Meadows grew up around a housing development of the same name, built for World War II veterans. The site plan for the development not only provided an array of green open space, but it also enabled residents to enjoy a variety of services within walking distance. The development became the centerpiece of a brand-new neighborhood, which had been the site of a country club and farmland. In 1949, renowned urban and architecture critic Lewis Mumford hailed the Fresh Meadows housing development as ""perhaps the most positive and exhilarating example of large-scale community planning in this country.""

Built in 1974 in New Jersey, Great Adventure was the larger-than-life dream of a larger-than-life personality, Warner LeRoy.

The consummate showman, LeRoy had visions of a fantasy world of rides, shows, and animals in a beautiful and unspoiled woodland setting. In 1977, Great Adventure became a member of the Six Flags family of theme parks and has continued to grow ever since, with bigger and better attractions added each season. Six Flags Great Adventure revisits some of the park's past attractions, like the Garden of Marvels, Big Balloon, and Super Teepee, and illustrates the park's evolution into a state-of-the-art theme park enjoyed by a new generation of guests.

A visual history of South Bend, Indiana by author, photographer and local resident Day Marnon Danielson. Perfect for fans of South Bend and Indiana history.

The land now called St. Joseph County was familiar ground to Native Americans long before recorded history. Many Indians, including the local Potawatomie and Miami, trod the well-worn path that offered a two-mile portage between the St. Joseph River (and Lake Michigan) to the Kankakee River and eventually the Mississippi River. Pierre F. Navarre built a log cabin beside the St. Joseph River in 1820, and began a settlement that would eventually become South Bend and Mishawaka in St. Joseph County.

The over 200 vintage images in this book, drawn from St. Joseph County and Mishawaka as well as South Bend, look back at the commerce, industry, and businesses like Studebaker, Ball Band, Singer, and Bendix, which grew on the rich resources of the area. Education was a high priority for early settlers, and they established one-room schoolhouses and Notre Dame University. The photographs show public places, buildings, and servants, some long gone, others that are still with us today. And of course, there are pictures of the people, the homes they built, and the activities they enjoyed in their northern Indiana home.

Author Shane Simmons explores tales of bravery, lore and bizarre customs within the East Tennessee region.

The mountains of East Tennessee are chock full of unique folklore passed down through generations. Locals spin age-old yarns of legends like Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone and Dragging Canoe. Stories of snake-handling churches and the myths behind the death crown superstitions dot the landscape. The mysteries surrounding the Sensabaugh Tunnel still haunt residents.

Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont, is one of New England's most renowned graveyards. The cemetery attracts thousands of visitors every year, particularly when the foliage turns during fall.

This 85-acre open-air museum is noted for the artistry and craftsmanship of its monuments, derived exclusively from legendary Barre gray granite. Barre was a boomtown with a rapidly rising population of European immigrants, especially those from Italy and Scotland, seeking opportunities as artisan carvers and laborers in the area's granite quarries. Ethnic enclaves developed around Barre; most notably, the city's north end became known as Little Italy. This diversity is captured in granite on the monuments of those interred at Hope Cemetery—not only in the surnames etched in stone but also in the monuments' widely varying symbols of remembrance. Within Hope Cemetery, memorials range from traditional European forms, including angels, cherubs, and other religious hallmarks, to highly individualized modern monuments depicting images representative of family life, interests, and leisure in the form of such diverse objects as lounge chairs, airplanes, race cars, a soccer ball, and many more.

Fort Myers, Florida, is known throughout the world today for its tropical weather and local attractions but its origins date back to the 1800s wartimes.

Located just 15 miles from the Gulf of Mexico on the wide and beautiful Caloosahatchee River, Fort Myers, the fabled "City of Palms," is dotted today by exotic flowers and shrubbery, which includes a revitalized downtown, inviting neighborhoods, endless shopping, and a breathtaking waterfront. Like many Florida communities, however, the birth of Fort Myers can be traced to the Seminole Indian wars of the 1800s. The fort itself -named for Lt. Col. Abraham Myers - was established in the frontier region to quell uprisings and help in the Indian Removal campaigns. It was later used by Union forces during the Civil War, was abandoned, and then reoccupied by courageous settlers who relied on the cattle business, and citrus and vegetable farming to sustain their families and their new town. As the years passed, Fort Myers grew and began to attract winter visitors, including such famous Americans as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, both of whom had homes in the area, as well as wealthy sportsmen eager to try their luck at tarpon fishing in nearby Gulf waters. When the railroad finally reached Fort Myers, tourists, transplants, retirees, and many more would discover the irresistible charms of one of Florida's newest gems.

Since 1938, when the Merritt's first 7-mile section was opened to traffic, millions have shared a fascination for Connecticut's Merritt Parkway and its bridges.

