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For Route 66 to become the most famous highway in history, it had to pass through the “Gateway to the West.” St. Louis is the largest city between Chicago and Los Angeles, and “St. Louee” comes first on the list of those that Nat King Cole and many other artists sang out on “(Get Your Kicks) on Route 66.” The highway took a maze of different routes, including crossing the greatest of rivers on a bridge with a bend right in the middle. The roadside was lined with flashing neon, classic diners and gas stations where attendants provided speedy service. Also, there were classic amusement parks, drive-in theaters, a man selling frozen custard from a building adorned with wooden icicles, and a motel with a racy but beloved reputation. 

Joe Sonderman is a St. Louis area radio personality and traffic reporter who has been writing books on Route 66 for 15 years. Since that first work, he has been collecting Route 66 postcards and photographs, some never published before, along with new research on the paths Route 66 took through the area to come up with an entirely new look at Route 66 St. Louis Style. 

Lebanon, located on the border of New Hampshire and Vermont, is the center of the largest micropolitan area in the United States and the only city in New Hampshire’s Grafton County, but its history has long been overshadowed by its cultural neighbors: Dartmouth College to the north, the Enfield Shaker community to the east, and the Cornish Colony to the south. Here, Lebanon’s history takes center stage, starting from its beginnings as valuable territory for the Indigenous Western Abenaki and the first European colonists on the banks of the Connecticut and Mascoma Rivers. Lebanon follows the city through its development as a railroad hub, its growth as a powerhouse of mill production, and its modern role as a center of healthcare and scientific innovation. This book showcases photographs from the collection of the Lebanon Historical Society—a one-of-a-kind archive of the area’s history. Generations of amateur historians and collectors have produced a resource of thousands of original images supplemented and informed by a vast trove of historical documents and artifacts. 

It's a conveinent-store giant in the Mid-Atlantic region today, but Wawa's history dates back to its days as an iron manufactuer over 200 years ago.

Founded in 1803 and incorporated in 1865, Wawa has roots in the manufacture of cast-iron water pipes and decorative lampposts. Using the resources and surplus water power from the iron business, the family opened a cotton mill and began producing cotton piece goods, including Red Star diapers. The first Wawa milk plant opened in 1902 and by the late 1950s, the Wawa Dairy had expanded its home delivery business to include over 145 routes. The first Wawa Food Market opened on April 16, 1964. Today, the company is familiar to many as a chain of 545 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia that offers a wide selection of fresh foods, coffee, and gasoline. Wawa contains vintage images documenting the evolution of the company as it adapted to changing economic and social conditions. From the early days of iron manufacture to the opening of the first store in Folsom, Pennsylvania, Wawa brings to life the many facets of one of America's top privately owned companies.

Author Phillip Thomas Tucker reveals the triumph and tragedy of the greatest sacrifice of life of any battleground in America.

On September 17, 1862, the forces of Major General George B. McClellan and his Union Army of the Potomac confronted Robert E. Lee's entire Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The Union forces mounted a powerful assault on Lee's left flank in the idyllic Miller Cornfield. It was the single bloodiest day in the history of the Civil War. The elite combat units of the Union's Iron Brigade and the Confederate Texas Brigade held a dramatic showdown and suffered immense losses through vicious attacks and counterattacks sweeping through the cornstalks.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has some of the highest, oldest, and most picturesque mountain peaks and ridges in the United States. Discover its history.

Its mountains, rivers, and scenic gorges constitute a formidable barrier between Tennessee and North Carolina. The struggle to acquire the land for the park from 10 large lumber companies and hundreds of small landholders started in 1923 and lasted more than 15 years. More than half of the 500,000 acres acquired for the park had been logged before the park's dedication in 1940, but thousands of acres of old growth forest still survive. One of the most biologically diverse regions in North America-with thousands of species of plant and animal life, including 125 species of native trees-the park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1976 and a World Heritage Site in 1983.

Pan American World Airways could be considered a corporate Cinderella—a rags-to-riches-and-back-again phenomenon.

From its founding in 1927 and its relatively obscure inauguration as a mail carrier on a 90-mile mail run from Florida's Key West to Cuba, Pan Am's route system grew to span the globe. The company that would eventually become famous for its blue-and-white-world logo grew into a conglomerate of hotels, airlines, business jets, real estate, a helicopter service, and even a guided missiles range division. But financial problems plagued Pan Am in its last two decades, and in 1991, Pan American World Airways ceased flying after 64 years of service. The story of Pan Am is as much the story of president Juan T. Trippe as it is an account of airplanes, pilots, flight attendants, and glamorous destinations. As the company moved throughout the world building airfields from jungles, crossing oceans, and forcing the development of new airplanes, it was Trippe's airline and his vision. A global pioneer, Pan Am was the first airline to use radio communications, to employ cabin attendants and serve meals aloft, and to complete an around-the-world flight. The company's achievements were legendary, but its failures, tragedies, and disasters were also part of a complex corporate life.

Bruce Venter meticulously details the Revolutionary War battle that saved the Continental Army and possibly America.

