Postcard History Series

The American Postcard history series books explores the history of an area through vintage postcards. Go fishing in the Salton Sea, tour the iconic Hollywood Studios during their golden age, and then take one of New York City’s subways back in time. From early Denver to the Grand Canyon National Park, these postcard books send greetings from the past to eager readers with a passion for history. [View all Postcard History Series books]
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The William Penn Highway
The William Penn Highway
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along New York's Route 20
Along New York's Route 20
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along Pennsylvania's Lincoln Highway
Along Pennsylvania's Lincoln Highway
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along Ohio's Historic Route 20
Along Ohio's Historic Route 20
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Mohawk Trail
Mohawk Trail
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along Illinois's Historic Highway 20
Along Illinois's Historic Highway 20
$23.99 $16.79 Save 30%
Along Route 6 in Massachusetts
Along Route 6 in Massachusetts
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along Broadway
Along Broadway
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along Old Canada Road
Along Old Canada Road
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Tennessee's Dixie Highway:
Tennessee's Dixie Highway:
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along Massachusetts's Historic Route 20
Along Massachusetts's Historic Route 20
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along Iowa's Historic Highway 20
Along Iowa's Historic Highway 20
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along Wyoming's Historic Highway 20
Along Wyoming's Historic Highway 20
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
US Highway 1 in Virginia
US Highway 1 in Virginia
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along Virginia's Route 15
Along Virginia's Route 15
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Along the Bucktail Highway
Along the Bucktail Highway
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Route 7, The Road North:
Route 7, The Road North:
$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The William Penn Highway

9781467134774

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The William Penn Highway was a major route through the Appalachian Mountains between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh throughout the 20th century. Established in 1916, a decade prior to the federal highway system, the road succeeded the former Northern Turnpike, with much of it following the course of the Pennsylvania Railroad through the Juniata River Valley. The highway also followed the former path of the Allegheny Portage Railroad in climbing the long grade of the Allegheny Ridge. In 1926, US Route 22 was established to follow the highway's course, extending it eastward to Newark, New Jersey, and westward to Cincinnati, Ohio, where it remains well traveled today. This book shows many of the highway's scenic and historic sites.
The William Penn Highway

Along New York's Route 20

9780738574349

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Few roads can match Route 20's beauty, history, or contribution to New York's vitality. In 1926, Route 20 became a federal highway and evolved into New York's foremost east-west road. But unlike most early highways, it has survived almost completely intact. The story of Route 20 is told through more than 200 vintage postcards showing scenes from the Shaker communities in Columbia County to the Lake Erie Shore. The postcards show the personality of the road: main streets, the Finger Lakes, and scenic vistas. Not to be forgotten are the tourist courts, hotels, diners, and gas stations that made travel possible.

In The Revolutionary War in Bergen County, Carol Karels and her team of scholars weave a masterful account of the war in northeastern New Jersey. Here in Bergen County General Washington took the young Marquis de Lafayette under his wing; here in Bergen County the future antagonists Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton were baptized by fire; here in Bergen County families--in a prelude to the Civil War--split bitterly along Loyalist and Patriotic lines. From Washington's miraculous November 1776 retreat to the Delaware to the beginning of the Continental Army's epic August 1781 march to destiny at Yorktown, The Revolutionary War in Bergen County, comprehensively encompasses one of the Revolutionary War's most dramatic and pivotal fronts.

Along New York's Route 20

The Benjamin Franklin Parkway

9781467121538

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway has sliced through the Logan Square neighborhood of Center City (downtown) Philadelphia since World War I. Named after Philadelphia's favorite son, the mile-long boulevard begins at city hall and heads diagonally towards Logan Circle before reaching the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The postcards and other images in this work show the parkway's development and its role in Philadelphia's civic and cultural life. Despite often serving as a speedway into and out of town, the Ben Franklin Parkway is a triumph in urban planning that has become a treasured part of the City of Brotherly Love.
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Along Pennsylvania's Lincoln Highway

9780738545110

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Unlike today's interstate highway system, the earlier routes offered ever-changing scenes and roadside attractions. Although the Lincoln Highway crosses the entire country from New York City to San Francisco, the route it follows through Pennsylvania offers some of the most diverse and beautiful scenery. From the relatively flat terrain in the eastern part of the state to the mountains in the west, the highway passes through large cities and small towns, and almost all of these areas offered something to the motoring public. The popularity of the automobile gave rise to some of the highway's greatest attractions, such as Bill's Place and the S. S. Grand View Ship Hotel, which was destroyed by fire in 2001. Along Pennsylvania's Lincoln Highway is a trip back into time, and it recalls the days when getting to a destination was half the fun.
Along Pennsylvania's Lincoln Highway