A survey made in 1928 called for a two-lane macadam highway to run from Stratford to Greenwich; with $1 million of state money, construction started on the Merritt Highway in 1932. Opened for 38 miles on September 2, 1940, it became known throughout Fairfield County as the ""Queen of Parkways."" Discover the beginnings of this groundbreaking advance in American travel in Traveling the Merritt Parkway. This pictorial history preserves and pays tribute to the history of the Merritt, and explores the construction of the parkway, as well as the little-known parent highway for which the earliest bridges were constructed, including White Plains Road in the town of Trumbull.

With Syracuse, readers can explore the architecture, lifestyles, landscapes, and transportation modes of this city from before the Civil War to the mid-1970s.

As we approach the twenty-first century, many people are seeking to connect with their community's roots in order to better understand their own past and to make thoughtful choices about the future. Within these pages, readers come face-to-face with the nineteenth-century citizens who shaped the city; Syracuse University football and lacrosse legends; and individuals like Colonel Homer Wheaton, who became the first soldier from Syracuse to be struck down in World War I, sacrificing his life to save comrades from an exploding grenade. Other intriguing discoveries include a series of views showcasing the lost mansions of James Street, images of the main line New York Central Railroad tracks that ran though the middle of downtown for one hundred years, and scenes of the former salt manufacturing industry which once defined Syracuse as it is still known today-The Salt City.

Relive the final days of the Civil War with this compelling account of Wilson's Raid told by memoirs of those who witnessed it.

In the closing months of the Civil War, General James Wilson led a Union cavalry raid through Alabama and parts of Georgia. Wilson, the young, brash boy general of the Union, matched wits against Nathan Bedford Forrest, the South's legendary wizard of the saddle. Wilson's Raiders swept through cities like Selma, Tuscaloosa and Montgomery, destroying the last remaining industrial production centers of the Confederacy along with any hopes of its survival. Forrest and his desperately outnumbered cavalry had no option but to try to stop the Union's advance. Join Russell Blount as he examines the eyewitness accounts and diaries chronicling this defining moment in America's bloodiest war.

The story of the bridge that transformed Maryland's Eastern Shore from a sleepy backwater to a major tourism destination and caused an economic boom in Baltimore in the west.

When it opened to traffic in 1952, the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge - simply called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge - was the third-longest bridge in the world. The four-mile long span was constructed over the Chesapeake Bay in a dramatic 2.5-year period of progress that became known to the workers as Operation Link, because it would be the first physical connection between the two widely separated parts of Maryland. Today, the two spans - the original Bay Bridge from 1952 and the parallel span built alongside it in 1973 - are towering architectural landmarks along the East Coast of the United States.

Since the opening of the first permanent railway in 1833, hundreds of railroad companies have operated in North Carolina.

Rail transportation, faster and more efficient than other methods of the era, opened new markets for the products of North Carolina's farms, factories, and mines. Over the years, North Carolina rail companies have ranged in size from well-engineered giants like the Southern Railway to temporary logging railroads like the Hemlock. Cross ties and rails were laid across almost every conceivable terrain: tidal marshes, sand hills, rolling piedmont, and mountain grades. Vulnerable to the turbulent and unregulated economies of the day, few railroad companies escaped reorganizations and receiverships during their corporate lives, often leaving tangled and contradictory histories in their passing.

From its earliest days, Charleston was a vital port of call and center of trade, which left it vulnerable to seafaring criminals.

The Golden Age of Piracy, encompassing roughly the first quarter of the eighteenth century, produced some of the most outrageous characters in maritime history. The daring exploits of these infamous plunderers made thievery widespread along Charleston's waterfront, but determined citizens would meet the pirate threat head-on. From the "Gentleman Pirate," Stede Bonnet, to Edward "Blackbeard" Teach and famed pirate hunter and statesman William Rhett, the waters surrounding the Holy City have a history as rocky and wild as the high seas. Join author and tour guide Christopher Byrd Downey as he tells the tales of Charleston during piracy's greatest reign.

California’s Big Bear received its name from a perhaps unsurprising story— from an early encounter with a group of bears.

In 1845, Benjamin Davis Wilson--the future first mayor of Los Angeles and the grandfather of Gen. George S. Patton--led a 20-man posse into the San Bernardino Mountains in search of Native American raiding parties that had been attacking Riverside ranches. But what they found in a particular high-altitude valley were, instead, large and furry. Wilson's men soon roped 11 bears, bringing the creatures into camp, and the valley the Serrano Indians knew as Yuhaviat, or Pine Place, received a new map designation. Wilson named a nearby body of water Big Bear Lake (now Baldwin Lake, with the present-day, man-made lake co-opting the bruin moniker). Today, at elevations between 6,000 and 9,000 feet, the city of Big Bear Lake is an hour and a half from Los Angeles and a million miles from the rat race, where hiking, sports, and the absence of exertion thrive in a vacation atmosphere.

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The history of the Western North Carolina Railroad is a tale like no other, filled with tragedy, heroism, brains, blood, sweat, tears, nitroglycerin and humor.