British and German troops ran into stubborn rebel resistance at Hubbardton, Vermont, on July 7, 1777. The day would ultimately turn the tide for the Patriot cause. After capturing Fort Ticonderoga, the British, under Lieutenant General John Burgoyne, pursued a retreating Continental army under Major General Arthur St. Clair. In the fields and hills around Hubbardton, a tenacious American rear guard of about 1,200 derailed the British general's plan for a quick march to Albany. The British won a tactical victory, but they suffered precious losses. Patriots, under Colonel Seth Warner, Colonel Ebenezer Francis and Colonel Nathan Hale, left the British and Germans bloodied while also saving untold casualties from their own army. Burgoyne and his weakened force ultimately surrendered at Saratoga on October 17, 1777, paving the way for a French alliance with the colonies and American independence.

Author Robert Thompson recounts the harrowing story of Phebe Tucker Cunningham, from her marriage at Prickett's Fort to her return to the shores of the Monongahela.

Life on the West Virginia frontier was a daily struggle for survival, and for Phebe Tucker Cunningham, that meant the loss of her four children at the hands of the Wyandot tribe and being held captive for three years until legendary renegades Simon Girty and Alexander McKee arranged her freedom. Thompson describes in vivid detail early colonial life in the Alleghenies and the ways of the Wyandot, providing historical context for this unforgettable saga.

Danvers State Hospital revolutionized mental health care for more than a century, beginning in 1878. Today, it's buildings still have stories to tell.

Perched high on the top of Hathorne Hill in what was once the village of Salem, Danvers State Insane Asylum was, for more than a century, a monument to modern psychiatry and the myriad advances in mental health treatment. From the time it opened its doors in 1878 until they were shuttered for good in 1992, the asylum represented decades of reform, the physical embodiment of the heroic visions of Dorothea Dix and Thomas Story Kirkbride. It would stand abandoned until 2005, when demolition began. Along with a dedicated group of private citizens, the Danvers Historical Society fought to preserve the Kirkbride structure, an effort that would result in the reuse of the administration building and two additional wings. Danvers has earned a unique place in history; the shell of the original Kirkbride building still stands overlooking the town. Though it has been changed drastically, the asylum's story continues as do efforts to memorialize it.

The General Motors Corporation opened over a century ago with humble beginnings to grow into the company that became the global business powerhouse it is today.

Established in 1908 by William C. Durant, General Motors was the end-product of combining the Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Oakland companies. From the 1920s onwards, GM grew from a company that accounted for about 10% of new auto sales in the U.S. to becoming the largest producer of cars and trucks in the world. By the 1960s, due to a series of federal safety regulations and competetive challenges, General Motors' business would never be the same. Though they've suffered their fair share of setbacks, GM is still one of the biggest motor companies in the world, even today. General Motors: A Photographic History explores the growth of the company in a series of 200+ black-and-white images, from the first assembly line to post-WWII recovery, and takes the reader on an intriguing visual tour of a tremendously important piece of the industrialization of the U.S.

Author Michael W.R. Davis journeys through the more-than 100 year history of Chevrolet automobiles, from its earliest days to the present.

The Chevrolet car and truck business traces its roots back to Michigan's lumber industry in the middle of the 19th century. Lumber mills gave way to carriage and wagon manufacturing and the claim, before motorcars burst on the scene, that Flint was the vehicle capital of the world.

This is the story of how those wagon makers quickly converted to producing automobiles, overtaking automotive pioneer and archrival Ford in sales, and building the Chevrolet brand into the global powerhouse entity it is today. This volume traces the first half (1911–1960) of Chevrolet's 100-year history in photographic detail and provides an unparalleled spotter guide for long-forgotten (or never-known) Chevrolet cars and trucks. From its beginnings under entrepreneur Billy Durant, through the Knudson years, Unionization, and World War II, Chevrolet weathered many highs and lows, successes and challenges.

Author Michael W.R. Davis is a veteran automotive journalist and historian and served as the executive director of the Detroit Historical Society for five years. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians and a trustee of the National Automotive History Collection at the Detroit Public Library.

The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, is a monument to the nation’s 16th president, a commemoration of the country’s post–Civil War reunification, and a setting for national events and quiet visits.

Demands for a national memorial to Abraham Lincoln began shortly after his 1865 assassination but produced nothing substantial until the early 20th century. Elevation of Lincoln to legendary status and an extended debate over location and design finally led Congress in 1913 to approve a memorial at the west end of the National Mall. Construction took another eight years. Since its dedication in 1922, the Lincoln Memorial has hosted civil rights demonstrations, presidential events, national celebrations, and day and night visits by millions of people who come to reflect upon one of the most consequential leaders in American history.

Kevin S. Schindler is a historian at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and has written six books about science and history. Brian Anderson is a Washington, DC, lawyer and Ford’s Theatre Society trustee who previously wrote a book about the history of Ford’s Theatre. Drawing upon Washington-area museums and research libraries, Schindler and Anderson have assembled a rich collection of historical images to tell the fascinating story of this American landmark.

In the summer of 1967, 19 year old Brenda Joyce Holland disappeared.

A mountain girl who had come to Manteo to work on The Lost Colony, Brenda’s body was found three days later, floating in the Sound. This riveting narrative, built on unique access to state investigative files and multiple interviews with insiders, searches for the truth of the unsolved murder. This island odyssey of discovery includes séances, a suicide, and a supposed shallow grave.

Journalist John Railey cuts through the myths and misdirections to finally arrive at the long-hidden truth of what happened to Brenda Holland that summer on Roanoke Island.

The fascinating story behind California’s mid-twentieth century obsession with all things Polynesian and Hawaiian.

After World War II, suburbs proliferated around California cities as returning soldiers traded in their uniforms for business suits. After-hours leisure activities took on an island-themed sensuality that bloomed from a new fascination with Polynesia and Hawaii. Movies and television shows filmed in Malibu and Burbank urged viewers to escape everyday life with the likes of Elvis, Gidget, and Hawaiian Eye. Restaurants like Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s sprang up to answer the demand for wild cocktails and even wilder décor.

A strange hodgepodge of idols, lush greenery and colorful drinks, Tiki beckoned men and women to lose themselves in exotic music and surf tunes. Authors Jason Henderson and Adam Foshko take a trip back in time to the scene of Polynesian pop and three decades of palm trees, Mai Tais, and torches with this informal guide to the rise, fall, and resurgence of Tiki culture.

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.

A classic is updated for a new generation!

The history of 613 Rue Royale, the site of New Orleans’ famous Court of Two Sisters restaurant, dates back to 1732—just fourteen years after the founding of the city, when it was the site of the home of Louisiana’s second governor. 

Beginning in 1886, the legendary “two sisters,” for whom the building and courtyard are named, operated a notions shop on the ground floor of the mansion. Located in the very center of “Governor’s Row,” 613 Royal became the focal point of Creole society. In many ways, the romance and history of the largest courtyard in the Vieux Carre epitomize the charm, the ambience, and the lifestyle of “America’s most European city.”

A tribute to the history that has made the restaurant famous throughout the world, the cookbook has been revised and updated with new recipes from the acclaimed kitchens. The history of the courtyard and the French Quarter offers an intriguing background for the recipes that follow—recipes that are Creole-inspired and taste-tested by the discriminating palates of tens of thousands of customers.

A classic look at old New Orleans.

First published in 1948, this collection of Louisiana tales provides a vintage look at local history. From General Andrew Jackson to Marie Laveau to Paul Tulane, colorful legends of the early Crescent City convey a fascinating, antiquated landscape and its captivating traditions. Cajun's lively characters and locations etch an animated past in which the bayou of yesteryear is authentically recreated on every page.

Through firsthand accounts, interviews with survivors and a gripping collection of vintage photographs, author Michael Skidgell attempts to make sense of one of Hartford's worst tragedies.

Almost 7,000 fans eagerly packed into the Ringling Brothers big top on July 6, 1944. With a single careless act, an afternoon at the Greatest Show on Earth quickly became one of terror and tragedy as the paraffin-coated circus tent caught fire. Panicked crowds rushed for the few exits, but in minutes, the tent collapsed on those still struggling to escape below. A total of 168 lives were lost, many of them children, with many more injured and forever scarred by the events. Hartford and the surrounding communities reeled in the aftermath as investigators searched for the source of the fire and the responsible parties.

Featuring homes such as the beautiful Merieult House in the French Quarter and Oaklawn Manor near Bayou Teche, this comprehensive guide highlights the finest plantation homes in all regions of the state. From Natchitoches's Melrose Plantation to Lafayette's Alexandre Mouton House, these homes have been an integral part of Louisiana, some from the periods of French and Spanish rule. Butler carefully describes each structure's architectural uniqueness and relates the home's significance. She notes private and public plantations and includes updated contact information, all organized by driving tours. This revised edition reflects recent restorations and includes a new section showcasing the homes in New Orleans' Garden District.

Since 1950, Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort has been celebrated as a family-run, family-loved destination. It is the closest snow to the San Francisco Bay Area and the Central Valley. Many generations have learned to ski and snowboard on these slopes. There are multiple runs for all levels within the ski area and breathtaking views to enjoy with each turn. Ski legends have been and still are instructors here. An Olympian was raised here. Many people have called Dodge Ridge their happy place and a second home. It is a unique resort that is mighty in the hearts of outdoor enthusiasts. Now it is a year-round destination that includes mountain biking, hiking, and disc golf as the owners continue to expand family fun and fond memories. Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort operates in the Stanislaus National Forest under a special use permit from the US Forest Service.

Tricia O’Brien is also the author of San Francisco’s Bayview Hunter’s Point, San Francisco’s Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights, San Francisco Giants, and Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village. Through photographs and stories from locals, O’Brien shows the resort’s evolution from raw forest land to a year-round recreation playground.

Truly a frontier town when it was founded in 1839, Iowa City was created to become the new capital of Iowa Territory.

With the arrival of the railroad in 1855, growth was rapid, and the establishment of the University of Iowa in 1847 meant that town and gown literally grew up together. Industry thrived in the late 1800s. Included were the manufacture of linseed oil, corn glucose, and vanilla extracts; the production of glassware, gloves, and jewelry; and the assembly of small farm machinery. A resurgence took place in the 1950s, beginning with the establishment of a Procter and Gamble plant. Meanwhile, artists and innovators flourished. Variously called an “Athens of the West,” a UNESCO City of Literature, and the “Greatest Small City for the Arts,” Iowa City continues to attract new families, university faculty and researchers, business people, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, and retirees who find world-class medical care and enough sports, arts, and entertainment for all to enjoy.

Round Top’s African American pioneers came into Texas in 1825 when Stephen F. Austin brought in 300 Anglo-Americans, and the people they enslaved, for the purpose of colonizing the area. Soon afterward, more slaves were bought in from other slaveholding states. After the Civil War ended, the descendants of these original Round Top pioneers began building their own community. Many earned money by toiling away in the cotton fields for the very men who had once enslaved them. Others earned money working as cowboys, washerwomen, barbers, or blacksmiths. In 1867, the group founded the Concord Missionary Baptist Church as a communal space for them to come together and pool their resources to buy their own land, build their own homes, and hire teachers, which led to the creation of the Concord Missionary Baptist Church Colored School. For generations, this school successfully educated freedmen, their children, and their descendants before finally closing its doors due to desegregation. Despite many challenges, they overcame obstacles that grew into a prosperous community. 

Join author Carol Matthews on a galloping romp through the long history of Florida's cracker horses and cattle.

The first horses and cattle to set foot on the North American continent stepped onto Florida land, brought by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon in 1521 just south of present day Fort Myers. The animals were abandoned, formed wild herds and would be used by different groups for food, work, trade and transportation for the next 500 years. Cattle ranching was born when Jesuit and Franciscan Friars, also known as missionaries, set up a system of missions across north and north-central Florida. The largest ranch was Rancho de la Chua, located on what is now Paynes Prairie in Alachua County. As a result of this increase in cattle production, Florida rancheros began to sell cattle to Cuba. This was the first industry to develop in the New World and would continue for the next three hundred years. By the 1960s there were only a handful of pure cracker cattle and horses left. But herds were established on state lands, preserving a living link to Florida's past.

Since pioneer filmmakers arrived on its shoreline in the early 20th century, the Santa Monica beach has been a popular location for the making of movies and television productions. Its enchanting beauty led studio moguls, producers, and celebrities to build beach houses there, creating what became known as “Hollywood’s Playground.” The sand and shore of the Santa Monica beach became a favored site for the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Marion Davies, William Randolph Hearst, and Cary Grant. It was on this beach that the Academy Awards were conceived, the movie The Wizard of Oz sprang forth, and a young Pres. John F. Kennedy stunned beachgoers with a surprise ocean swim without the protection of Secret Service agents. In 1962, the beach became the center of the universe as the site of President Kennedy’s “Western White House,” where the visitors included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Marilyn Monroe, and—famously—“anyone who was anyone.”

When the world comes to Tennessee, the world is going to have a good time.

Once referred to as the scruffy little city by the Tennessee River, Knoxville hosted the world’s fair from May 1 through October 31, 1982, and provided one big party for people to visit from all over to witness the live entertainment, parades, displays, exhibits, musical and sporting events, food, costumes, rides, games, and arcades. Based on the theme “Energy Turns the World,” Expo ’82 was the first world’s fair to be held in the southeastern United States in 97 years, hosting 22 countries and more than 11 million people. The news reports of the day declared the World Came to Knoxville as it hosted the official international exposition, fully licensed and sanctioned by the Bureau des Expositions Internationales in Paris, France.

Chronicling the devastating Strand Theatre Fire of 1941 and celebrating the community's heroes and resilience in the face of adversity.

On March 10, 1941, at 12:38 a.m., the Brockton Fire Department responded to Fire Alarm Box 1311, which was pulled for a fire at the Strand Theatre. Fire Alarm dispatched the deputy chief, three engine companies, a ladder company and Squad A. Within six minutes, a second alarm was struck. Less than one hour after the first alarm, the roof of the Strand collapsed, and what appeared to be a routine fire turned into a disaster that killed 13 firefighters and injured more than 20 others. The disaster marks one of the largest losses of life to firefighters from a burning building collapse in the United States.

New York City, one of the world's premier urban centers, is also home to the world's most famous and storied municipal law enforcement service: the NYPD.

Policing in New York is as old as the city itself, although much has changed since the first Dutch rattle watch patrolled streets in the 1620s. Technological improvements, advancing professional standards, and historical moments like the 1898 consolidation of New York City and the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, have each profoundly changed the way New York City police officers do their jobs. Still, as New York City Police emphasizes, certain elements of the job remain true through the decades and centuries. Being a police officer in New York City has always involved a certain amount of danger, sacrifice, and public coordination.

Take a nonstop journey through 131 years of the Western Maryland Railway's history in this photographic tale.

The Western Maryland Railway was never a large Class 1 rail carrier, but during its 131 colorful years of existence, it provided extremely fast, efficient, and reliable freight; coal-hauling; and passenger service in the states it served. This book contains images from the history of this remarkable railroad and also provides the reader the opportunity to see how the legacy of the Western Maryland Railway is being maintained and remembered even today at some of its well-known train stations, such as in Cumberland and Union Bridge, Maryland, now home to the Western Maryland Railway Historical Society (WMRHS). The Western Maryland is now gone, but through the wonderful images captured and preserved by the WMRHS and private archival photograph collections, the dream of the railway will live on.

In early twentieth-century New York, few could have imagined a train terminal as grandiose as Pennsylvania Station.

Sandhogs would battle the fiercest of nature to build tunnels linking Manhattan to New Jersey and Long Island. For decades, Penn Station was a center of elegance and pride. But the ensuing rise of the airplane and automobile began to diminish train travel. By the mid-1960s, the station was tragically destroyed. The loss inspired the birth of preservation laws in the city and the nation that would save other landmarks like Grand Central. Author Paul Kaplan recounts the trials and triumphs of New York’s Penn Station.

A look into one of America's most beloved amusement parks and the story behind the historic Cedar Point.

In 1870, Louis Zistel began ferrying passengers from Sandusky to the Cedar Point Peninsula's beer garden and sandy beaches. In 1888, the Grand Pavilion was built, housing a massive theatre, bowling alley, photographic studio, and kitchen, and shortly thereafter, the resort's first roller coaster was installed. George Boeckling transformed the resort into a self-sufficient city and amusement park, but the park suffered badly in the 1930s economic depression. However, after Cedar Point changed hands several times in the 1950s, it became one of America's leading amusement parks. Today, the park is best known as the world's largest amusement park and the Roller Coaster Capital of the World.

A fun-filled and nostalgic exploration of Polynesian Pop in the Motor City

When the South Sea craze swept over the nation in the mid-twentieth century, the wave of island-themed décor and tropical cocktails did not pass by Detroit. The Tropics and Club Bali offered a warming escape from dreary Midwest winters. At its completion in 1967, the Mauna Loa was the most expensive restaurant built east of the Mississippi. With its lush interior and celebrity patrons, it did not disappoint. The Chin Tiki, with its exquisitely handcrafted features, was no less an exceptional destination. Even today, long after the Polynesian craze faded, a new generation has taken up the tiki torch and brought island flavor and flair back to the city.

Join author Renee Tadey on a sweeping journey through the tiki destinations of Detroit.

Since their creation thousands of years ago, the Niagara Falls have captured the hearts and imaginations of all those who witness their endless power and strength.

As settlers arrived and began to harness the falls as a resource, the population climbed. Small hamlets, including Bellevue, Clarksville, Schlosser, and Manchester, grew to become the villages of Suspension Bridge and Niagara Falls, which were incorporated in March 1892 into the current city of Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls: 1850–2000 depicts the natural beauty of the falls, the emergence of the booming tourism trade, and the advances of electrical technology that have relied on the mighty falls' power. Many hands have crafted and bent steel to span the Niagara Gorge while many others fought to keep industry from turning nature into asphalt. Culled from the archives of the Niagara Falls Public Library's Local History Department, these images represent the people, from those stepping close to the brink in amazement and awe to those who live and work within the roar of Niagara Falls, and places that make up the landscape that is Niagara's past.

Author Amy Petulla uncovers the curious case that left two men dead and the incredible story still surrounded by controversy, speculation and myth.

In 1982, Tony West and Avery Brock made a visit to notorious Corpsewood Manor under the pretense of a celebration. They brutally murdered their hosts. Dr. Charles Scudder and companion Joey Odom built the castle in the woods in the Trion forest after Scudder left his position as professor at Loyola. He brought with him twelve thousand doses of LSD. Rumors of drug use and Satanism swirled around the two men. Scudder even claimed to have summoned a demon to protect the estate. The murders set the stage for a trial vibrant with local lore.

Northern Vermont played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. While the larger campaigns such as the Taking of Fort Ticonderoga, the Quebec Invasion of 1775 and The Battle of Valcour Island have received appropriate historical attention, there were other vital actions in the area as well.

Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Franklin spent significant time in the Champlain Valley. George Washington kept a keen eye on events in the region as raiding parties descended upon numerous Vermont communities. The isolated waters of Missisquoi Bay were as vital as any waterway in America, and the Lake Champlain islands were some of the most strategic territory in the thirteen colonies.

Author and local historian Jason Barney exposes the details and explores how small towns were impacted by invading British armies from Quebec.

The Savannah River Plant, now known as the Savannah River Site (SRS), served a critical role in providing nuclear materials for national defense during the Cold War.

After the Soviet Union successfully detonated an atomic bomb in 1949, the race to develop the hydrogen bomb began with the construction of a tritium and plutonium production plant in rural South Carolina. This 1950s government project displaced a total of nearly 6,000 people, and the arrival of plant workers into the area forever changed the culture and economy of the surrounding Aiken and Augusta communities. The Savannah River Plant marked a new era of technological innovations and scientific advances that shaped the future not only of South Carolina but the entire nation.

Still an active Department of Energy facility today, the Savannah River Site provides national security through contemporary missions. The Savannah River Site Museum shares these photographs to connect SRS employees, retirees, and the general public to a local story with national impact.

The first known Jewish resident of the Mexican Pueblo de Los Ángeles arrived in 1841.

When California entered the Union in 1850, the census listed just eight Jews living in Los Angeles. By 1855, the fledgling city had a Hebrew Benevolent Society and a Jewish cemetery. The first Jewish congregation and kosher market were established in 1862. Meanwhile, Jewish merchants and business owners founded banks, fraternal orders, charities, athletic clubs, and social service organizations. Jewish property owners developed vast areas of Los Angeles and beyond into the neighborhoods and cities we know today. By 1897, the city’s Jewish population was large enough to support its own newspaper. The 20th century brought waves of Jewish immigrants and migrants to Los Angeles, where they built the motion picture and television industries, Cedars-Sinai and City of Hope medical centers, the Jewish Home for the Aging, urban and suburban synagogues and Jewish centers, and other institutions. The foundations laid by these enterprising pioneers helped transform Los Angeles into a major metropolis.

Jonathan L. Friedmann, director of the Jewish Museum of the American West and president of the Western States Jewish History Association, brings together images from the association’s archives, exhibits from the museum, and articles from 50 years of the quarterly journal Western States Jewish History.

Early Icons and Landmarks

As western migration came to the Colorado frontier, forts were established to protect the settlers. These forts were intertwined with the lives of the frontiersmen. Scout Thomas Tate Tobin oversaw the workers who built the adobe fortress known as Fort Garland. Here, Tobin delivered the heads of the murderous Espinosas gang to Colonel Sam Tappan. Fort Sedgwick, originally known as Camp Rankin, was attacked by the Cheyenne Dog soldiers, including George Bent. Fort Lyon, an expanded fortress of William Bent’s third fort, became the staging point for Colonel John M. Chivington’s march to Sand Creek where peaceful Cheyenne were murdered. Later, Christopher “Kit” Carson died in the fort’s chapel. Legendary Jim Beckwourth was associated with both Fort Vasquez and Fort Pueblo. Author Linda Wommack revisits the glory and the mistakes of the frontiersmen who defined Colorado and the forts that dotted the wild landscape.

Join William Gilmore Simms in this unparalleled look at the life of Francis Marion aka “The Swamp Fox”.

South Carolina's Swamp Fox, Francis Marion, is one of the most celebrated figures of the American Revolution. Marion's cunning exploits in the Southern theater of the Revolution earned him national renown and a place in history as an American hero and master of modern guerilla warfare. Although dozens of works have been written about Marion's life over the years, this biography -- written by William Gilmore Simms, South Carolina's greatest author -- remains the best. First published in 1844, The Life of Francis Marion was Simms's most commercially successful work of nonfiction. It offers a treatment of Marion's life that is unparalleled in its scope and accuracy, all in Simms's inimitable style.

The Philadelphia Phillies, one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, have maintained a strong, loyal fan base for over 125 years.

Despite historic set backs, the franchise has proven resilient and evolved into a perennial contender with consistently large attendance figures. In fact, the Phillies claim 37 Hall of Famers, two World Series championships, seven National League pennants, and nine division titles. The Philadelphia Phillies chronicles the greatness of Grover Cleveland Alexander, the remarkable career of Richie Ashburn, the perfection of Jim Bunning, and the teams of success and luster as well as those shining stars of the less successful eras.

Track the history of the Chicago Great Western Railway through vintage images in this volume authored by David J. Fiore Sr.

The Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW) was a Midwestern line that operated in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska. Although this territory was served by much larger systems, the CGW was able to retain its share of passenger and freight business for 83 years through aggressive management, dedicated employees, innovations, and efficient operations. By the early 1960s, however, the growth of the trucking industry and airlines had taken away a substantial amount of the business previously handled by railroads. The CGW would not survive as operating costs increased while revenues declined. The only solution was to consolidate with another railroad, and a favorable agreement was reached with the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW). At 12:01 a.m. Monday, July 1, 1968, the CGW ceased to exist, as it became part of the C&NW. Since that time, much of the system has been abandoned, and today only a few segments of former CGW trackage remain in service. This book provides nostalgic images and photographs of the operations, employees, locomotives, and stations of a little railroad that is now only a memory.

On the afternoon of April 9, 1865, some 16,000 Union troops launched a bold, coordinated assault on the three-mile-long line of earthworks known as Fort Blakeley, a story captured here in thrilling detail.

The charge was one of the grand spectacles of the Civil War, the climax of a weeks-long campaign that resulted in the capture of Mobile—the last major Southern city to remain Confederate hands. Historian Mike Bunn takes readers into the chaos of those desperate moments along the waters of the storied Mobile-Tensaw Delta. With a crisp narrative that also serves as a guided tour of Alabama’s largest Civil War battlefield, the book pioneers a telling of Blakeley’s story through detailed accounts from those who participated in the harrowing siege and assault.

"There is enough detail to give the reader a clear understanding of the war in the far west, which tends to be a forgotten subject."--Civil War Courier

Did you know that eleven days before Fort Sumter, South Carolina, was fired upon, the Civil War had already begun in Texas?

The Civil War in the West has not been the focus of much attention, but it was the location of fierce fighting and stormy conflicts. Not everyone wanted to secede from the Union, although between sixty and seventy thousand Texans volunteered to take up arms. Sam Houston, governor of the territory in 1861, opposed secession and was forced out after the legislature approved it. Texas troops proceeded to conquer the New Mexico Territory (all of the present-day states of New Mexico and Arizona) for the Confederacy.

The war was all the more difficult in the West, because they had a unique problem: defending themselves from hostile Native Americans and Mexican bandits while also fighting the Federal forces. Many skirmishes were fought against those enemies.

This exciting volume tells all about the war in Texas and New Mexico Territory: the intense combat, the brilliant strategies, and the heroic soldiers who fought for their homeland.

Cleveland’s neighborhood taverns are more than just places to grab a drink—they’re snapshots of the city’s history, rich with tales of community, celebration and even scandal.

Built by hardworking immigrants chasing the American Dream, these taverns were where workers cashed their paychecks, swapped stories, celebrated victories and sometimes witnessed late-night crimes. Family-run bars were often passed down through generations, becoming intertwined with the ever-changing face of the city. Although many did not survive the 1960s and ’70s, their memory lives on.

Native Clevelander and founder of My Cleveland History Tom Kaschalk honors the legendary watering holes that shaped Cleveland’s communities, hosted vibrant music scenes and served as the backdrop to both good times and life-changing events.

The broad valley of Jackson Hole and the ridges and slopes around what would become Jackson, Wyoming, had long been a crossroads to the region’s Indigenous peoples when fur trappers arrived in the early decades of the 19th century and made Jackson Hole a lynchpin of their continental commerce. Many came and went, but some stayed, with a settlement taking form near the banks of Flat Creek at the base of East Gros Ventre Butte. Small-scale cattle ranching formed the first economic base of this frontier town, but before long, the valley’s incomparable elk herds drew market hunters, game wardens, and hunting guides. Jackson became a ski town with turn-of-the-20th-century cross-country skiing, the 1920s and 1930s development of Mount Snow King, and the 1960s opening of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. These years saw the development of an authentic Western skiing culture and demonstrated Jackson’s pivot from sleepy frontier town to major logistical hub for recreational visitors. Two beloved national parks just to the north added to the flow of visitors as postwar prosperity funded new road trips and mountain vacations. 

Notable Quotations from Barack Obama

This pocket-sized hardcover book contains dozens of quotations on life, government, politics, culture and more from America’s forty-fourth president, Barack Obama. 

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - Barack Obama, Speech to Supporters, February, 5, 2008.

The most trusted and prominent knife makers in the US, the history and background of W.R. Case & Sons is examined here with personal stories and photographs

In 1905, John Russell Russ Case brought the fledgling W. R. Case & Sons Company to Bradford, and it dominated the knife industry for the next century. From kitchen, hunting, and pocket knives to the V-42 Stiletto carried by U.S. Army soldiers in World War II, Case knives have been not only a tool but also a trusted companion for generations. Still handcrafted in Bradford, Case knives are the most collected knives in the world. W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company contains photographs of Russ Case and his family, the factory, special knives, Case collector events, and even the Case car. Rare finds from the Case archives, employees, and family members help chronicle the company's incredible history.

Join author and Louisiana historian Eric J. Brock on a visual tour of the most captivating New Orleans burial sites -  above ground!

The mysticism of cemeteries is inescapable and the cemeteries of New Orleans are no exception. They have long enticed residents and visitors alike with their beauty and rich history. We are intrigued by the way these sacred cities of the dead have the ability to both fascinate and unnerve us at the same time. Within these final resting places lie many personal histories marked by myriad monuments ranging from grand architectural homages to endearing sculptures and simple gravestones. In New Orleans, the cemeteries are unique in that they are primarily built above ground. Done in part because of the city's location below sea level, this type of burial is also a common practice rooted in the area's Latin culture tradition. Witness this for yourself with over 200 photographs accompanied by an illuminating narrative of some of the most intriguing burial sites of the Crescent City.

A traveler’s guide through the history and historic sites of the Motor City. 

The auto heritage of Detroit, Michigan, is known worldwide, but this fascinating city’s history runs much deeper. Step inside the tiny recording studio where Berry Gordy, a young entrepreneur who faced tremendous prejudice, created a music empire that broke down racial barriers.

Tour Art Deco masterpieces so spectacular they're called “cathedrals” to commerce and finance. Walk in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Cobo Hall, where he first delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Join Karin Risko for an intimate tour of the city that put the world on wheels and discover an amazing history of innovation, philanthropy, social justice and culture.

Offering a panoramic view of present-day Pittsburgh, Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines attract pedestrians traveling from the river's shore to the top of Mount Washington.

These inclines were completed in 1870 and 1877 by real estate speculators hoping to capitalize on undeveloped land at the top of Coal Hill, a name given due to its many coal mines. Housing in the valleys and other low-lying areas could not accommodate the influx of new residents following the Civil War. Using technology perfected to haul coal from mines, the region's first inclined railroads, or funiculars, carried people and goods and formed a part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. By 1900, inclines were an integral part of the city's identity. During the early decades of the 20th century, however, automobiles and trucks made access to Pittsburgh's hilltops relatively easy. Before the automobile, there were at least 15 inclines in Pittsburgh. Today, there are two: the Monongahela and Duquesne Inclines.

As 1753 came to a close, European empires were set on a collision course for a triangular piece of land known as the Forks of the Ohio.

The valuable patch of land, now known as Point State Park, is located at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers; the navigable waterways were valuable to the French to complete their control of the Ohio Valley as the British looked to create a center for their booming fur trade and westward expansion. Former soldier turned trader William Trent set out for the untamed wilderness to stake Britain’s claim, and he would build the first fort to form the humble beginnings of Pittsburgh and to set the stage for the French and Indian War. Author Jason A. Cherry details the history of William Trent and Pittsburgh’s forgotten first outpost.

The stars were in alignment to transform the isolated hamlet of White Oak Flats into the major tourist destination that Gatlinburg is today.

Settlers arrived at the end of the 18th century to farm, and a community emerged. When the ladies of the Pi Beta Phi Women's Fraternity established a school in Gatlinburg in 1912, the mountain people learned they had the skills to produce marketable, handmade items. With interest in a national park developing in the 1920s, people began to visit the area to buy handcrafts and to enjoy the scenery. Enterprising residents then built hotels and shops to accommodate them. Today, Gatlinburg supports approximately 11,000 people with an active chamber of commerce, a prize-winning community center, an outstanding public school system, a national art education center, and a nationally known public library.

Tour the camps, learn stories of the daily lives of the POWs, and discover the impact they had on the Old Dominion.

During World War II, Virginians watched as German and Italian prisoners invaded the Old Dominion. At least 17,000 Germans and countless Italians lived in over twenty camps across the state and worked on five military installations. Farmers hired POWs to pick apples. Fertilizer companies, lumber yards, and hospitals hired them. At first a phenomenon of war in Virginia’s backyard, these former enemy combatants became familiar to many--often developing a rapport with their employers. Among them were die-hired Nazis and Fascists, but they benefited from double standards that placed them in better jobs and conditions than African Americans.

Historians Kathryn Coker and Jason Wetzel tell a different story of the Old Dominion at War.

Nothing epitomized the glamour and excitement of Chicago’s jazz age and war years like the fabled Edgewater Beach Hotel.

Much more than a hotel, the Edgewater Beach was a world unto itself—the only urban resort of its kind in the nation. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan on Chicago’s North Side, it offered swimming, golf, tennis, dancing, theater, fine dining, exclusive shopping, fabulous floor shows, unique watering holes, and, of course, some of the best jazz and swing music of its era. It even had its own pioneering radio station, which broadcasted across the nation and burnished its fame. Many of the legends of the big band era played its stages, and many of Hollywood’s leading stars crossed its footlights. It was a stomping ground for both the rich and famous as well as ordinary people who wanted a small taste of the high life. The Edgewater Beach Hotel was world renowned. But the social upheaval of the 1960s, the ascendance of automobile culture, and rapid urban change led to its demise.

Authors John Holden and Kathryn Gemperle are longtime students of Chicago history and board members of the Edgewater Historical Society. The society’s vast collection of materials on the Edgewater Beach Hotel provided the foundation for this unprecedented look back at one of the crowning glories of Chicago’s halcyon days of the 20th century.

Chicago has long been regarded as home to some of the world's most impressive architecture.

Responding to the Great Fire of 1871, Chicagoans rebuilt the city, creating a radically new architectural style. Chicago continued to grow and evolve through the 20th century, but many of its architectural masterpieces have been lost, some to modernization, and others simply to the ravages of time. Forgotten Chicago preserves the unique story of many of Chicago's famed architectural wonders. Included are the old Northwestern Train station, the Coliseum, the Chicago Stadium, old Comiskey Park, and Soldier Field. Many of the smaller treasures of the city will also be found here, including some of Chicago's most famous diners.

The saga of The Montana Stranglers in Dakota Territory embodies the violence and vigilantism of the Old West

In the early 1880s, desperate characters left over from the fur trade began robbing arriving settlers in the wilderness of Eastern Montana and Northwestern Dakota Territory. Gangs of horse thieves sprang out of camps from the Musselshell in Montana, along the Missouri into Dakota Territory, up into Mouse River-Dogden Butte country and ending at Turtle Mountain. Cattlemen and homesteaders formed vigilance committees, including Granville Stuart’s Montana Stranglers, resulting in the violent death of fifty-four people from September 1883 to December 1884. They weren’t all guilty and there were probably more. Author Ron Berget shares this thoroughly researched, true story of the Montana Stranglers’ bloody pursuits throughout the northern plains.

The Beginnings of the Volunteer State

Tennessee was a remote place in 1810. By 1850, some of the most influential people in America had come from Tennessee, such as Sequoyah, David Crockett, the filibuster William Walker and the slave trader Isaac Franklin. Learn about the state’s first steamboats and its initial telegraph message. Read newly discovered accounts from the Trail of Tears. Hop along the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad and relive the glory and tragedy. Author and columnist Bill Carey details these stories and more on early history in The Volunteer State.

Savannah's Historic District is a steadfast remant of the Old South that continues to amaze residents and visitor to this day.

Covering just less than two-and-a-half square miles, Savannah's air is still sweetened by the scent of tea olives and jasmine, her streets are still lined with the rich palettes of azaleas and camellias, and her people are generous and welcoming. Savannah has enchanted residents and visitors alike for more than two-and-a-half centuries with a rich architectural heritage and a remarkable natural beauty. Founded on February 12, 1733, by Gen. James E. Oglethorpe, Savannah has played an active role on the American stage, in times of war and hardship, as well as in times of peace and prosperity. The city's location at the mouth of the Savannah River created one of the largest seaports on the east coast, and her history is as colorful and varied as the numerous industries that made their way to her banks. Within these pages readers will visit Savannah's signature squares and parks, including Forsyth Park and Colonial Park Cemetery, as well as buildings long since vanished from the city's landscape, such as the old DeSoto Hotel and the City Market. Also showcased are some of Savannah's private homes and public buildings, such as the Telfair Museum of Art, the Chatham County Courthouses, and Christ Church, and such memorable events as the fire of 1889.