Name: Building the Mosquito Fleet:
Brand: Richard V. Simpson
SKU: 9780738505084
Price: 18.74 USD
Availability: InStock

Building the Mosquito Fleet:

9780738505084

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In 1877, the U.S. Navy purchased the fast steam yacht Stiletto from the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company of Bristol, Rhode Island, for "automobile" torpedo experiments in Narragansett Bay. The submarine service was in its infancy, and interest in the self-propelled torpedo as an undersea weapon flourished. Herreshoff's fast, steam-powered boats were the first of the delivery platforms accepted by the U.S. Navy Department for experiments at the Newport Naval Torpedo Station and service during the Spanish-American War. Dating from the Civil War, the torpedo station on Goat Island in Newport Harbor was the first torpedo armory in the United States, specializing in research, development, and manufacture.

Building the Mosquito Fleet: The U.S. Navy's First Torpedo Boats traces the important and often dramatic history of the involvement between the U.S. Navy and the Herreshoff brothers' marine yards over a period of more than thirty years. It is a story of enterprise, naval development, and marine manufacturing during a time of experimentation and evolution. Included are dramatic stories of the men who built and tested these dangerous new vessels. This fascinating volume preserves under one cover a concise history of the torpedo boats built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company. It describes design and construction innovations introduced by the Herreshoffs and traces the events that led the major navies of the world to take notice of the Herreshoffs' work.

Naval Air Station Wildwood

9780738572123

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Commissioned on April 1, 1943, Naval Air Station Wildwood trained thousands of U.S. Navy airmen during World War II. Located in southern New Jersey on a peninsula bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay, the air station was perfectly sited to provide them with the over-water practice they needed for fighting the Japanese fleet in the western Pacific theater. Some of the war's most lethal bombers-Helldivers and TBM-3E Avengers among them-were flown by members of naval fighter, dive-bombing, and torpedo-bombing squadrons based at the station from 1943 until 1945. At least 42 airmen lost their lives while training at the station, but their deaths brought about improvements in airplane design and tactics. Today only a handful of the station's 126 original buildings remain; the largest of these, Hangar No. 1, has been restored to its original appearance and houses Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum.

Cover image for Naval Air Station Wildwood, isbn: 9780738572123

Jamestown Exposition

9780738501673

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The fascinating story of the Jamestown Exposition of 1907, a tricentennial celebration of America's first settlement in 1607, continues to unfold in this companion volume, which explores the exposition's parades, exhibitions, and the people who worked and participated in the days' events. Not only important as a statewide event, the exposition provided the United States government and many other states a stage to display their history and culture for the whole world to see and enjoy. In this second volume, you will continue your visual journey on the exposition grounds, viewing the new wonders of the time--flying machines--and the architecturally diverse State Buildings, such as Kentucky's frontierera fort, Virginia's replica colonial planter's mansion, and Vermont's country cottage. As you thumb through these pages, you will learn the incredible stories of some of the most famous people of the day who attended the exposition, such as William Jennings Bryan and Mark Twain, and the captivating history of the Black Jamestown Exposition Company, a group that
held a separate exhibit along with the festivities of the larger exposition. Also, the exposition served as the starting point for the around-the-world voyage of President Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, a bold demonstration of America's naval superiority and new role as a leading world power.

Monterey Fire Department

9780738576237

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For more than 129 years, the firefighters of the Monterey Fire Department have provided outstanding service to the people of Monterey. The department has protected the community since 1882, when the first brigade was a handful of citizens armed with buckets and axes. In 2010, a total of 64 firefighters responded to 6,233 calls. This book is dedicated to the memory of Monterey's firefighters, who have all served valiantly.

Johnson City Firefighting

9780738550084

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With compelling photographs dating from 1889 to the present, Johnson City Firefighting portrays not only the spectacular fires that this south-central New York State city has experienced over the years but also the founding, growth, and personnel of the Johnson City Fire Department. This fire history is notable because of the man for whom the community is named: shoe manufacturer George F. Johnson. To keep his factories safe, Johnson paid for fire stations, equipment, advanced alarm systems, and even early sprinkler systems.

Fighting Fire in the Sierra National Forest

9781626193710

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

To live in the foothills on the periphery of the Sierra National Forest is to live with the certainty of summer wildfires. Each year, from April forward, Californians watch the sky and sniff the air for telltale signs of smoke. While fire remains a constant threat, the strategy for combating it has evolved with the understanding of its beneficial role in the forest environment. Marcia Penner Freedman traces the history of firefighting and fire management from the forest's early years through the policy shifts that began in the 1960s and the measures used today.

Cover image for Fighting Fire in the Sierra National Forest, isbn: 9781626193710

Peabody Firefighting

9780738554747

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The Peabody Fire Department was established in 1868, when the town changed its name from South Danvers to Peabody after one of its favorite sons: well-known philanthropist George Peabody. However, its long-standing history of being a first-class department
dates farther back to the purchase of the town's first hand engine, the Federal No. 1, in 1800, and even farther back with the formation of bucket brigades and fire clubs. Peabody's long history of being the "leather capital of the world" parallels the fire department's history, because many of the department's members worked in the leather factories or were leather shop owners. These same leather factories were fodder for many general alarm fires. Peabody Firefighting features photographs and narratives that showcase the history and evolution of the Peabody Fire Department, a department that today is as rich in diversity and tradition as ever and continues to answer the call of duty to a multitude of emergencies.

Hudson River Bridges

9780738549866

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Hudson River Bridges documents how these structures remain beautiful testaments to cooperative efforts during trying times in America's history.

The Hudson River Valley, an invaluable connection between New England and the rest of the colonies during the American Revolution, continues to be a major crossroads today. The Hudson River bridges were architectural marvels of their time. The Bear Mountain Bridge was the longest suspension bridge, while the Newburgh Beacon second span was built with a new type of weathering steel. The bridges were constructed during important times in history. The Bear Mountain Bridge was built as the automobile became an integral part in the country's development, and the Mid-Hudson Bridge was built during the Depression. Labor disputes helped develop labor laws, and world wars led to changes in activity on the bridges.

Cover image for Hudson River Bridges, isbn: 9780738549866

Arizona's Historic Bridges

9781467133449

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Arizona was once just a passage for pioneers headed west for gold, religious freedom, and cheap land. Native Americans had lived in and explored the territory for years, but it was Manifest Destiny and the western expansionist philosophy of the burgeoning US government that created the impetus for better and faster routes across the vast territory with its topographical challenges. In the 1880s, the railroads first booted their way across the landscape, following historic trails before the highways were built. The Grand Canyon and Colorado River were obvious challenges, but there were also seasonal waterways that needed crossings. The history of the state unfolds with this book, profiling the bridges that define these historic transportation routes. Many of them have been proudly restored by their communities or the state, while others are gone or are in a sad state of decline.

The Queensboro Bridge

9780738554884

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Opened in 1909, the Queensboro Bridge is the longest bridge spanning the East River. The bridge had an immediate and profound effect on the development of Queens from a largely rural area into a bedroom and working community. With its graceful symmetry, the bridge has long been a source of inspiration for artists, songwriters, and authors. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel made it an icon for the 1960s with the song "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," and more recently it was featured in the movie Spiderman. Through historic photographs, The Queensboro Bridge documents the creation of this cultural icon and its contributions to the history of New York.

The Building of the Oroville Dam

9781467130790

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In the early 1960s, thousands of construction workers and their families came to Oroville, in Northern California, to help build the largest earth-fill dam in the world. Located nine miles northeast of town, the Oroville Dam would be the cornerstone of the California State Water Project, which would provide flood control, electric power, recreation, and water to California residents. The project was so massive that it would reinvent the look of much of the area; require the building of roads, bridges, and railroads; inundate much of the area's history under hundreds of feet of water; and greatly effect the lives of the residents of Oroville. The successful completion of the project came at a price—34 construction workers died.

Cover image for The Building of the Oroville Dam, isbn: 9781467130790

Kentucky's Covered Bridges

9780738544045

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Kentucky is well recognized for bourbon, bluegrass, and the Kentucky Derby. When thinking of covered bridges, the commonwealth is not the state that readily comes to mind. Many of Kentucky's covered bridges were built by such men as Wernwag, Bower, Carothers, Day, Stone, and Long, but many of the names were never recorded or have been lost to time. Kentucky once was home to the longest single-span wooden bridge in the world and to a covered bridge through which a Civil War battle was fought. Time, arson, progress, neglect, and misguided maintenance have spelled the demise of the majority of these structures. Readers of this volume might be surprised to learn that Kentucky once claimed more than 700 timbered tunnels and that over 50 of these survived well into the 1950s. Equally surprising, the commonwealth is still home to 13 of these structures.

Big Dig

9781889833828

$12.95 $9.71 Save 25%

A brief history of Boston's Big Dig, the largest public works project in American history.

Cover image for Big Dig, isbn: 9781889833828

The Sikorsky Legacy

9780738549958

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Over 200 photographs help paint the picture of the career of Igor I. Sikorsky, one of the most talented and versatile aeronautical pioneers in history.

This book traces the history of Sikorsky aviation and its founder, Igor I. Sikorsky, whose career spanned over 60 years and was highlighted by three major achievements: the creation of the world's first four-engine airliner, the record-breaking Clipper Ships, with which Pan American Airways explored transpacific and transatlantic airline service, and the development of the helicopter. Sikorsky then led his engineers out of the piston-engine era and into the jet age with the design and development of some of the most widely used turbine-powered helicopters in aviation history. Hundreds of photographs, many from the Sikorsky family archives, document the genius of Sikorsky's intuitive engineering, including his lifelong interest in the challenge of the helicopter, which many historians consider to be his crowning achievement.