Now a tourist mecca, the Great Smoky Mountains were a remote and inaccessible place until well after the Civil War. Using first enslaved and later convict labor the Western North Carolina Railroad and Murphy Branch connected the mountains with the remainder of the state by rail for the first time in 1891. The railroad brought commerce and tourism. Though its vital role was eventually eclipsed by the automobile, tourists and rail buffs continue to come to Bryson City to experience travel by steam train on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Local authors Jacob Morgan Plott and Bob Plott tell the story of a line that refused to die.

Colorful tales of the MS Gulf Coast from specters to sodas and from buccaneers and pioneers.

The story of the Mississippi Golden Gulf Coast can't be told without a few tall tales--pirates, buried treasure, ghosts and colorful characters pepper its diverse past. From incredible stories of the pirate Jean Lafitte to iconic legends like Barq's Root Beer, travel from Bay St. Louis to Biloxi and every nook and cranny in between to discover the legends and lore of Mississippi's Golden Gulf Coast. Local historian Edmond Boudreaux explores this exciting history, recounting the fantastic tales that launch the reader into the past and create a truly captivating history.

Anna Maria Island was once inhabited by Native Americans, but as the beauty became known to its first homesteader, George L. Bean, the island's destiny was to be a beacon to paradise.

In spite of mangrove forests and throngs of mosquitoes, people came by boat to enjoy the white sand beaches and the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico, with their cool onshore breezes and blazing sunsets. The Islander newspaper of the 1950s heralded, Where life is good and the fishing is great. Anglers came from afar to test their skills against tarpon, the world's greatest game fish, and to hunt goliath grouper in the depths of Tampa Bay. Two modern bridges connected the island to the mainland in 1957, and with that the seven-mile-long island was on its way to becoming the jewel of Manatee County.

Collected in this intriguing visual history are over 200 photographs which bring to life the rich and diverse history of Bayonne, New Jersey.

Bayonne has made a number of significant contributions to American culture: from the country's first "rock band" and its first independent movie studio, to its first air-mail delivery and fast-food restaurants. This visual history brings these little-known contributions to light while also focusing on the everyday lives of the people of Bayonne. In this fascinating journey into the past, we move from disasters such as the Standard Oil fire of 1900 to celebrations such as the arrival of a Wild West Show at the 8th Street station. Views of the lighthouses and the old New York Bay shore document the continued importance of the city's two shores, even as it transformed itself from being the "Newport on the Hudson" to the "Peninsula of Industry." Jump into Bayonne's history from the years 1860 to 1940.

San Francisco’s Transgender District, six blocks in the Tenderloin, was founded in 2017 by three black trans women. The first trans and gender nonconforming residents in the area were two-spirit residents of the Ramaytush Ohlone territory. After the founding of San Francisco, trans individuals continued to live, perform, advocate, and gather in the area. 

Some members of the trans community gained fame and fortune in local vaudeville theaters and performing in drag. Others regularly navigated issues with the police, landlords, and local businesses. The 1906 earthquake dramatically reshaped the neighborhood when Market Street was destroyed. José Julio Sarria, local clergy, “Screaming Queens,” the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Ms. Billie Cooper, and many others helped the trans community find glitter in the ashes and recover from hardship. The Transgender District includes the site of the first trans and queer uprising at Compton’s Cafeteria and Glide Memorial Church, the site of the first transgender support group in the United States. 

Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer, an activist, award-winning historian, and finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in transgender nonfiction, leads regular walking tours of the district. Images in this book come from his personal collection, museums, archives, and local photographers.

Poet Walt Whitman proclaimed his adopted home of Camden, in its heyday, "the city invincible," a powerhouse of industrial might destined for greatness.

Camden resurrects that fascinating era of invincibility through powerful images of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge construction; Cooper Hospital's nearly ill-fated founding; and the momentous birth of Campbell Soup Company, Victor Talking Machine Company/RCA, and New York Shipbuilding. Also included are images of Camden's neighborhoods, community life, and bustling downtown district, as well as the newsmakers and lawbreakers who defined the "biggest little city in the world."

Treasured by locals and visitors alike, the charm of Block Island, Rhode Island, first developed as a summer resort in the late 1800s, is shown here throughout its history, from its begininning in 1637, to farming and fishing community, to summer scenes of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Block Island explores the evolution of the small, 7-by-3-mile island that lies between Point Judith, Rhode Island, and Montauk Point, New York. In 1637, Block Island, also known as New Shoreham, was claimed by Massachusetts soldiers who took the land away from the Manisses Indians. When the island was sold to 16 proprietors in 1660, the history of Block Island as part of Rhode Island began. At any time of the year, Block Island has a special look and charm of its own. In addition to its beautiful sandy beaches and thundering surf, the island is plentiful with rolling hills, fertile valleys, and ponds. Within these pages, meet the early residents of the island and learn how this farming and fishing community first developed as a summer resort destination in the late 1800s. Summer scenes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including views of the steamers that arrived daily carrying thousands of passengers from New York, Connecticut, and other parts of Rhode Island, are also featured in this collection.