Along Ohio's Historic Route 20

9781467110426

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Route 20 was named a federal highway in 1926, and for the first half of the 20th century it was the most important east-west road across northern Ohio. Extending from the Pennsylvania border east of Conneaut to its western terminus with Indiana, it made Ohio the connecting link between Northeastern and Midwestern states. Fortunately, Route 20 has remained virtually intact and can be traveled much as people did in years past. Postcard History Series: Along Ohio's Historic Route 20 celebrates such a trip, illustrated by more than 200 vintage postcards depicting views along the way. Town and city scenes, rural vistas, and historic sites that drew early motorists to the highway are featured. Not to be forgotten are the tourist courts, hotels, diners, and gas stations that made automobile journeys possible.
Along Ohio's Historic Route 20

Mohawk Trail

9780738550077

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The Mohawk Trail evokes visions of the ancient, recalls an abundance of historic incidents, and etches memories of nature's bounty. The trail weaves a fabric of both old and modern footprints through a historic college campus, past a fort under siege, down an old mill town's Main Street, up a barrier mountain, around a harrowing curve, and through aweinspiring expanses of nature's finest work. Nothing paints the enchantment of the trail better than the vintage postcards of the early to mid1900s. Mohawk Trail takes the reader on a postcard vacation, retracing the footsteps of the Native Americans and first settlers who made these valleys their home.
Mohawk Trail

Along Illinois's Historic Highway 20

9781467129671

$23.99 $16.79 Save 30%
Congress designated Highway 20 as a federal highway in 1926. The result of this was the evolution of Highway 20 as the most important road traversing northern Illinois. From Chicago to the Mississippi River, the road served both as farm-to-market route for local farmers and a vital link for interstate travelers. This book celebrates a journey across Illinois on historic Highway 20 as illustrated by more than 200 postcards showing the personality of the road, small towns, scenic vistas, and historic sites, as well as the tourist courts, hotels, diners, and roadside businesses that helped make automobile travel possible.
Along Illinois's Historic Highway 20

Along Route 6 in Massachusetts

9781467126069

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Route 6 in Massachusetts runs from Provincetown to Seekonk and passes through some of the most beautiful scenery in the state. What had once been a mere footpath for Native Americans, then widened for the use of stagecoaches, Route 6 would be officially designated the "King's Highway" in 1920. The moniker was extremely unpopular with the local residents, so much so that the governor officially changed the name to the Grand Army of the Republic Highway in 1937. Depicted from the author's personal collection of postcards from the 1920s to the 1960s, Route 6 winds its way around tiny fishing villages, sand dunes, marshes, beaches, lighthouses, campgrounds, hotels, restaurants, and historic cities. The combination of Route 6 and the automobile would make Cape Cod a world-renowned tourist destination.
Along Route 6 in Massachusetts

Along Broadway

9780738550312

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Broadway, arguably the most famous street in the world, is the only one that runs the full length of Manhattan, which was not always the case. Founded at New York's earliest settlement, Broadway was extended in length and evolved in character over the centuries. The postcard era, roughly 1905 to 1915, was an exciting time in the history of Broadway as a
period that saw the construction of some of New York's most historically significant buildings. Along Broadway chronicles the growth of this icon
through the postcard medium but with selective imagery before and after that golden age of the postcard.
Along Broadway

Along Old Canada Road

9780738556659

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Beginning in the town of Solon, Old Canada Road winds for nearly 80 miles through the Upper Kennebec and Dead River Valleys before ending at the Canadian border. Following ancient aboriginal trails and early trade routes to Quebec City, Old Canada Road was traveled by Benedict Arnold and his army of 1,100 men in their failed 1775 quest to capture Quebec. By the mid-19th century the small villages along the route grew as the immigration of French Canadians blossomed and logging became a major industry in the region. This pristine wilderness also became a sportsman's paradise, attracting wealthy families from Boston, New York, and beyond. Today the Forks and West Forks cater to a new breed of sport as the center of white-water rafting on the Kennebec and Dead Rivers. The region is a major hub for snowmobiling, hunting, and hiking throughout the year.
Along Old Canada Road

Tennessee's Dixie Highway:

9780738587691

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The Dixie Highway Association met in 1915 to plan a highway route from Chicago to Miami, later extending it to Canada. Tennessee's Dixie Highway: The Cline Postcards traces the path of the Dixie Highway along its western and eastern branches through the state, showcasing the works of photographers Walter M. Cline Sr. and Jr. The journey begins in Nashville and travels south to Chattanooga. Chattanooga served as both headquarters of the Dixie Highway Association and home to the Cline family. Moving north of the city, the eastern route arrives near the Kentucky border in Jellico. Many of the places that fascinated the Clines during the 1930s and 1940s are still popular destinations today.
Tennessee's Dixie Highway:

Along Massachusetts's Historic Route 20

9780738592473

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Route 20 was named a federal highway in 1926, and for the first half of the 20th century, it was Massachusetts's most important east -west road. Extending from Boston's dynamic Kenmore Square to bucolic Hancock Shaker Village on the New York border, the road's history, beauty, and contribution to Massachusetts's vitality were unmatched. Fortunately, almost all of the original road still exists and can be traveled by the modern motorist seeking a nostalgic adventure. In Along Massachusetts's Historic Route 20, more than 200 vintage postcards tell the road's story. Included are scenes along the Boston Post Road and Jacob's Ladder Trail, two of the highway's most historic segments, and also images of main streets, village greens, historic sites, scenic rural vistas, and, of course, the roadside tourist courts, diners, and gas stations that made automobile travel possible.
Along Massachusetts's Historic Route 20

The Blue Ridge Parkway

9780738542249

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
In the late 1890s, the Blue Ridge Parkway was envisioned by many as a great getaway and nature preserve. The concept materialized in the early 20th century, when John D. Rockefeller donated the first $5 million to begin purchasing land for the project. Located at the top of the great Appalachian ridges, the parkway covers 469 winding miles of mountains and meadows lined with lush wildflowers, old farms, and split-rail fences. Inspiring scenery makes for a journey rich in history and mountain culture.
The Blue Ridge Parkway

Along Iowa's Historic Highway 20

9781467112901

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
US Highway 20 was designated a federal highway in 1926. For the first half of the 20th century, it was the most important east-west road across northern Iowa, extending from the Mississippi to the Missouri River. The road connected 13 counties, four major metropolitan areas, and many smaller communities along its route. Fortunately, the historic two-lane road remains almost completely intact and can be driven much as travelers did in years gone by. Along Iowa's Historic Highway 20 celebrates such a trip, illustrated by more than 200 antique postcards that show the personality of the road: town and city scenes, rural vistas, rivers, bridges, and historic sites. Not to be forgotten are the tourist courts, hotels, diners, and gas stations that made travel possible.
Along Iowa's Historic Highway 20

Along Wyoming's Historic Highway 20

9781467115988

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
Highway 20 was designated a federal highway in 1926, and until the arrival of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s it was a primary route across northern Wyoming. From the Great Plains in the east to the mountains in the west, Highway 20 passed though cities and towns that retain their frontier visages and such wonders as Hell's Half Acre, the Wind River Canyon, Natural Hot Springs, Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway, and spectacular Yellowstone National Park. Fortunately, historic Highway 20 remains almost completely intact and can be driven much as travelers did in years past. Postcard History Series: Along Wyoming's Historic Highway 20 celebrates this trip, illustrated by more than 200 vintage postcards showing the personality of the road. Not to be forgotten are the tourist courts, hotels, diners, and gas stations that made automobile travel possible.
Along Wyoming's Historic Highway 20

US Highway 1 in Virginia

9780738588186

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The images in Postcard History Series: US Highway 1 in Virginia are representative of the nearly 200 miles of this historic highway and the communities along and near its path. Most of these pictorial memories are at least 50 years old, back when motorists were well acquainted with hand-pumping filling stations, mom-and-pop diners, and numerous tourist homes and cabins. In 1927, Route 1 became all concrete between Washington, DC, and Richmond. Business flourished until the interstate highway system came into being in the 1950s. There is much history surrounding US 1, often called America's Main Street.
US Highway 1 in Virginia

Along Virginia's Route 15

9780738567389

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The stretch of U.S. Route 15 in Virginia's Piedmont passes through some of the most beautiful and historic land in the United States. Also known as the James Madison Highway, the route links land north and south of the Mason-Dixon Line and follows the same general path used for centuries by Native Americans, colonists, armies, and presidents. As postcards and automobiles became popular in the 20th century, travelers could find postcards for the towns of Leesburg, Warrenton, Culpeper, and Orange. They tell a story of great people and great events, as well as providing a glimpse of daily life for those who lived along this byway.
Along Virginia's Route 15

Along the Bucktail Highway

9780738555232

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
The Bucktail Highway, Pennsylvania Route 120, traverses over 100 miles of the commonwealth's historic northern tier, linking Ridgway in the west with Lock Haven in the east. The Bucktail Highway crosses the eastern continental divide east of St. Marys and closely follows the picturesque, deep valleys carved by Sinnemahoning Creek and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Originally a Native American path and later a road that carried settlers west beyond the Allegheny Front, today's Bucktail Highway is a centerpiece of the Pennsylvania Wilds, a public-private initiative to promote and conserve the unique natural and historic resources of the region. Along the Bucktail Highway showcases over 200 vintage postcards profiling the cultural and natural history of the towns, forests, and waters linked by this scenic route from its beginnings as a westward trail, its growth as a commercial and industrial corridor in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and its recent emergence as a premier Pennsylvania scenic byway.
Along the Bucktail Highway

Route 7, The Road North:

9780738502564

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%
From the 1890s through the 1920s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this "golden age" can today be considered works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of local children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history. This fascinating new history of Route 7 from Norwalk to Canaan,
Connecticut, showcases more than two hundred of the best vintage postcards available.
Route 7, The Road North: