Name: Offutt Air Force Base
Brand: Ben Justman
SKU: 9781467112710
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Offutt Air Force Base

9781467112710

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The year is 1888, and Pres. Grover Cleveland has just signed into law a bill that will lead to the establishment of Fort Crook. In 1948, that Army post gained a new name: Offutt Air Force Base. The history of Offutt Air Force Base is truly unlike that of any other military installation. In the face of adversity, it has overcome challenges during the United States' rise to global prominence, was active during the golden age of flight, and served as a wartime bomber plant. The base remained ever vigilant during the Cold War and continues to do so as a combatant of 21st-century threats. Its remarkable existence of nearly 125 years can serve as a road map of US history. Today, the 55th Wing serves as the host unit for Offutt Air Force Base; its motto, Videmus Omnia (We See All), can also be applied to the saga of the base.

Cover image for Offutt Air Force Base, isbn: 9781467112710

Nebraska Ballrooms and Dance Halls

9781467160964

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Ballrooms were at the center of social life in the Midwest for over a century, with some dance halls dating back to the late 1800s. Throughout Nebraska, these iconic structures hosted a number of community events and musical performances, bringing together friends, families, and neighbors to socialize, celebrate, and, most importantly, dance. Nebraska’s ballrooms and dance halls brought people together, and these facilities were long the heartbeats of their towns. Pla Mor Ballroom in Lincoln, King’s Ballroom in Norfolk, States Ballroom in Bee, and Howells Ballroom are only some of the legendary dance halls featured among these historic photographs. Although many ballrooms have since burned down, been repurposed, or been demolished, some of the dance halls remain active today, a reminder of a more magical, musical, bygone era.

Cover image for Nebraska Ballrooms and Dance Halls, isbn: 9781467160964

Beatrice

9781467162364

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Beatrice, Nebraska, was founded in 1857 along the Big Blue River. Known for its rich farming and manufacturing, Beatrice was marketed by the early settlers as the “Queen City of the Blue.”

Beatrice is home to the first homestead claimed after the passage of the Homestead Act of 1862. After the first railroad line came through Beatrice in 1871, the city’s population exploded. At the turn of the 20th century, Beatrice was home to six self-made millionaires, remarkable for the time. Over the years, Beatrice’s population has remained steady—around 12,000—thanks to the help of nationally known industries like Dempster Mill Manufacturing and Beatrice Foods. Today, industries such as eXmark, Beatrice Bakery Company, and Ratigan-Schottler Manufacturing provide products that reach beyond Nebraska.

Gage County Historical Society and Museum strives to preserve the county’s history, including Beatrice, Nebraska. Its mission is “to preserve, enhance, and showcase the unique history of Gage County by connecting our stories to develop appreciation throughout the wider community.” The museum is housed in the 1906 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy passenger depot in downtown Beatrice. Covering the first 100 years of Beatrice’s history, this book features never-before-published photographs gathered from a variety of sources, including images from the society’s collection.

Cover image for Beatrice, isbn: 9781467162364

Nebraska Ordnance Plant, The

9781467161497

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The entrance of the United States into World War II in 1941 completely transformed the nation. During this time, the small Nebraska towns of Mead and Wahoo in Saunders County were chosen to be the site of the Nebraska Ordnance Plant, one of three such plants in the state. The plant operated for 20 years—from 1942 to 1962. It served as an ordnance plant during World War II and the Korean War, then as an Atlas missile site from 1960 to 1962. Since then, the land has been sold to various interests, including the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska National Guard. The Nebraska Ordnance Plant uses over 150 photographs and their accompanying captions to tell the story of the profound effect the plant had on the social, economic, and environmental life of the county.

Jennifer Garza is the assistant at the Saunders County Historical Society and a lecturer in the history department at the University of Nebraska. Erin Hauser is the curator at the Saunders County Historical Society.

Cover image for Nebraska Ordnance Plant, The, isbn: 9781467161497

Crete

9780738593920

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Late-19th-century publications regularly promoted Nebraska's young cities and towns, and Crete was no exception. Settled by homesteaders, merchants, railroaders, and New Englanders associated with Doane College, Crete began as an agricultural trade center, but it soon possessed the refinements of gentility and city culture. One 1890s booklet described the 20-year-old town, with a population of 3,000, as a modern, cosmopolitan, progressive city--traits that few places of similar size in the West could claim. A newspaper article exclaimed, "No city in the West has attracted more attention among Easterners than Crete" and that no other city had a more promising future. Another article called Crete "the gem of the Blue River valley." Situated 25 miles from Nebraska's capital city of Lincoln, Crete already had electricity, running water, a college, churches, a library, and numerous businesses and industries by the late 19th century. The photographs within provide a glimpse into the past life of a town that has continued to evolve and thrive.

Sepia-toned street scene on a Crete Images of America book cover with brick buildings and a crowd

Joslyn Castle

9781467107976

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In the spring of 1893, media titans George and Sarah Joslyn bought a farm in Omaha, Nebraska, that would prove to be one of the city's most noteworthy real estate transfers. On this land, the Joslyns would construct a transformational home that would become an Omaha landmark known as Joslyn Castle, a Scottish baronial-style home built of limestone from neighboring Kansas. They chose their good friend, Canadian-born architect John McDonald, to design the residence, and he did so in grand style. Over the years, the Joslyn Castle has survived a devastating tornado, served as a home base for the administrative staff of the Omaha Public Schools, and charmed thousands of visitors who have come to tour the grounds. It stands today as a reminder of a bygone era and the dream of the Joslyns, who shared their home--and their wealth--with the city they loved so much.

Joslyn Castle on the Images of America cover showing a stone castle facade

Kearney's Historic Homes

9781467110143

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The city of Kearney was founded in 1871 under the name Kearney Junction. Rev. D.N. Smith and Moses S. Sydenham were tasked with the job of choosing a townsite. In 1873, after much debate, the small railroad stop was named Kearney. Over the years, the town continued to grow; it really began to boom in 1886, when the Frank family completed construction on an electric power plant, ushering in an unprecedented era of construction and business in the small town. By 1889, over 700 homes had been built in the area. The allure of commerce and real estate drew many investors from the East to Kearney, where they developed neighborhoods filled with impressive mansions. Today, these homes stand as landmarks and testimonies to the historic figures who built Kearney from the ground up.

Cover image for Kearney's Historic Homes, isbn: 9781467110143

North Platte

9780738519883

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Situated at the junction of the North Platte and South Platte rivers, North Platte has a long history as an important stopping point in the westward migration of from the days of the California gold rush to the building of the transcontinental railroad and beyond. The Oregon Trail to the gold rush followed the South Platte River, and the Mormon Trail followed the North Platte River. In 1866 the building of the Union Pacific railroad stopped at North Platte for the winter. The railroad brought the town of North Platte to life. In 1869 the Union Pacific built a huge depot and hotel which stood until destroyed by fire in 1915. It entertained many famous visitors including William F. Cody, George Armstrong Custer, Bat Masterson, and Teddy Roosevelt. Since the 1920s North Platte has grown considerably, helped by the transcontinental Lincoln Highway which still runs through town. North Platte also had the first lighted runway in the United States, used for the air mail planes of the 1920s.

Cover image for North Platte, isbn: 9780738519883

Kearney

9780738541280

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Kearney is situated in the Platte River valley in south-central Nebraska. The Platte River has always been an important route across the Great Plains. Native American tribes such as the Pawnee followed the river to their western hunting grounds. Soldiers at nearby Fort Kearny guarded the Oregon and Mormon Trails while the Pony Express skirted through the county. The Union Pacific Railroad pushed through the region in 1866, and when the Burlington Railroad reached the area in 1871, Kearney (originally Kearney Junction) was born. By the early 1900s, the automobile began to make its mark. The Lincoln Highway, the nation's first paved transcontinental highway, traveled through the heart of town. Today Kearney sits on Interstate 80, and the Archway Monument, a museum that celebrates the region's transportation history, spans the thoroughfare.

Kearney book cover from Images of America showing a vintage street scene and parade crowd.

Omaha's Trans-Mississippi Exposition

9780738531519

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During the summer and early fall of 1898, Omaha, Nebraska, came alive with the sights and sounds of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition. Despite a drought, a difficult economy, and a declaration of war between the United States and Spain, over two and one-half million people gathered on the exposition grounds to celebrate fifty years of progress. This book documents the grand spectacle of the exposition through a remarkable collection of archival photographs, many of which were taken by official exposition photographer Frank A. Rinehart. In these pages, you will discover the architectural splendor and the abundant cultural and artistic achievements that have made Omaha's Trans-Mississippi Exposition a legendary event in American history.

Book cover for Images of America Omaha's Trans-Mississippi Exposition with a sepia crowd at the exposition grounds

Boys Town

9780738508276

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Boys Town: The Constant Spirit maps the remarkable journey of a tiny youth refuge, Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, from its humble beginnings in December 1917 to its role as a leading national force in youth care by the end of the century. Compiling over 200 photographs from the Boys Town archives, author James R. Ivey recreates the history of the ideas, successes, and triumphs of Father Flanagan and his boys.

In 1917, Father Edward J. Flanagan, a Roman Catholic priest and Irish immigrant, borrowed $90 from a friend to open a home for wayward boys in downtown Omaha. The first five boys he took off the streets moved in just after Thanksgiving of that year, and a legacy was born. Featured here in vintage photographs are the first house at 25th and Dodge Streets, the move to the spacious Overlook Farm, the road to Hollywood, and Father Flanagan's rarely noted assistance to Japanese Americans during World War II.

Sepia cover showing a group of boys in uniform on steps for Boys Town The Constant Spirit

Lincoln's Early Architecture

9781467111690

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Lincoln's predecessor, Lancaster, formed in 1863 on the east bank of Salt Creek around a proposed Methodist female seminary. Though a building was erected, the school failed to materialize. When Nebraska became the 37th state in 1867, the village of Lancaster was chosen as its first capital, and the name was changed to Lincoln. Although lacking mineral resources, a navigable stream, a railroad, or even a minimal population, the village steadily grew and prospered from its 30 original inhabitants to its present population of more than 260,000. At the time of its origins, critics claimed, Nobody will ever go to Lincoln who does not go to the legislature, the lunatic asylum, the penitentiary, or some of the state institutions. Images of America: Lincoln's Early Architecture traces the city's growth, including three state capitols and the University of Nebraska, into a modern city of diverse people, events, and businesses.

Cover image for Lincoln's Early Architecture, isbn: 9781467111690

Norfolk, Nebraska

9780738507767

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Founded in 1866 by German immigrants, Norfolk, Nebraska grew up along the banks of the North Fork of the Elkhorn River. The original 250 settlers founded Madison County's first church and school, and from these humble beginnings grew a town that today is the jewel in the crown of northeast Nebraska and the state's third largest retail area. Showcasing over 200 images, Sheryl Schmeckpeper traces the history of this community from its roots as a Native American campground, to a sleepy farming community, and finally to a bustling city. Although there are many anonymous people pictured here who contributed to the Norfolk of today, readers will
recognize the more familiar faces of Herman Gereke,
Dr. "Diamond Dick" Tanner, and Johnny Carson. Vividly
captured are the landmarks that are gone forever, such as the Granada Theater, the Sugar City Cereal Mill, and the old high school that burned down in 1907. Also included are never before published photographs of the flood of 1944, the blizzard of 1948, and the Chicago Lumber Company fire.

Cover of Images of America Norfolk Nebraska showing a sepia photograph of townspeople with a large vintage threshing machine

Around Bennington

9781467106245

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The area around Bennington played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States. The Missouri and Platte Rivers were important travel corridors for indigenous peoples, early explorers, trappers, and pioneers. Railroads revolutionized travel and led to the creation of hundreds of small villages along the rail lines; Bennington, founded in 1887, was one of these villages. The arrival of the automobile and better roads decreased the dependency on rail service. By 1975, the rail line that created Bennington had been abandoned. Bennington benefitted from upgraded roads and highways and from suburban sprawl. In the meantime, the Washington community declined, eventually closing its school and church.

Sepia historic cover showing a wooden house with a crowd of people and a decorative banner titled Around Bennington.

Gering, Scottsbluff, and Terrytown

9780738560748

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The twin cities of Gering and Scottsbluff are located in the west Nebraska panhandle, just a stone's throw from the Wyoming border and separated by the North Platte River. Gering was established three miles south of the river in 1887 and became a thriving center of commerce. Gering founders gambled that the Union Pacific Railroad would build its track through town, but it was the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad that arrived first and laid track on the north side of the river in 1900, prompting rapid growth in Scottsbluff. Some Gering residents moved their homes and businesses to the newer community, but others remained steadfast in their belief that the Union Pacific would soon arrive. The Union Pacific track did not reach Gering until 1911, giving Scottsbluff the advantage of years of railroad-spurred growth. Fast-forward to 1948, when latecomer Terrytown was incorporated on the south bank of the river, sandwiched between the two older, larger cities. United by a bridge and undistinguishable municipal boundaries, the three cities retain their separate identities.

Gering Scottsbluff and Terrytown cover showing horse drawn carriages in a western town street

Seward County

9781467106009

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Many immigrants were moving through the prairie as early as the 1840s and 1850s, and the majority were using the trails located about 60 miles north of Seward County along the Platte River. This county's part of the prairie lay undisturbed and pristine until the late 1850s. In the tall grasses, the antelope, deer, and buffalo roamed freely along the Big Blue River and its tributary creeks and crystal-clear natural springs, which were previously only visited by Native Americans passing through. When people from the Eastern United States and Europe started to settle the prairie, it was a daunting undertaking.

Images of America Seward County cover showing a man in a hat standing in a field

Fort Robinson

9780738551180

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Established in northwestern Nebraska in 1874, Fort Robinson served as a military post for nearly 75 years, playing a critical role in the settlement of the West. From here, soldiers marched out to participate in the Great Sioux War of 1876-1877. The famous Oglala leader Crazy Horse was killed at the post. In 1878, Dull Knife's band of Northern Cheyenne attempted to escape the post, resulting in more than 64 deaths. Troops from Fort Robinson were also sent to the Pine Ridge Agency during the Ghost Dance fervor in 1890, the last of the armed conflicts with the Lakota. The arrival of the railroad at Fort Robinson initiated a new role for the post in the 20th century. Between 1885 and 1907, Fort Robinson was home to the 9th and 10th Cavalry, the famous buffalo soldiers. In 1919, Fort Robinson became a remount depot where horses and mules were purchased and conditioned for issue to the army. During World War II, Fort Robinson included a German POW internment camp and the site of the army's largest war dog reception and training center. The fort closed in 1948 and was made a state park in 1972.

Fort Robinson cover from Images of America with soldiers in uniform lined up in front of a building.

Colfax County

9781467111966

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Colfax County is unique with having two towns within its boundaries, Schuyler and Clarkson, plus four villages: Leigh, Howells, Richland, and Rogers. A number of farm precincts were once bustling communities, including Dublin, Heun, Maple Creek, Midland, Shell Creek, Tabor, and Wilson; now, most have only a church and/or cemetery to denote their sites. Schuyler is the county seat and can boast of having the first electric plant, water plant, and telephone exchange in the state. The Morman Trail, Oregon Trail, and Military Trail followed the banks of the Platte River and were utilized by troops and immigrants. Cattle herds from the Chisholm Trail were shipped from the Schuyler rail yards to markets in the East.

Cover image for Colfax County, isbn: 9781467111966

Nebraska Courthouses

9780738519678

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County courthouses stand at the center of Nebraska local government. Their authority in the state extends over hundreds of square miles with county populations ranging from less than a thousand to nearly half a million. The activities taking place within these buildings range from storing vital statistics, such as birth and death certificates, to hosting the trials of common criminals and not-so-common "crimes of the century." Using over 235 photographs, Nebraska Courthouses vividly describes the architectural and political evolution of the courthouse. Often in the early years of Nebraska statehood war nearly broke out in these courthouses as county formation saw spirited battles to become the county seat. Today, the courthouse remains the center of community pride, anchoring the downtown of each county seat. Courthouses contain the offices of elected officials and county staff. In this volume you will see the places where judges, lawyers, the County Attorney, social workers, librarians, janitors, and other individuals that make government work.

Nebraska Courthouses cover with an ornate courthouse and surrounding historic buildings.

Alliance, Nebraska

9780738508313

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Once heralded as the "Queen City of the Plains,"
Alliance, Nebraska originated as a simple railroad
junction called Grand Lake. Founded on true pioneer
spirit in 1887, Alliance has grown from a farm and ranch
community into a major retail center for Box Butte County.
The Knight Museum showcases over 200 images in this new
book, depicting the history and growth of Alliance during its
113-year history.
Although there are many anonymous threads that make
up the social fabric of Alliance, readers will recognize the
more familiar faces of the Newberry family, Dr. Frank Knight,
Miss Susan Frazier, and Miss Katherine Schill. While some
landmarks are gone forever, such as the depot and the Coors
Building, many timeless photographs remain to guide the
reader down the main street of Alliance's rich history. From
the vintage image of the county courthouse to the beauty
of western Nebraska's largest park system, readers will get a
glimpse of the pioneering spirit that is still so abundant.

Cover image for Alliance, Nebraska, isbn: 9780738508313

Omaha's Easter Tornado of 1913

9780738531847

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On Sunday, March 23, 1913, the burgeoning city of Omaha, Nebraska, fell victim to one of the worst tornado disasters in American history. Downtown was spared, but the fashionable neighborhoods of the city's western fringe and the ethnic neighborhoods of north Omaha were destroyed. Over 100 lives were lost, and millions of dollars in property damage was done. Photographers descended upon Omaha, rendering astonishing images of the storm's aftermath. This book uses nearly 200 of those photographs, many of which are drawn from the Durham Western Heritage Museum archives, to document the tornado's path of destruction, as well as stories of survival, compassion, reconstruction, and the remarkable unity and resilience of the Omaha community.

Cover of Omahas Easter Tornado of 1913 from Images of America shows a sepia photo of collapsed buildings and bystanders.

Omaha's Historic Houses of Worship

9781467112642

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From the towers of St. Cecilia's Cathedral to the Buddhist statuary garden visible from North Omaha's Sorensen Expressway, Omaha's physical expressions of worship represent the world's major faiths. Images of America: Omaha's Historic Houses of Worship tells the story of how Omahans since the 1850s have created religious buildings and landmarks all over the city as expressions of their beliefs and identities. Images in this book include buildings in the National Register of Historic Places and on local landmarks lists. Through historical religious photographs, readers will learn the colorful tales of the buildings' creations and see how today's Omahans are building the next chapter in the ongoing story of the city's religious landscape.

Cover image for Omaha's Historic Houses of Worship, isbn: 9781467112642

Jewish Life in Omaha and Lincoln

9780738519272

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Jewish history and culture is rich in the State of Nebraska. By the early 20th century there was a Jewish presence in over 30 Nebraska towns, some dating back to the 1850s. Today, the great majority of Jews live in Omaha, with a smaller community in the capital city of Lincoln. Synagogues, temples, community centers, and cemeteries mark the landscape.

In the pages of Jewish Life in Omaha and Lincoln: A Photographic History, peoples' lives, events, neighborhoods, and institutions that helped shape and transform today's Jewish community are brought to life. This vibrant tapestry is captured in images ranging from a mid-19th century stereopticon to a recent aerial photograph. The over 230 images, culled from the collection of the Nebraska Jewish Historical Society, focus on immigration patterns that brought Jews into the region, from the opening of the West, to the Holocaust, to the arrival of Soviet Jews. Other images look at the changing face of synagogues and religious practices in the Midlands. Jewish-founded businesses that are mentioned in this book are landmarks in Omaha and throughout the Midwest, from the Nebraska Furniture Mart to Omaha Steaks International.

Cover of Jewish Life in Omaha and Lincoln featuring a sepia group portrait of community members.

Mari Sandoz's Native Nebraska

9780738507842

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When the Mari Sandoz High Plains Center opens in Chadron, Nebraska in 2001, it will be one of three centers at which Nebraska honors its outstanding writers. Through the compilation of over 200 images in this new book, taken from historical collections and her own work, author and photographer LaVerne Harrell Clark contributes to that same purpose. In it, she recreates the frontier life of settlers and the neighboring Sioux and Cheyenne Indians of the sandhills region of northwestern Nebraska. Accompanied by in-depth captions detailing Mari Sandoz's life and works, these images illustrate how she came to hold an outstanding place as an American writer until her death in 1966. Born in 1896, in the "free-land" region of the Nebraska Panhandle, Sandoz was greatly influenced in her writing by the people who called at her homestead. Her acquaintances included Bad Arm, a Sioux Indian who fought at the Little Bighorn and was present at Wounded Knee, "Old Cheyenne Woman," a survivor of both the Oklahoma and Fort Robinson conflicts, and William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the legend of the Old West.

Book cover featuring Plains Indian men and women in traditional dress for Mari Sandoz's Native Nebraska

Kearney's World Theatre

9780738583259

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The World Theatre in Kearney, Nebraska, opened in 1927 and was welcomed by an excited public. Much more than just a movie house, it soon proved to be a social center, where people of all professions, ages, and income levels would frequently gather, because it was modern and new and there were considered few equally attractive alternatives. Some went because it was a sanctuary or where they earned a living, while others nurtured the seeds of attachments there or sought out temporary distractions such as bits of humor, drama, mystery, or adventure. For still more, it was an important venue for staying informed or even escaping the heat of the day. Slowly over time, the entertainment and economic landscapes in the country changed, affecting The World's profitability as well as others like it.

Kearney's World Theatre cover showing a brick theater facade and a large marquee.

Antelope County

9780738598871

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Named for the frisky and elusive animals that bounded across the prairie, Antelope County is located in the center of Nebraska's northeast corner. The county's gently rolling slopes are bisected by the Elkhorn River Valley. The first people traveling through the area were fur traders and Pawnee, Lakota Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe Indians. After passage of the Homestead Act in 1862 and the end of the Civil War in 1865, the lure of starting a new life on unclaimed land in the West brought settlers to the valley. When immigrants from New England, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois rode the ferry across the Missouri River, they were advised to travel farther west to the fertile soil of the Elkhorn Valley. After Antelope County was founded in 1871, railroads promoted the establishment of Oakdale, Neligh, Tilden, Clearwater, Elgin, Orchard, Brunswick, and Royal. The settlers engaged in farming and related agricultural activities.

Sepia book cover depicting a farmer guiding a horse drawn wagon in an Antelope County field

Nebraska City

9781467114493

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When Lewis and Clark pulled their way up the Missouri River in the summer of 1804, their journals reported an area of boundless prairie and beautiful streams on the river's west bank. Fifty years later, the community of Nebraska City was born on that very spot. For many decades, the community served as a jumping-off point for travelers bound farther westward as thousands of wagon trains departed every year. By the late 1800s, the city became known for another reason: the home of Arbor Day. First introduced by Nebraska City resident J. Sterling Morton in 1872, Arbor Day became Nebraska's holiday and is now celebrated worldwide. The 1900s saw a decline in the transportation industry but a rise in manufacturing and the growing and canning of produce. Today, historical tourism makes up the economic lifeblood of this small but thriving community.

Nebraska City cover coming soon placeholder image

Bellevue

9780738576510

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Bellevue received its French name, meaning "beautiful view," from fur trader Manuel Lisa as he stood high atop a hill, looking out at the scenic Missouri River Valley before him, or so the legend goes. Two hundred years after Lisa's proclamation, Bellevue has grown to become a sprawling metropolis proudly recognized as the third largest city in Nebraska. However, the story could have ended long before this. Bellevue was originally supposed to serve as an important railroad thoroughfare and as the first capital of the Nebraska Territory. Neither of these ultimately happened. Yet, Bellevue has persevered onwards and upwards. From its origins as little more than a trading post for westward travelers and Native Americans, to serving as the headquarters for the former Strategic Air Command at the onset of the modern jet age, Bellevue has taken a remarkable journey.

Bellevue cover from Images of America showing a sepia photograph of men posing with an American flag.

Papillion

9780738576527

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Papillion's name is derived from French fur traders who ventured near the valley of the Papio Creek as early as 1739. The butterfly-filled meadow was so beautiful that one of the men is said to have exclaimed in his native tongue, Papillon! (meaning butterfly). The land would later come to be known as Papillion. Native Americans roamed freely across the local prairie until 1857, when John L. Beadle obtained a land grant and platted a town. Successful negotiations with the Union Pacific and Missouri Pacific Railroads ensured the growth and prosperity needed for the Papillion Town Company to incorporate in 1870. Businesses soon lined the center of the village as German immigrants cultivated the land. New schools and churches enhanced the establishment of the booming community, which became the seat of Sarpy County. The pioneers persevered through fire, pestilence, and flood to establish Papillion, a town destined to survive.

Cover image for Papillion, isbn: 9780738576527

Stanton County

9780738561271

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The boldest and bravest of pioneers headed west, by covered wagon and on foot, to carve out new lives from verdant prairie sod, near the riverbanks in the beautiful Elkhorn Valley. French fur trappers called the river Corne de Cerf, French for the "horn of the elk," due to the river and its tributaries resembling the antlers of a stag. It then became known as the Elkhorn River. Catfish, bullheads, perch, and bass provided a welcomed change in sparse diets. Here settlers established churches, schools, and towns in a raw wilderness where Ponca, Omaha, Sioux, and Pawnee tribes lived. The prairie grasses fed herds of buffalo, elk, deer, and bighorn sheep. Coyotes, foxes, and wolves roamed in abundance. This land was named Stanton County in honor of Edward M. Stanton, Abraham Lincoln's ex-secretary of war. Germans, Scandinavians, Bohemians, and Canadians settled in the picturesque river valley and were joined by settlers from Wisconsin and Virginia, as well as the Hoosiers from Indiana.

Cover image for Stanton County, isbn: 9780738561271

Huntington Harbor Lighthouse

9781467104746

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

In the early days, Huntington, New York, was known as part of the Gold Coast of Long Island. It was a busy area boasting summer hotels and docking facilities. Steamboats brought crowds to Huntington from New York City for outdoor fun. Mariners took advantage of landmarks to guide their craft into channels until 1857, when the Lloyd Harbor Light Station was built on a sandspit to guard the entrance of both Lloyd and Huntington Harbors. In 1907, the US Congress appropriated $40,000 for the construction of a new lighthouse to replace the Lloyd Harbor Light Station, which proved to be ineffective for the navigation of vessels entering Huntington Harbor. The Venetian Renaissance-style structure was completed in 1912 and had the distinctive appearance of a small castle. Thanks to the enormous efforts of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc., the beauty and uniqueness of the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse has been preserved.

Cover image for Huntington Harbor Lighthouse, isbn: 9781467104746

Washington County

9781467126281

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The area that would become Washington County was first settled by the explorers, trappers, and fur traders who traveled by steamboat along the Missouri River to an area inhabited by the Otoe, Missouri, and Omaha Indians. These settlers were pioneers of German, English, Danish, and Irish ancestry who migrated west in search of a better life. They came by steamboat, flatboat ferry, the occasional canoe, on horseback, in wagon teams, and sometimes by foot, venturing into the vast great plains of the frontier. They staked their claims, built sod and hewn-log homes, and traveled on the first post roads using old Indian trails. From the timberland along the river, they pushed westward into the lush rolling hills of red top, timothy, clover, and prairie grasses and tilled the virgin soil to build their futures. It would be another 15 years before the railroad broke ground. These brave men and women journeyed westward, traveling with all their possessions, into the untamed territory that they would later call home.

Washington County book cover featuring a sepia street scene with a crowd of workers and a steam locomotive

Butler County

9780738560519

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Harvey L. Boston opened the Boston Studio in downtown David City in 1893. For about the next 35 years, Boston personally recorded the people and places of Butler County using photography. Boston had an eye for detail, and through his photographs, one is able to inspect and appreciate the clothing of the early years of the 20th century: from everyday styles to formal and special occasion costumes. The Boston Studio was opened toward the end of what was known as the Victorian era, a time when how a woman and members of her family dressed was a reflection of the family's prosperity. This attention to detail is very evident in the photographs taken by Boston. The various fashions worn by Butler County residents provide a wealth of information about a person's life, even when information about that person is not otherwise known. While once almost lost to history, the Boston Studio Collection of approximately 60,000 negatives has now been preserved and is available for the public to again appreciate for its historic value. The more than 200 Boston photographs carefully selected for this book demonstrate what life was like in Butler County between 1900 and 1920 and feature a cross-sampling of the people, both well known and anonymous, who were responsible for influencing the early history of Butler County.

Cover image for Butler County, isbn: 9780738560519

Fort Atkinson

9780738583532

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Fort Atkinson has been called the "top historical spot in Nebraska," the "SAC of 1820," and "America's most important Western outpost." Once the country's largest fortress beyond the Missouri River, its garrison protected America's interests in the burgeoning fur trade, provided a base camp for explorations, played host to famous frontiersmen, and was the site where numerous treaties were signed. But by 1961, Fort Atkinson was endangered. The fort's buildings had vanished over 100 years before. Decades of farming on the land had nearly erased its footprint. A housing development threatened to obliterate the site forever. There was only a marker with a flagpole raised in 1927 by the Daughters of the American Revolution--a lonely object in the midst of an empty plain. This book tells the story of how that lost fortress was restored to become the major state historical park it is today.

Fort Atkinson book cover with a sepia photo of scouts and a soldier in front of a fort.

Grand Island

9780738560571

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During the early 20th century, Grand Island was a unique and diverse community. No one captured this better than Julius Leschinsky. As Grand Island's premier photographer from the 1880s to the 1930s, Leschinsky immortalized a time of great change and growth in American culture. Through the compelling images of the Lumbard-Leschinsky Studio Collection, witness how Grand Island grew from a railroad town to an economic and cultural hub in central Nebraska. Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer has selected some of Leschinsky's best work to share a rare and detailed look into nearly every facet of life in Grand Island from 1910 to 1918. Many of these remarkable images have never been published and have not been seen for nearly 100 years.

Grand Island book cover from Images of America showing a vintage car surrounded by people and American flags

Grand Island and Hall County

9780738541440

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Grand Island and Hall County, settled by German immigrants in 1857, benefited from the diversification that the railroad and western immigrants brought to central Nebraska. Their stories, captured in these images, are the stories of the heart and soul of America. Located in the Platte River valley, Grand Island and Hall County have long served as a gateway to the West. Thousands of western immigrants traveling the California-Overland and Mormon Trails purchased their supplies from the many road ranches scattered across Hall County. The Union Pacific Railroad arrived in Grand Island on July 8, 1866, and brought with it growth and prosperity. Grand Island swiftly evolved from a prairie town to a railroad city. From the sugar beet factory to the world's second-largest horse and mule market, business and industry flourished, and the people of Hall County reaped the benefits.

Historic sepia image of a man in frontier clothing standing inside a 19th century shop in Grand Island and Hall County

Hastings

9780738519005

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Railroads were responsible for establishing many towns in Nebraska, including Hastings. The location of the city was determined by the junction of two railroads, the Burlington and Missouri River, and the St. Joseph and Denver City. Hastings was founded in 1872 and named after railroad construction engineer Major Delmonte Hastings.

Hastings: The Queen City of the Plains includes over 200 photographs from the Adams County Historical Society and the author, Monty McCord. You will see Heartwell Park, which was originally established as a private park by James B. Heartwell in 1886. Other images show the Fisher Rainbow Fountain, one of the most identifiable landmarks in the city, located in front of the utilities building. This book also showcases images of the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot, which was built during World War II, and had a large impact on Hastings' development.

Cover image for Hastings, isbn: 9780738519005

Cuming County

9780738590707

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When European settlers first came to Cuming County, they saw only what the Omaha, Pawnee, Otoe, and Ponca, and a few early trappers and traders had always seen: grass. They found acres of big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, and sideoats grama. With slough grass growing as tall as a man on horseback, landmarks—a lone tree or a bend in the river—helped them find their way home to families burrowed into their dugouts like gophers on a mound-dotted prairie. Beginning in the 1860s, railroad tracks crisscrossed the state, bringing Germans, Bohemians, Scandinavians, Irish, and more. Eventually, a network of dirt roads, graveled county roads, and paved highways replaced the deer paths and Indian trails. So has run the winding path of Cuming County's continual transformation into a patchwork quilt of farm fields, cattle yards, homes, and businesses, stitched together with the firm threads that make a county strong.

Cover image for Cuming County, isbn: 9780738590707

Nebraska State Fair

9780738583273

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The Nebraska State Fair commenced in Nebraska City in 1859, long before Nebraska became a state. Agriculture was recognized as the prime industry in the region, and the promotion of land and products was a driving influence for developing an exposition to put Nebraska on display. In 1901, the state legislature passed a bill declaring Lincoln as the official permanent site for the annual event. In the fair's 140-year history, Lincoln held 108 Nebraska State Fairs. The event was cancelled twice--in deference to the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, a world's fair held in Omaha in 1898, and when the government suspended all fair events in 1945 due to World War II. The fair offers food, entertainment, exhibits, and competitions for visitors of all ages and interests. Each year, there are bigger and better shows, midways, and performers to entice new crowds and to draw those who attend year after year. The history is preserved in precious photographs and memorabilia. Though the fair bids a sad farewell to Lincoln, new memories await as it moves to the centrally located community of Grand Island for its grand opening in late August 2010.

Cover of Nebraska State Fair from Images of America showing a crowded vintage fairgrounds with tents

Chadron

9780738532806

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Over 150 years ago, the area now known as Chadron was vast, open grassland. Nearby water sources, Chartran Creek and Bordeaux Creek, were named for the French fur traders whose main customers were nomadic tribes the French called the Sioux. When gold was discovered in the Black Hills, the area quickly changed. The military outposts Fort Robinson and Camp Sheridan were established to control Indian Agencies for Red Cloud's and Spotted Tail's bands. Cattle replaced buffalo on the rich grasslands. The railroad pushed its way west, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Chadron book cover shows a sepia photo of a steam locomotive with railroad workers posing in front

Lincoln in Black and White

9780738561622

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Lincoln, Nebraska's capital, grew from 45,000 to 55,000 residents in the years 1910-1925. The state's second-largest city, Lincoln was also home to Nebraska's second-largest African American community--a "small town" within the midwestern city. Local race relations were a study in contradictions. Public education and residential neighborhoods were relatively integrated; employment and social institutions were increasingly restricted. Within this setting, a laborer named John Johnson--a native of Lincoln and son of a black Civil War veteran--produced remarkable images as an itinerant photographer of the Lincoln scene, especially of its black community. Johnson left very little written record, so knowledge is fragmentary of his working techniques and of his collaborators or assistants. But his visual legacy takes people through the streets, onto the front porches, and into the backyards and living rooms of a vibrant community.