Midwest

Nestled in one of nature's most scenic spots and spread out on both banks of Rock River, Rockford has grown and developed to become one of the principal cities of the state of Illinois and the Midwest.

With its proliferation of trees, well-kept neighborhoods, and an extensive system of parks and museums, Rockford enjoys the distinction of being one of the most beautiful inland cities in America; it is also one of the state's leading industrial cities. In pictorial format, this book presents the story of Rockford, The Forest City. It is a story of progress, creativity, and achievement, which encouraged immigrant entrepreneurs to develop large industries from their innovative ideas. The story of this city needs no embellishment, and it is documented here with the belief that it will lead to a better appreciation of what Rockford is and what Rockford is to be.

Although its role has changed over the past few centuries, the Mississippi has always been important to those who lived along its banks. Indigenous peoples fished its waters and depended on the waterway for transportation. Explorers and traders traveled the river in hopes of conquering more land and obtaining wealth for their countries. Settlers moved close to take advantage of the rich farmland the river provided. All of these pursuits resulted in a trade industry that brought about a social and economic transformation, when news and goods made their way downriver and livelihoods were provided. In fact, the Mississippi River's economic and strategic value was so important that when Ulysses S. Grant won the siege of Vicksburg and control of the river during the Civil War, the Confederacy was dealt a serious blow. Today, although still used to transport goods, the river has taken on yet another identity: that of entertainer. Literature, pleasure boats, and floating casinos all showcase a new dimension of this magnificent river.

Cleveland's Little Italy's people, history and rebirth today can be found in these pages.

Developed in the late 19th century, Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood, on the city's east side, was peopled with Italian artisans and craftsmen, many of whom were drawn to jobs carving monuments for the nearby Lake View Cemetery. The compact area relied on the local parish, Holy Rosary; charitable institutions, such as Alta House; and the cohesiveness of the neighborhood to sustain itself. It also produced a number of interesting favorite sons, including Angelo Vitantonio, the inventor of the pasta machine; championship boxer Tony Brush; and Anthony Celebrezze, Cleveland mayor, federal judge, and secretary of health, education, and welfare under Pres. John F. Kennedy and Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson. The area continued to grow until after World War II, when residents graduated from the old neighborhood to Cleveland's eastern suburbs. During the last 20 years, however, Little Italy has experienced a rebirth, and today the area combines Old World charm with a vibrant art scene, new housing, and a host of popular restaurants.

Discover the stories behind historic Columbus neighborhoods and their engaging landmarks.

The community centers that locals call home aren't just points of interest but places that have shaped history beyond their communities and even Ohio. This encyclopedia of Columbus neighborhoods gives voice to the rich heritage residing in the bell towers, parks and streetscapes of Franklinton, German Village, King-Lincoln, Olde Town East, Short North and the University District. Along with WOSU's award-winning Columbus Neighborhoods series, Tom Betti, Doreen Uhas Sauer and Ed Lentz curate the stories tracing the lines from your neighborhood to the Manhattan Project, the Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln and the Tuskegee Airmen.

The origin of the name Southfield is not conclusively known, but it is surmised that the area gained its name because it was located in the “fields” south of Bloomfield Township. For much of its settled history, Southfield was a rural, agricultural community; however, that changed when Detroit experienced phenomenal growth in the early 20th century.

As Detroit’s borders strained to contain the influx of people and spurred by the development of the massive Northland Mall, Southfield rapidly developed in the mid-century. With its central location and connection to other major cities via the newly built John C. Lodge and Southfield Freeways, Southfield was also appealing to businesses. Fueled by the people and wealth flowing into the community, Southfield became an epicenter of the burgeoning Mid-Century Modern movement in architecture. Later, Southfield developed a reputation as a welcoming and tolerant place, and today, residents take pride in the highly diverse community.

Alton, Illinois, is a historic river town with a fascinating history. It was the home of multiple Native American tribes and later served as a busy river port. It played an important role in the Civil War and became a major industrial town. The end of the 20th century marked great changes as Alton lost much of its industrial base and population, although it was rejuvenated by new industry and commerce.

Michael Barr Mossman, a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, grew up in Alton. The main sources for this book are Robert K. Graul (longtime photographer for the Alton Telegraph) and the Hayner Public Library District.

Echoes of the past can be found in every corner of Monroe County.

Incredibly, the county has over a hundred lost towns across its fifteen townships. Some of these towns have notorious histories, such as the murderer who founded a village and the town that robbed its own citizens. Some succumbed to tragedy, including one that was swallowed up by the water and a resort town that disappeared. Others were simply absorbed by another state. Local historian and author of Hidden History of Monroe County, Michigan, Shawna Mazur collects the stories behind these vanished communities, revealing where these towns were located, how they grew and why they disappeared, often without a trace.

Nestled among northern Michigan's pine trees in Roscommon County is the state's largest inland lake, Houghton Lake.

Lumbermen made use of its 20,044 acres to move timber. They banked logs on the lake, the headwaters of the Muskegon River, during the winter cutting season and drove them downriver in the spring to southwestern lumber yards. As Houghton Lake's reputation for good fishing grew, visitors came to try their luck. By the mid-20th century, Houghton Lake became one of the most popular destinations in Michigan. Now, the area is known for its bars, resorts, and winter festival Tip-Up Town USA. Water sports, summer cottages, and nightlife still attract thousands of visitors from Lower Michigan and surrounding states today.

Door County is the home to numerous shipwrecks of pleasure craft and steamers, on a photographic journey of the treacherous waters and those they have claimed.

Door County is the final resting place of many shipwrecks, from the first Euro American ship to sail the western Great Lakes, LaSalle's fabled Griffin that left Washington Island in 1679 never to be heard of again, to modern-day pleasure crafts that find the shallow inlets and bays hard to navigate. Door Peninsula Shipwrecks takes the reader on a photographic journey around the peninsula and back to a time of wooden ships and iron men. From Sturgeon Bay to the east coast of the peninsula to the northern islands and Green Bay, the journey encompasses early wooden sail craft to steel steamers, the brave sailors who sailed the treacherous waters, and the heroic lifesavers who rescued them.

Discover a time when hydroplane racing captured the heart of the Detroit community in a way that has never been equaled.

Since the start of the 20th century, Detroit has been the hub of the motorized world. It was only natural that the powerful motors built in Detroit's huge factories eventually found their way into high-speed boats and that organized racing soon followed. Starting in 1916, Detroit became the center of powerboat racing. Names like Gar Wood, Chris Smith, and Horace Dodge dominated the sports pages of the 1920s and 1930s. Following World War II, racing in Detroit entered its golden era, led by local businessmen like Jack Schafer, Joe Schoenith and George Simon.

Baby Ruth, Milk Duds, Juicy Fruit, Cracker Jack, Milky Way, Tootsie Roll, Lemonheads - whatever your favorite candy may be, chances are it came from Chicago.

For much of its history, the city churned out an astonishing one third of all candy produced in the United States. Some of the biggest names in the industry were based in Chicago: Curtiss, Brach, Tootsie Roll, Leaf, Wrigley, and Mars. Along with these giants were smaller, family-based companies with devoted followings, such as fundraising specialist World's Finest Chocolate and the Ferrara Pan Candy Company, maker of Red Hots and Jaw Breakers. At its peak, the Chicago candy industry boasted more than 100 companies employing some 25,000 Chicagoans. This fascinating photographic history travels through more than 150 years of the candy tradeand explores its role in the growth and development of the city. Packed with vintage images of stores, factories, and advertisements, this mouth-watering book reveals how Chicago candy makers created strong bonds between people and their favorite treats.

Chicago was once the second-largest Bohemian city outside the Czech lands. The Czechs first settled, serendipitously, behind the notorious O'Leary barn.

Spared the Great Fire of 1871, they were displaced several blocks south by the ensuing land crush. There they built more permanent quarters in the community that became known as Pilsen, a neighborhood whose name and architecture survive to recall its Bohemian origins. The thriving Czechs soon began a century-long move westward from Lawndale to Cicero to Berwyn, and today they flourish across the western suburbs. From the desolation of the 1915 Eastland disaster, in which hundreds of victims were of Czech descent, to the triumphant Depression-era election of Czech-born mayor Antonín Cˇermák, Czechs of Chicagoland depicts how the Czech community and its great leaders, benevolent societies, and charitable and social organizations have shaped and continue to shape the course of Chicago's history.

A fascinating history of Park Ridge, Illinois, detailing its diverse community and past.

In 1835, immigrants began to arrive from New York and New England to the area first called Pennyville, later renamed Brickton to reflect its leading industry, then finally incorporated as the Village of Park Ridge in 1873. The name originates from the village's park-like setting and an erroneous belief that the ridge at Johnston's Circle—today the three-way intersection of Touhy, Prospect, and Northwest Highway—was the highest point in Cook County. Notable names associated with Park Ridge include Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and actor Harrison Ford, who both attended Maine East High School; Chicago Cubs great Ron Santo, who operated a popular pizzeria in town; and painter Grant Wood, whose American Gothic is one of the 20th century's great works of Americana. Anchored by the landmark Pickwick Theater, a fine example of art deco architecture built in 1928, downtown Park Ridge has changed much over the years, a transformation captured so well in the pages of this book.

Relive and discover the remarkable evolution and contribution of Jewish people of Chicago, from the 1840s to present day.

For many years Chicago had the third largest Jewishpopulation of any city in the world. Through the medium of historic photographs, this book captures the remarkable evolution of the Jewish people of Chicago, from their immigrant beginnings in the 1840s to their present-day communities. It is a story of the cultural, religious, economic, and everyday life of Chicago's Jews. These pages bring to life the people, events, neighborhoods, and institutions that helped shape and transform today's Jewish community. The photos and maps, culled from the author's and other collections, paint a vivid and informative picture of Chicago Jewry. In addition to recalling the early immigrant German and later Eastern European Jews, this book delves into Jewish neighborhoods including the West Side, South Side, North Side, suburban communities, and Maxwell Street, a neighborhood which produced such prominent Jews as musician Benny Goodman, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, Admiral Hyman Rickover, community organizer Saul Alinsky, and CBS founder William Paley. Chicago Jews have also made contributions to the city and the nation in the arts,commerce and industry, government service, entertainment, and labor, including seven Nobel prize winners. The images show Jews as peddlers and sweatshop workers as well as successful business entrepreneurs and professionals.

Often overshadowed by its larger neighbors, Monroe County offers a rich tapestry of history for those willing to look.

French-Canadian settlers left behind legends of monsters, ghosts, and witches. In war time, the community answered the call to arms with more soldiers per capita than any other county in the nation and proved a suitable hometown to take refuge between gun shots from none other than George Armstrong Custer. Like most communities, its sordid past reveals crimes and tragedies—including body snatching. More recently, a partial nuclear meltdown brought the city to the brink of disaster, but Monroe not only survived but now thrives.

Join local author Shawna Lynn Mazur for a trip through little-known and forgotten parts of Monroe County’s past.

Ottawa and Pottawatomi Indians called Muskegon home at least 200 years before Jean Baptiste Recollect opened his trading post in 1836. Michigan's abundant forests created the logging industry.

Lumber mills flourished as the Muskegon River and Lake Michigan provided easy transport. The city was called the Lumber Queen, and it was said that Muskegon lumber built Chicago. The lumber barons' influence is still felt. Charles Hackley's name graces a major street, park, library, and hospital, and the local hockey team is called the Lumberjacks. Shipping followed, with Brunswick, Sealed Power, and Continental Motors among the industrial heavyweights. Residents have also appreciated cultural pursuits. The famed Actors' Colony, founded by the Keaton family, is where Buster honed his vaudeville skills before hitting the big time. Max Gruber's Oddities of the Jungle act featured an elephant that rode a tricycle and bowled. Former area residents include M*A*S*H star Harry Morgan, astronaut David Leetsma, two Miss Americas, singers Iggy Pop and Wayne Static, and sports greats Earl Morrall, Bobby Grich, and Nate McLouth. Snowboarding began here but was called snurfing (snow surfing).

In nearly 200 rarely seen photographs and vintage postcards, discover Cincinnati as you've never seen it before.

Since its inception in 1788, Cincinnati has evolved from a brawling pioneer town to a thriving Midwest metropolis, experiencing rapid growth and unprecedented social and technological change. Highlighted in this volume are the city's spectacular architectural achievements, its centers of culture and learning, its hubs of industry and transportation, its legendary sports tradition, its diverse neighborhoods, and, above all, the spirit of its citizenry. Through these striking images, together with the insightful text, authors Kevin Grace and Tom White take the reader on a unique visual tour of this historic river city. It is a tour well worth taking.

Here is the black Chicago family album, of African Americans leaving the violent, racist South and goin' to Chicago to find the American Dream.

The story of black Chicago is so rich that few know it all. It began long before the city itself. Wells, the Eighth Regiment, Jesse Jackson, Oprah, and much more . . . including a guy named Obama. The first white man here was a black man, Potowatami natives reportedly said about Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, the brown-skinned man recognized as Chicago's first non-Indian settler. It's all here: from the site of DuSable's cabin—now smack-dab in the middle of Chicago's Magnificent Mile—to images of famous and infamous residents like boxers Jack Johnson, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Louis. Here are leaders and cultural touchstones like Jesse Binga's bank, Robert S. Abbott's Chicago Defender, legendary filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, Ida B. Here is the black Chicago family album, of folks who made and never made the headlines, and pictures and stories of kinship and fellowship of African Americans leaving the violent, racist South and goin' to Chicago to find their piece of the American Dream. Chicago has been called the Second City, but black Chicago is second to none.

Northern Michigan Asylum, which opened in 1885, was known during most of its years as Traverse City State Hospital. More than 200 photographs and images are provided, including many of the features and buildings long gone.

It was run during its first decades by Dr. James Decker Munson, who left his legacy in the landscaped grounds and the medical center that today bears his name. Traverse City State Hospital served the mental health needs of a large part of Michigan for 104 years until its closure in 1989, housing a population as large as 3,000 in its many buildings.This book traces the history of this great institution, from the local and mental health context in which it was founded, through its growth, development, and decline, and finally to its renovation and preservation as a vital part of the Traverse City community.

A History Lover's Guide to Milwaukee offers something for visitors and lifelong residents alike.

Often described as a "big small town,'? Milwaukee's quirky character stems from its many neighborhoods--each with its own stories to tell. Early territorial disputes, for example, led to the horribly (or humorously) misaligned streets of downtown. The city's signature rectangular pizza was born in the Third Ward. In Kilbourntown, Teddy Roosevelt was saved from an assassin's bullet by the smallest of items. Not far from that spot, eight baseball team owners formed the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs. And no matter the neighborhood, a fantastic glass of suds is never far away in this renowned beer city.

Leading readers on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood tour, author and Milwaukee native Jim Nelsen pinpoints the fascinating historic locations of the Cream City.

Unearth the history behind northern Ohio's best treasure tales, from sunken ships to misplaced spoils of war. Perfect for fans of historical mysteries and legends.

Encounter a cast of characters as rich as any secret hoard, such as the notorious gangster John Dillinger, who left a trail of robbed banks, dead bodies and buried loot across the northwest stretch of the state. Read about the disaster that befell the G.P. Griffith, the tragic massacre of a family for money and the Ohio counterfeiters who plagued the nation. But tread cautiously in your treasure hunt—Mad Anthony Wayne'sgold is said to be jealously guarded by a dark, ghostly figure.

Author Wendy Koile is a lifelong resident of Ohio. In 2012 she published her first book, Geneva on the Lake: A History of Ohio's First Summer Resort. When not writing or traveling, Koile teaches at Zane State College. Koile founded her own treasure hunting club, First Glass Gals.

Befitting its role as Wisconsin's thumb, Door County has its own unique pulse. It is the Door of the Dead, which some historians blame for more shipwrecks than any other body of freshwater in the world.

It is also the idyllic paradise north of the tension line, that sends many unsuspecting tourists spiraling into an addiction that lands them in a summer home. The variety of nature's splendors and terrors is matched by the cast of characters that has risen up among them. In Door County Tales, these characters are given free rein, which seems only proper in a place where one might walk out of a restaurant and see goats grazing on the roof.

Home to Chicago's Polish Village, impressive examples of architecture, and the legendary Olson Waterfall, Avondale is often called the neighborhood that built Chicago.

Images of America: Avondale and Chicago's Polish Village sheds light on the little known history of the community, including its fascinating industrial past. From its beginnings as a sleepy subdivision started by a Michigan senator, it became a cultural mecca for Chicago's Polish community, playing a crucial role in Poland's struggles for independence. Many people from all over the world also called Avondale home, such as Scottish proprietors, African American freedmen, Irish activists, Swedish shopkeepers, German tradesmen, Jewish merchants, Filipino laborers, and Italian entrepreneurs; a diversity further enriched as many from the former Soviet Bloc and Latin America settled here. Avondale would be unrecognizable today from its humble origins, but the strong sense of community these neighbors have will never change.

A town transformed by the American railroad system, Danville, Illinois's rich history is displayed through a collection of images throughout the centuries.

Named after early pioneer and fur trapper Dan Beckwith, Danville was a dream realized when the first town lots were auctioned on April 10, 1827. The town grew, especially after the iron horse made its way into the area. The railroad opened the doors to Danville's rich manufacturing potential, and the town expanded. Serving as the Vermilion County seat, Danville has undergone many changes in the last 70 years. Although the focus of its economy has changed, the days of General Motors, Chuckles, General Electric, and many more businesses and industries that provided work and brought people to the county linger in memory. Employment provided a rich and full life upon which the heritage of Danville was built.

From the Lawrence Institute to hydroelectricity and paper, this Fox City's rich history is chronicled through vintage images.

Appleton's beginnings found their source at the Lawrence Institute, the university in the woods, on the Fox River. Rev. Henry Colman and Rev. William Sampson chose the bluff on the river for the site of the institute. Amos A. Lawrence donated $10,000, and the building began in July 1848. The city was made up of three villages: Martin (Grand Chute), Appleton, and Lawesburg. In 1857, the villages joined together to form the city of Appleton with Amos Story as its first mayor. Appleton's industry grew on the banks of the Fox River.

Warrensburg, Missouri illustrates the history of the city in more than 200 vintage images, detailing the faces, places, and events that have colored the town. The "healing waters" of Pertle Springs drew visitors from all around, and in 1870, Warrensburg would be made famous by a trial concerning a slain hunting dog, Old Drum.

Emerging from the former Indiana Territory, the state's early population was in need of education, health care, and social services to assist young families, the poor, the infirm, and the elderly. These needs were frequently met by Catholic religious orders, including the Benedictines, Sisters of Providence, Franciscans, Daughters of Charity, and other established organizations of dedicated religious men and women.

Discover how Over-the-Rhine's culture, politics and architecture have influenced Cincinnati's development for over 150 years.

Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhinecaptures a fascinating urban neighborhood in vintage photographs. Early German immigrants gave the neighborhood its moniker, after the bordering Miami-Erie canal, and also contributed to its beautiful architecture. Appalachian and African-American citizens later contributed to the cultural diversity. Today, a vibrant arts scene co-exists along with revitalizing social programs that aid its underprivileged residents. Over 200 images reveal Over-the-Rhine's urban characters, street life, and architectural landmarks, including Music Hall, Findlay Market and St. Mary's Church.

Detroit Free Press journalist Robert Allen sifts through these advertising fossils, exposing the gripping stories connected to the Motor City's historic rises, falls and eccentricities.

Across Detroit, fleeting symbols of the past hide in plain sight, behind weeds and under veneers of paint. Demolishing a vacant building among empty storefronts on the west side uncovered the telltale gold and green of a Vernors Ginger Ale sign, preserved almost as vibrantly as the artist intended. In faded red, white and blue, Mac-O-Lac Paint makes an expired pitch to passersby on Gratiot near Eastern Market. On the east side, Mohawk Rock and Rye still declares itself the World's Finest! Carhartt, Stroh's and Faygo appear in odd, deserted places.

Robert Sengstacke Abbott had a vision, purpose, and a slogan that said it all: American race prejudice must be destroyed.

In 1905, Abbott created the Chicago Defenderwith 25¢ and a dream in his landlady's kitchen. The Defender was a platform and voice for talents such as Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and W.E.B. DuBois. What began as a humble weekly grew into the largest and most influential Black newspaper in the country, inspiring roughly a million African Americans to leave the oppressive South for a better life in the North. Born in 1868 on the heels of the Reconstruction Era, Abbott—the son of former slaves—managed to influence the first two decades of the 20th century and was a major contributor to the prolific movement known as the Great Northern Migration. Boasting a circulation of over 300,000 nationally, the Defender was secretly delivered by Pullman porters across the United States. By 1920, the paper's tagline read, The World's Greatest Weekly. The story of the Defender is one of inspiration, struggle, triumph, and irreversible pathways being forged.

See how Akron, Ohio, rode the economic roller coaster but overcame several adversities and remained a major force in many industries.

Best known as the Rubber Capital of the World, Akron, Ohio, was a major player in varioius industries long before Benjamin F. Goodrich moved there in 1870. From humble canal town to global industry giant, Akron rode the economic roller coaster through the Depression, wars, strikes, and financial booms. As a major manufacturing center of everything from sewer pipe to matches to oatmeal, Akron lured prospective workers from other towns, states, and even countries. This lively mix of diverse cultures helped to create Akron's unique beauty and boundless spirit.

Akron, Ohio, examines this special blend of industry, culture, tight-knit neighborhoods, and high society through historic photographs and images - some of which have not been seen ... until now!

Unforgettable Vintage Images of an All-American City.

Once known as a brickyard town, the small town of Manteno holds a special place for not just Americans, but for French, Canadians, and Indigenous people as well.

Though the village of Manteno was only formed thanks to the Illinois Central Railroad in 1869, the area had been populated for generations before that - Manteno’s name derives from Mawteno, a Potawatomi maiden whose people lived in the area before the arrival of Europeans. Farming has always been a mainstay in Manteno, and its importance continues today, but Manteno’s boundaries widened as a mental hospital opened on its eastern border in 1930 and a major interstate sprang up on its western edge decades later. Part of the French-Canadian Heritage Corridor, it was common to hear French on the streets of Manteno well into the 20th century by many residents as well as by an order of nuns from Paris who chose Manteno for a Catholic boarding school - a school they operated for more than six decades. Among former Mantenoans is a man who won the “Grand Prize of the World” in 1900, a woman who canvassed for women’s rights legislation that swept the nation in the 19th century, and a family who left its mark on the history of American aviation.

Melanie Holmes’s paternal grandparents came to the area in the early 20th century; her maternal great-grandmother was a LeVasseur and linked to the founder of Bourbonnais—the village whose namesake was grandfather to Mawteno. Holmes collected images from top historians as well as from the Manteno Historical Society. Other images came from leading universities and institutions.

Eastern Michigan's vanished boomtowns and villages are uncovered and revisited in this fascinating look at the history of the lost settlements around Detroit and the Great Lakes.

Many of eastern Michigan's old boomtowns and sleepy villages are faded memories. Nature reclaimed the ruins of some while progress paved over the rest. Discover the stories of lost communities hidden in plain sight or just off the beaten track. The vanished religious colony of Ora Labora fell into a state of near-constant inebriation when beer became the only safe liquid to drink. Lake St. Clair swallowed up the unique currency of Belvidere along with the place that issued it. Abandoned towns still crumble within Detroit's city limits. Alan Naldrett delves into the fascinating history of eastern Michigan's lost settlements.

They made our cigars and our cars, but they also made Detroit their own. This is the history of Detroit's Polish community, Polonia.

More than a century has passed since the first Polish immigrants settled in Detroit. These pioneers left Poland for freedom of language and religion, and to own property, the American Dream that had talked about all over Europe. They replicated village life in the big city, living in close-knit neighborhoods anchored by the parish church. Polish immigrants made cigars, built railroad cars, molded stoves, established businesses and breweries, and eventually moved into the political arena. The struggles and triumphs of these early settlers are on display in the pages of Detroit Polonia, a photographic history that links future generations with their Polish heritage.

Join John R. Schmidt on a day-by-day look at some of Chicago's most fascinating lesser-known events.

Think you know Chicago? If you are thinking of Al Capone, the L, the Cubs, Barack Obama or the Great Fire of 1871, then you are remembering the highlights from the tour bus. Here's the rest of the story, day by day. Chicago opened the first blood bank, invented the vacuum cleaner and sent a bowling ball around the world. One high school football game drew 120,000 people. Chicagoans fought nineteen years over the name of a street. For fifty years, they saved a gallows for an escaped killer. And those are just some of the stories...

The Chicago Outfit, which evolved from the Capone gang at the end of Prohibition, became the most successful of the Cosa Nostra crime families in terms of enriching its members.

This was primarily due to the criminal abilities of two men, Paul Ricca and Tony Accardo, who were at the top of the organization for years. At its height in the 1960s, the Chicago Outfit was involved in gambling, labor racketeering, juice lending, prostitution, narcotics, and strong-arm activities such as hijacking and robbery. It did so by using violence and, since many of its activities were essentially out in the open, by corrupting numerous police officers and politicians. During the early 1960s, before the US government was fully up to speed on fighting organized crime, honest local politicians and members of law enforcement fought an uphill battle against it.

The discussion and photographs in this book, which are largely from author John J. Binder’s extensive personal collection, cover the many aspects of the Chicago Outfit during this decade when it was at its zenith, with operations in the Chicago area and elsewhere in the country.

Flint is a city full of legacies overshadowed by tragedy. Read the stories of the innovations and surprising elements of the city's past.

In the shadow of Flint's success as an industrial hub and the tragedy that is the water crisis that came to a head in 2014, the fascinating past of Flint has been largely forgotten. Local author Gary Flinn showcases the obscure and surprising elements of the Vehicle City's past, such as local Civil War hero Franklin Thompson who was actually Sarah Edmonds in disguise; the city's most prolific inventor, Lloyd Copeman, created the electric stove, flexible ice cube tray and automatic toaster; and even Thread Lake's Lakeside Amusement Park that offered seaplane rides and a giant roller coaster partly built over the water before closing in 1931. Flinn offers the reader the often-overlooked but fascinating history of Flint, including how the 2014 water crisis was a half century in the making.

Remember the favorites from Youngstown, Ohio in classic restaurants such as the MVR and the Boulevard, and other eateries that reflect a diverse and entrepreneurial history.

In Youngstown, Ohio take a tour of restaurants like the MVR and the Boulevard, which continue to reflect Youngstown's ethnic diversity and tenacious entrepreneurial spirit, as well as establishments like Overture, which offer a promise of urban renewal from a refurbished downtown. And raise your glass to the best-laid tables of a bygone era, from the Mural Room to the 20th Century.

Grosse Pointe documents the rich history of this Detroit community.

If Detroit was characterized as The Paris of the Midwest at the turn of the 20th century, then Grosse Pointe was the Riviera. There wealthy summer colonists, influential transplants from the bustle of the metropolis, founded private clubs where they could pursue polite pleasures and high society soirees away from the honky-tonk atmosphere of the area roadhouses which shared the shoreline of Lake St. Clair. Architecturally significant mansions on rambling estates soon replaced quaint French farm houses and gingerbread cottages. As the good times rolled, no one was willing to let a little thing like Prohibition spoil the fun! The fact that the residents' elegant yachts and ice boats had to share the waters with rumrunners and federal agents only added to the excitement of an area fast becoming one of America's premier suburban enclaves. This new publication successfully captures the magical spirit of the Pointes. With photographs from personal and public collections, the authors have painted a wonderful picture of what it was like to live in Grosse Pointe during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Discover the Chicago community that transformed into a decadent escape after the Great Chicago fire.

Known as the Village in the City, the Beverly/Morgan Park community developed as a country retreat for Chicago's social, political, and economic elite after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The area's geography also affected its development; a ridge formed by the last glacier to visit the area over 12,000 years ago placed the community at the highest elevation in the city and made it a perfect place to build large elaborate homes. With a section of the neighborhood designated as the Ridge Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, Beverly/Morgan Park instantly stands out as a unique area of the city because of its diverse architectural styles, notable history, and strong sense of community.

By 1900, one in four Chicagoans was either German born or had a German-born parent.

No other ethnic group's thumbprint has been larger in helping establish Chicago as a major economic and cultural center nor has any group's influence been more erased by the passage and vicissitudes of time. Lost German Chicago traces the mosaic of German life through the tumultuous events of the Beer Riots, Haymarket Affair, Prohibition, and America's entry into two world wars. The book is a companion piece to the Lost German Chicago exhibition debuting in the newly created DANK-Haus German American Cultural Center museum, located in what is still known today as the German town of the north side of Chicago. Entrusted as the caretaker of many archives, artifacts, and historical documents from many now defunct German organizations, the DANK-Haus German American Cultural Center has been committed to preserving history, traditions, and contributions of Germans and German Americans for over 50 years.

In vivid historical images and rare archival documents, see for yourself how Joliet became a quintessential American City.

Joliet once was a lush prairie bordered with scenic bluffs along the Des Plaines River. In the late 19th century, settlers and a large influx of Eastern European immigrants arrived, transforming the area into a bustling industrial community of steel, limestone, manufacturing, and transportation. In the 20th century, Joliet transformed itself from an industrial hub to a destination of entertainment and tourism. Tourism thrives as people visit the National Hot Rod Association drag strip, NASCAR track, two casinos, the JackHammers minor-league baseball team and baseball stadium, a water park, the historical museum, and library. Joliet depicts the rich cultural heritage impressed on the city and shows how the people lived and worked together, earning Joliet the title of All-American City in 1955 by the National Municipal League and Look magazine.

It is impossible to explore the history of Cincinnati without looking at the influence of German-Americans.

German Cincinnati is a pictorial history of the German-American experience in the Greater Cincinnati area: the people, places, and things that influenced that influenced this culturally rich city and made it what it is today. This book is a must-read for anyone with an interest in German-American or people Cincinnati history.

German immigrants first came to the region in the late 18th century and then arrived in great waves beginning in the early 19th century. These German American immigrants and their descendants have greatly influenced the social, political, cultural, religious, and economic growth and development of the area, earning Cincinnati a reputation for its German heritage. Today, nearly every other person in Cincinnati can trace some German lineage in their family tree. It is known as one of the corners in the famed German Triangle, along with St. Louis and Milwaukee. German Cincinnatians survived the hard times of the world wars of the last century, even experiencing an ethnic heritage revival that has reaffirmed the area's reputation as one of the major centers of German heritage in the United States today.

Join author Don Heinrich Tolzmann, curator of the German-Americana Collection and director of the German-American Studies Program at the University of Cincinnati, as he looks at the complex and prosperous history of German-Americans in Cincinnati.

The Mississippi River Festival began as a partnership promoting regional cooperation in the realm of the performing arts, since expanding into a festival of legendary status.

In 1969, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville initiated a remarkable performing arts series called the Mississippi River Festival. Over 12 summer seasons, between 1969 and 1980, the festival presented 353 events showcasing performers in a variety of musical genres, including classical, chamber, vocal, ragtime, blues, folk, bluegrass, barbershop, country, and rock, as well as dance and theater. During those years, more than one million visitors flocked to the spacious Gyo Obata-designed campus in the countryside near St. Louis. The Mississippi River Festival began as a partnership promoting regional cooperation in the realm of the performing arts. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville invited the St. Louis Symphony to establish residence on campus and to offer a summer season. To host the symphony, the university created an outdoor concert venue within a natural amphitheater by installing a large circus tent, a stage and acoustic shell, and a sophisticated sound system. To appeal to the widest possible audience, the university included contemporary popular musicians in the series. The audacity of the undertaking, the charm of the venue, the popularity of the artists, the excellence of the performances, and the nostalgic memory of warm summer evenings have combined to endow the festival with legendary status among those who attended.

This collection of over 200 images chronicles the life and times of this once fledgling township established in 1843, to its incorporation as a city in 1951, and on to its present day prosperity.

During the late 19th century, a small group of Frenchmen from the fort at Detroit settled north along the shore of Lake St. Clair at the mouth of the Milk River. Originally known as L'anse Creuse, this tiny settlement soon grew into a bustling farming community. Historian Arthur M. Woodford has compiled maps, photographs, and drawings to tell the story of this ""Village on the Lake."" Here the reader will find views of Lake St. Clair, the Milk River, and the many 19th century families and farms that fostered the growth of the area. Included are the stories of the infamous Blossom Heath Inn, Jefferson Beach Amusement Park, the grand Masonic Country Club, and the Interurban railway. Following World War Two, St. Clair Shores grew as part of the population boom of southeastern Michigan, and this once quiet village is now a modern suburban community of over 66,ooo residents.

Organized in 1819, Meigs County rests in the Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio along the beautiful Ohio River.

The land’s deep reservoirs of coal and salt provided early residents work in mines and in shipping the goods via steamboat and railroad. Local communities also nurtured talented scholars like James McHenry Jones and poets and writers such as James Edwin Campbell and Ambrose Bierce, as well as Dr. Brewster Higley VI, whose poetry inspired the American classic “Home on the Range.” The county is home to Ohio’s oldest standing courthouse in Chester and to Pomeroy, the only town in America with no cross streets. Join historians Jordan and Calee Pickens as they recount times of prosperity and hardship that have been engrained on the timeline of Meigs County.