Michoud Assembly Facility

9781467112130

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From the American Railroad to Space - Discover the fascinating history of the Michoud Assembly Facility.

After an auspicious beginning as a royal land grant from French king Louis XV to a wealthy French citizen of New Orleans in 1763, the land Michoud Assembly Facility occupies remained in private ownership until 1940, when it was sold to the US government. Prior to World War II, the site was used to grow sugar, hunt muskrat, and build railroad and telephone lines. In 1941, the world's largest industrial site was built, covering 43 acres of unobstructed, low-humidity, air-cooled space under one roof to construct C-46 cargo planes. The Korean War required the assembly of Sherman and Patton tanks there, while the space race compelled the design and assembly of the colossal Saturn I, IB, and V rocket boosters for the Apollo program that reported directly to Dr. Wernher von Braun. The 1970s saw the fabrication of the enormous external tank for the Space Shuttle program. Today, Michoud Assembly Facility continues to support the US space program by building major components for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (or MPCV).

Northern Arizona Space Training

9781467126137

$29.99 $22.49 Save 25%

During the 1960s and early 1970s, northern Arizona played a critical role in fulfilling President Kennedy's bold challenge of sending humans to the moon. From the rocky depths of the Grand Canyon to lofty cosmic views from Flagstaff's dark skies, northern Arizona was ideal for activities ranging from moon buggy testing and geology training to lunar mapping and mission simulation. Every astronaut who walked on the moon, from Neil Armstrong to Gene Cernan, prepared for his journey in northern Arizona, and all used maps created by Flagstaff artists to navigate their way around the lunar surface. This book captures the spirit of these pioneers with stunning images from NASA, the US Geological Survey, and others.

Cover image for Northern Arizona Space Training, isbn: 9781467126137

Covina Valley Citrus Industry

9780738574424

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Drawn by the California dream of golden sunshine and promise, many settlers came to the Covina Valley, where, after clearing the rocks, sagebrush, and cactus, they found rich alluvial soil. With the addition of water, everything grew in abundance. Citrus gradually became the best cash crop. This is the story of the men and women who made the citrus industry work in and around Covina, how they founded towns and eventually planted 25,000 acres of oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits. They endured droughts, floods, freezes, insect invasions, and unscrupulous buyers who almost ruined them financially. Together they developed water resources and the first stockholder-owned citrus cooperative, and brought railroads, transforming the Covina Valley into a major citrus producing and processing center.

A History of Green Ridge State Forest

9781596299023

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Join former forest manager Champ Zumbrun as he traverses hidden trails to tell the remarkable story of Green Ridge State Forest.

Green Ridge State Forest is a haven of calm and natural beauty among the Appalachians of western Maryland. This land was once the frontier of the nation, and trailblazers such as Thomas Cresap and George Washington were among the first Europeans to discover its wonders: the swift Potomac, the flowering dogwood and pine in the mountain reaches and the nighttime calls of the bobcat and the barred owl. The vision and stewardship of people like forester Fred W. Besley preserved the forest for future generations of hikers, explorers and families. Join former forest manager Champ Zumbrun as he traverses hidden trails to tell the remarkable story of Green Ridge State Forest.

Cover image for A History of Green Ridge State Forest, isbn: 9781596299023

Logging in Mason County

9781467132923

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In 1946, the US Forest Service and Simpson Logging Company agreed to a sustained yield unit, cooperatively managing lands for 100 years for community stability. Championed by USFS chief William Greeley and dubbed the Sustained Steal by detractors, the Shelton Cooperative Sustained Yield Unit nonetheless provided jobs for returning World War II veterans. Simpson Logging built the largest logging camp in the continental United States, Camp Grisdale, which had a two-room school and a two-lane bowling alley. Shelton and McCleary were saved from becoming ghosts towns, and downtown Shelton was modernized with a shopping center, parks, and schools. Mason County's Forest Festival was a weekend celebration for 30,000 visitors that included a parade and logging shows. As the only cooperative unit established in the United States, it attracted national attention, including TV personality Arthur Godfrey. In 1961, the movie Ring of Fire was filmed above Camp Grisdale. As World War II memories faded, logging practices were challenged by notions of wilderness and recreation. Improved equipment reduced the jobs, and when Simpson withdrew from the sustained yield agreement, employees were disenfranchised.

St. Petersburg's Historic 22nd Street South

9781596290839

$19.99 $14.99 Save 25%

With this powerful, evocative new book, St. Petersburg residents Jon Wilson and Rosalie Peck present an informative narrative that explores the history of St. Petersburg, Florida's most vibrant African American neighborhood: 22nd Street South or the deuces.

Throughout the city's history, no other area has personified strength for the African American community like this segregation-era thoroughfare. A haven during the brutal Jim Crow years, 22nd Street South was a place where prominent businessmen and community leaders were the role models and residents and neighbors looked out for one another. The close-knit community encouraged strong, positive values even as its members were treated as second-class citizens in the wider world. Authors Wilson and Peck tell the story of this unique district and how its people and events contributed to and helped to shape the history of St. Petersburg in the context of the greater South and the Civil Rights Movement.

Cover image for St. Petersburg's Historic 22nd Street South, isbn: 9781596290839

Detroit's Historic Water Works Park

9780738591940

$7.99 $5.99 Save 25%

Detroit's Historic Water Works Park takes the reader on a nostalgic trip back to when it was possible to see beyond the horizon from the top of the tallest freestanding structure in the Americas. At one time, Water Works Park's colorful, stunningly beautiful, and varied floral displays were reason enough for thousands of people to travel hundreds of miles or more to Detroit. In addition to its primary function as a source of high-quality drinking water for Detroit and neighboring communities since 1879, Water Works Park was a popular place of rest, reflection, and recreation. At one time, its popularity among Detroiters and visitors to the city was exceeded only by Belle Isle, the city's big island playground in the Detroit River.

Cover image for Detroit's Historic Water Works Park, isbn: 9780738591940

Mines of Clear Creek County

9781467130349

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In 1859, Pikes Peak or bust! spread across America and brought men and their families from all over to the Kansas goldfields seeking a new beginning. Thousands came to Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties and eventually settled all of Colorado. The mining communities of Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Empire, Silver Plume, Dumont, and Lawson all exist because of the pursuit of gold and silver. Gold was initially easy to get to, but in time, underground mineral development was necessary. New technologies and the Industrial Revolution made mining easier, but there was still work to be done to establish local fire departments, churches, schools, and governments.

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Detroit's Lost Stove Industry

9781467156998

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Casting a legacy

Long before automobiles made Detroit the Motor City, the city boasted a flourishing and diverse industrial economy, albeit on a more modest scale. Among the myriad industries that defined the nineteenth-century city, none held greater significance or broader influence than stove fabrication. Three manufacturers—Detroit Stove Works, Michigan Stove Company and the Peninsular Stove Company—dominated this sector, collectively contributing more than 10 percent of all cast-iron stoves produced and distributed throughout North America. At the forefront of this triumph were Jeremiah and James Dwyer, whose vision and ingenuity played pivotal roles in shaping the industry’s success.

Historian Gerald Van Dusen explores the key role that this early industry played in laying the groundwork and facilitating the production of automobiles.

Cover image for Detroit's Lost Stove Industry, isbn: 9781467156998

Quonset Point, Naval Air Station

9780738589589

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The US Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, RI, was originally built as a Neutrality Patrol Seaplane Base.

The base eventually became a unique and fundamentally important asset to the American armed forces. In World War II, more than one half of all U-boats sunk by U. S. aviation--including the first two--were destroyed by Quonset-trained shore and carrier-based squadrons. In the years following World War II, Quonset remained a premier industrial naval air station, sending squadrons or overhauling equipment for use in the Korean, Vietnam, and Cold War conflicts. For thirty-four years and through four wars, the Quonset Point Naval Air Station stood proud and tall on behalf of the United States military.

Barbers Point NAS

9781467133296

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Rising from the ashes of the Pearl Harbor attack, Barbers Point Naval Air Station would become a major staging point for US Navy aircraft for the war in the Pacific, culminating with the surrender of the Empire of Japan. With the end of World War II in the Pacific and throughout the Cold War, Barbers Point would be home base for the US Navy's fleet of maritime patrol aircraft that hunted the growing threat of Soviet submarines prowling the vast Pacific. From 1942 until its closing in 1999, Barbers Point was the US Navy's only naval air station in the Pacific.

City of Industry

9781467107785

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Incorporated on June 18, 1957, the City of Industry is located 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The city's founding was based on providing a dedicated area for industrial employment in between two major railroad lines. Starting with about 50 businesses, this young municipality grew rapidly and had a national reputation for attracting large manufacturers like Mattel, Inc., Schwinn Bicycle Company, and Libbey, Inc., within its boundaries. The city is known as the "Economic Engine" of the San Gabriel Valley, and currently, it provides 68,000 jobs for the valley's population of 1.7 million people. In the 1970s, the city developed the internationally renowned Industry Hills Resort and Conference Center and the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum. As the last portions of Industry's 12 square miles are being developed, this dynamic economic base is continuing its dedication to businesses and to its neighboring residents by way of charitable giving, public/private partnerships, and innovative community programs.

Slater Mill

9780738545448

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Well-illustrated and with fact-filled text, Slater Mill is a charming look back at a pivotal part of Pawtucket life.

As a working cotton mill, a space for varied types of manufacturing, and eventually as a project of historical preservation, the Slater Mill has played many roles in the history of Pawtucket. Leavitt's work includes such illuminating images as a turn-of-the-century bicycle shop, a crowded mill scene in the early twentieth century, and the transformation of the site into a tourist attraction in the 1920s. This volume also shows how the site was re-configured as a community museum in the 1950s and '60s, as well as how the industrial emphasis of the curators eventually resulted in the addition of a working water wheel to the site. Well-illustrated, with fact-filled text, Slater Mill is a charming look back at a pivotal part of Pawtucket life that will interest young and old alike.

Perry's Lake Erie Fleet

9781609496104

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Navigate the treacherous waters of Lake Erie, Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay to discover the fates of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and his fleet.

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's defeat of the British at the Battle of Lake Erie was a defining moment both in the War of 1812 and American naval history. Yet the story of Perry's fleet did not end there. Come aboard as author David Frew chronicles the years and decades after Perry's victory. Heroic acts and bitter defeats unfold as Frew details the lives of fleet surgeon Usher Parsons, shipwright Daniel Dobbins and fleet commander Oliver Hazard Perry and his successors. The adventure moves from the tribulations of Misery Bay and a crafty British victory in the Lake Huron Campaign to the closing of the naval base in Erie and the raising of the Niagara in the twentieth century. Navigate the treacherous waters of Lake Erie, Lake Huron and the Georgian Bay to discover the fates of Perry and his fleet.

Cover image for Perry's Lake Erie Fleet, isbn: 9781609496104

High Point University and the Furniture Industry

9781467149242

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Discover the story behind the potent partnership between High Point University and the furniture industry.

High Point University was founded in 1924 as a small liberal arts college. The High Point Furniture Market was founded in 1921 and has since grown to be the largest wholesale furniture market in the world. Over the last century industry and university have developed an ongoing, mutually beneficial partnership that has resulted in industry-specific programs being offered to students at the school. Discover the history of this relationship and the impact that real-world exposure has had on both the furniture business and the students. Read the stories of several High Point University graduates who are successfully employed in various positions throughout the industry.

High Point professor and furniture industry veteran Richard Bennington unearths the history of a dynamic partnership.

High Point University and the Furniture Industry

San Francisco's Midwinter Exposition

9780738520889

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

On January 27, 1894, as the rest of the country bundled up against the winter weather, the people of San Francisco opened the California Midwinter International Exposition and invited the world to enjoy "The Land of Sunshine, Fruit and Flowers." The San Francisco Fair, held in the burgeoning city's Golden Gate Park, was the first U.S. hosted Exposition west of the Mississippi River. When the Fair closed in June of 1894, more than two million people had seen its incredible exhibits as well as this promising new land. The Fair celebrated a city that less than 50 years before had been a village of fewer than 250 people, a city that now was the commercial, financial, and social capital of the West. In San Francisco's Midwinter Exposition 1894, author William Lipsky presents the history, creation, and people of the Fair in over 200 vintage images. From the exotic exhibits on the Fair's midway, to the structures and architectural wonders presented at the Fair, Dr. Lipsky presents a striking visual history of this influential moment in San Francisco and California history.

A History of Inventing in New Jersey

9781626192065

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Many Americans are familiar with Thomas Edison's invention factory in Menlo Park, where he patented the phonograph, the light bulb and more than one thousand other items. Yet many other ideas have grown in the Garden State, too.

New Jerseyans brought sound and music to movies and built the very first drive-in theater. In addition to the first cultivated blueberry, tasty treats like ice cream cones and M&Ms are also Jersey natives. Iconic aspects of American life, like the batting cage, catcher's mask and even professional baseball itself, started in New Jersey. Life would be a lot harder without the vacuum cleaner, plastic and Band-Aids, and many important advances in medicine and surgery were also developed here. Join author Linda Barth as she explores groundbreaking, useful, fun and even silly inventions and their New Jersey roots.

Cover image for A History of Inventing in New Jersey, isbn: 9781626192065

Raleigh and Wake County Firefighting

9780738515120

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The story of firefighting in Raleigh and Wake County is almost as old as the county itself. The terrifying threat to wooden structures with minimal water supplies was well known to the planners who laid out Wake County's first town in 1792. Wide streets were created to prevent fires from spreading between buildings. As early as 1802, citizens contributed to the purchase price of Raleigh's first fire engine. More than 200 years later, the dedicated members of 23 fire departments answer the still-familiar cry of fire!

Raleigh and Wake County Firefighting chronicles over a century of fire protection in North Carolina's capital city and surrounding county. Fire engines, fire stations, and the firefighters themselves are depicted in over 220 images culled from local newspapers, area archives, and personal collections. From Raleigh to Cary and Apex to Zebulon, both municipal and rural fire departments are remembered from their early beginnings. Stories of fires at Raleigh's Yarborough Hotel in 1928, downtown Knightdale in 1940, and Pullen Hall at North Carolina State University in 1965 come alive, as do dramatic photographs from the old Mangel's building fire, the North Raleigh tornado, and the flooding after Hurricane Fran.

Cover image for Raleigh and Wake County Firefighting, isbn: 9780738515120

New Haven Firefighters

9780738536699

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The history of the New Haven Fire Department dates back to December 29, 1789, when Mayor Roger Sherman, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, formed the volunteer system. The advent of steam fire engines in 1862 marked the end of the volunteer system and the beginning of the full-time paid department, giving New Haven the distinction of having the first professional fire department in Connecticut. New Haven has a long and proud history of tradition in its fire service. Since 1862 there have been only fifteen different chiefs heading the department. New Haven Firefighters tells the story from the days of steamers to the era of the tower ladder.

Greater Hartford Firefighting

9780738545387

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The Hartford area has a rich history of firefighting, beginning with the bucket brigades of early colonial history. As devastating blazes razed many key buildings and entire neighborhoods, these small teams developed into large volunteer groups. The city finally realized that paid fire departments were needed, and the modern firefighting world bloomed with technological advances in equipment and procedures. The evolution of these brave firefighting groups is richly chronicled in Greater Hartford Firefighting.

Cover image for Greater Hartford Firefighting, isbn: 9780738545387

Alameda County Fire Department

9781467134286

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Alameda County spans from the shores of the San Francisco Bay to the golden inland hills. Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) is comprised of multiple consolidated agencies that began joining forces and sharing resources in 1993. Protecting unincorporated county land as well as Ashland, Cherryland, San Lorenzo, Castro Valley, San Leandro, Dublin, Union City, Newark, Emeryville, and the National Laboratories at Livermore and Berkeley, ACFD serves over 500 square miles and 330,000 citizens. This legacy stretches back 140 years, recalling the shared experiences of bucket brigades, teams of horses pulling steam-engine pumpers down muddy roads, the advent of motorized apparatus, and the days when school boys would be pulled from class to ride tailboard to fight blazes in the hills. These agencies have sent soldiers to two world wars, survived massive earthquakes, fought catastrophic wildfires, and touched the lives of Bay Area citizens for over a century. The ACFD is the sum of its many unique parts, which together form a premier, all-risk fire department.

Cover image for Alameda County Fire Department, isbn: 9781467134286

The Great Fire of Petersburg, Virginia

9781467118668

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

On July 16, 1815, a fire began in a small stable in Petersburg. After only a few hours, almost two-thirds of the city lay in ruins. Citizens stood on the banks of the Appomattox River and watched as wind blew flames from one building to the next. The tragedy claimed a dozen lives and destroyed more than five hundred homes. The fire raged until it was quelled by a downpour of rain. Stories of heroism from firefighters and landowners were left in the aftermath. Author Tamara Eastman describes the city before the fire, the horrific event and the collective efforts to rebuild a stronger city.

Cover image for The Great Fire of Petersburg, Virginia, isbn: 9781467118668

Portsmouth Firefighting

9780738562100

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In September 1756, with only fire buckets, two hand tubs, and citizen volunteers safeguarding the Colonial seaport, Portsmouth decided to organize and regulate its fire protection. By 1852, the Portsmouth Fire Department boasted six suction engines and in 1864 entered the age of steam power when the first steam fire engine was delivered. Disastrous fires and a growing city required the department to modernize as it moved into the 20th century. The department's first motorized engine was purchased in 1912, and by 1921, there was a new central fire station along with a new gasoline-powered ladder truck. Through an exceptional collection of photographs, Portsmouth Firefighting richly illustrates the story and tradition of a fire department forever connected to its brave firefighters, their magnificent fire engines, and the spectacular blazes they fought.

Mount Tamalpais and the Marin Municipal Water District

9780738593173

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Mount Tamalpais rose from the land that has become Marin County. As the crown jewel of the Marin Municipal Water District, the mountain and adjoining watersheds total 22,000 acres. These properties sit adjacent to county open space as well as holdings of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Mount Tamalpais State Park. Together, the land provides an unparalleled world-class recreation and wilderness area only 30 minutes from the city of San Francisco. Amidst the upheaval of the Progressive Era, the Water District was chartered in 1912 by citizens of Marin County to create a public water system and to fulfill the promise of a park. Rich with possibility, the land had remained surprisingly undeveloped throughout the 19th century. Surviving the Gold Rush, a notorious period of wanton greed for natural resources, the mountain needed protection. Armed with the power of eminent domain, the Water District started the conversion of the vast watershed areas from private to community ownership, a process that ultimately saved the mountain and left in its formidable shadow the beloved and beautifully preserved natural land of the Mount Tamalpais Watershed.

Mount Tamalpais and the Marin Municipal Water District

Firefighting in Forsyth County

9781467107129

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Soon after the first buildings were completed, a fire department was established in Forsyth County in 1772. The Town of Salem purchased the first fire pump in the state in 1785 after a tavern burned down the year before. Old Salem's Market and Fire House is the oldest enginehouse in North Carolina, built in 1803. Growth in both population and industry led to the joining of Salem and Winston. When the two cities joined in 1913, they formed a united volunteer department. Even with the newly formed Winston-Salem department, there was still a necessity for rural fire protection as some farms, churches, and schools were beyond the reach of the city department. It was not until 1949 that the first rural volunteer department was founded in Sedge Garden. Innovation in fire apparatus and equipment, such as the development of the fog nozzle still in use today, contributed to the success of rural firefighting. The fire service in Forsyth County has consistently been on the forefront of technology, diversity, and revolution.

Prescott Fire Department

9781467131780

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Founded in 1885, the Prescott Fire Department began with four 25-man volunteer companies, the Dudes, the Toughs, the Mechanics Hook & Ladders, and the O.K.s. These 100 men reflected both the common man and the leaders of the region. Over the years, their numbers would include governors-to-be F.A. Tritle and Thomas Campbell, business leaders H.D. Aitken and A.A. "Tony" Johns, and numerous members of the Goldwater family. The department and its community survived the great fire of July 14, 1900, as well as the loss of 19 of its own Granite Mountain Hotshots on June 30, 2013. The Prescott Fire Department would go from a volunteer department to a fully paid department of 80 firefighters, operating out of five stations and covering an area of 40 square miles.

St. Louis Fire Department

9780738531922

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The St. Louis Fire Department was established in 1857 and is the second oldest paid fire department in the United States. This pictorial history portrays the department's rich history and exemplifies why its motto is "Justifiably Proud." The St. Louis Fire Department history is one of leadership and innovation. It was one of the first departments to purchase a 100' aerial ladder truck. It was also one of the first to establish an academy for the study of fire and the training of fire fighting recruits. In 1987, the department was the first in the nation to use a "Total Quint Concept," which combined the traditional fire truck and hook and ladder truck into one piece of equipment.

Keyport Firefighting

9780738563619

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The Keyport Fire Department was created by necessity in the aftermath of the great fire of 1877, which destroyed half of the town's business center and brought the bustling early port settlement to a grinding halt. As the town was being rebuilt, citizens acted to ensure that fire would never again spread uncontrollably. By 1907, seven fire companies formed to provide hose, engine, ladder, and fire police services, with equipment drawn by hand or horses. The department's equipment and firefighting techniques evolved with time and technology. Keyport Firefighting chronicles more than 130 years of the firefighting men and women who lived, worked, and volunteered their services for their hometown in an effort to preserve life and property.

East Bay Hills

9781467137256

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Like the mist rising from San Francisco Bay encircles the towering redwoods, the little-known legends of the East Bay Hills enrich a glorious history. Follow the trails of Saclan and Jalquin-Yrgin people over the hills and through the valleys. Ride with the mounted rangers through the Flood of '62. Break into a sealed railroad tunnel with a pack of junior high school boys. Learn how university professors, civil servants and wealthy businessmen planned for years to create a chain of parks twenty miles along the hilltops. Author Amelia Sue Marshall explores the heritage of these storied parklands with the naturalists who continue to preserve them and the old-timers who remember wilder days.

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Milwaukee Fire Department

9780738534343

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The Milwaukee Fire Department, like the city it serves, boasts a long and proud past, rich with diverse details. The department first formed as a volunteer organization in 1837, evolving into a full-time service by 1874. Steeped in pride and tradition, its penchant for innovation is legendary.

These traits have characterized legions of brave and skillful professionals whose devotion to duty established the department's reputation as a leader in protecting lives and property. Throughout the department's history, its members have left their mark in countless ways, reflecting the background, work ethic, and talent of Milwaukee's citizens.

Johnstown Waters

9781467159524

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Guardian Dams. Today, most people remember Johnstown for a cataclysmic flood, but the city was also once known for steel.

From the early 1900s through much of the 1970s, millions of gallons of water per day were necessary to keep the city’s main industry alive. This is the story of the dams that didn’t fail, safely keeping the people of Johnstown and its steel industry prosperous for decades. It is also the story of transformation, for the dams built by an extinct steel company still stand and now safeguard areas of great natural resources and ecological importance in the highlands of Northern Appalachia. Surveying more than a century of wars, labor strife and economic catastrophe, author Joshua Penrod interweaves the story of these dams with the history of Johnstown itself.

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Connecticut and Rhode Island Covered Bridges

9780738575407

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During their heyday in the mid-to-late 1800s, more than 150 covered bridges dotted the landscape of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Since that time, floods, fires, and progress have claimed all but three of the historic structures. Covered bridges were heavily concentrated in the hills of northwestern Connecticut, spanning the Farmington, Housatonic, and Naugatuck Rivers. In Rhode Island, most were built by the railroads in Woonsocket, Providence, and other communities in the northern part of the state, though few pictures are known to exist. Connecticut was the birthplace of two of the nation's best known covered bridge designers: Ithiel Town and Theodore Burr. Half of the covered bridges currently standing in the United States are supported by trusses patented by either Town or Burr.

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The Verde River

9780738578897

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Archaeologists discovered that the Hohokam were an advanced native tribe who built elaborate irrigation systems along the Verde River, and then disappeared. Early Arizona settlers recognized the tenacity and intelligence of the Hohokam and began to reconstruct their canal system. In 1903, the Salt River Project commenced, and the first lake on the lower Verde River was formed with the completion of the Bartlett Dam in 1939. Seven years later and 12 miles upstream from Bartlett, the Horseshoe Reservoir was created in order to expand copper mining during World War II. The astonishing result of these reservoirs is today's sprawling desert megalopolis of Phoenix, Arizona. Nicknamed "The River of Time," the Verde River is a timeline of Arizona history, and it is essential to human life and livelihood in the area.

Boston's Bridges

9780738535715

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Flanked by rivers and ocean inlets, Boston has always been a city of bridges. At one time, Bostonians built more bridges per acre of city land than any other American city. From the days of the old Charles River crossing to the striking new Zakim span, these bridges stand as public monuments as much as they serve Boston's transportation needs. In no other American city can such a dense collection of diverse bridge types, styles, and ages be found today.

Boston's Bridges surveys the city's spans, telling the story of their construction and tracking the evolution in design, materials, and construction techniques from the 1700s to the present. Drawing on previously unpublished images from the Massachusetts Department of Public Works, the city of Boston archives, and numerous other sources, Boston's Bridges is a vivid document of the city's bridges past and present. Written by an engineer-historian, Boston's Bridges will appeal not only to those fascinated by Boston's history but also to those with an interest in construction, civil engineering, and urban architecture.

Bridges of Portland

9780738548760

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Portland is an inland port city that rose to importance in the mid-19th century as a major shipping point for the Pacific Northwest's wheat, lumber, and other commodities. The Columbia and Willamette Rivers enabled seagoing vessels to reach the port, but they also presented obstacles to local travel and commerce. Willamette River ferry service was available by 1853, but Portlanders had to wait until 1887 for a bridge. The first was the Morrison Bridge, followed by the Steel Bridge in 1888, the Madison Bridge was in 1891, and the Burnside Bridge in 1894. These bridges helped Portland grow from 17,600 residents in 1880 to 90,000 in 1900. Many more bridges were added as Portland grew during the 20th century, and well-known bridge engineers Ralph Modjeski, J.A.L. Waddell, Gustav Lindenthal, David Steinman, and Joseph Strauss each contributed to Portland's world-class collection of bridges.

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Detour New Mexico

9781467118507

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New Mexico's rich and varied history is easily accessible via detours down obscure backroads and overlooked off-ramps. By taking the road less traveled in any direction, visitors can experience ancient landmarks, cultural heritage sites and striking vistas. Stop at places along the old Route 66, sample the world's best chiles by the Rio Grande or soak in geothermal water flowing under Truth or Consequences. Ancient dwellings in remote canyons, the town where the first atomic bomb was secretly assembled and the grave of Billy the Kid all lie off the beaten path in the Land of Enchantment. Authors Arthur and David Pike map out these and many more worthwhile points of interest for the curious traveler.

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California's Deadliest Earthquakes

9781467136020

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Home to hundreds of faults, California leads the nation in frequency of earthquakes every year. Despite enduring their share of the natural disasters, residents still speculate over the inevitable big one. More than three thousand people lost their lives during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Long Beach's 1933 earthquake caused a loss of nearly $50 million in damages. And the Northridge earthquake injured thousands and left a $550 million economic hit. Historian Abraham Hoffman explores the personal accounts and aftermath of California's most destructive tremors.

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The Newport Bridge

9781467139588

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Newport is a premier destination, but getting to the city has not always been easy.

For three centuries, ferries crossed Narragansett Bay's East Passage. That all changed on June 28, 1969, the day the Newport Bridge opened, and it closed the last remaining gap between Aquidneck and Conanicut Islands. Proponents of the bridge persevered political squabbles and delays for twenty-five years following World War II to make it a reality. The longest suspension bridge in the region incorporated several new technologies and construction techniques and changed the face of Rhode Island. Author James Ricci details the trials and tribulations that produced an iconic bridge.

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Bridges of Seattle

9781467104388

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Seattle is situated in a region of outstanding scenic beauty, but the forested hills and numerous bodies of water that characterize the city were formidable obstacles to connecting its communities as it grew out from the historic center. Between 1896 and 1930, the city undertook massive landscape regrades, landfills, and waterway cuts to ease movement by land and water. The completion of these efforts allowed for the construction of Seattle's first permanent steel bridges beginning in 1910. Nine bridges included in this book are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. They include Washington's oldest steel arch bridge, the 1911 Twelfth Avenue South Bridge; the 1913 Ravenna Park Bridge; all four of the Lake Washington Ship Canal bascules, constructed between 1917 and 1924; and the Depression-era Aurora, Cowen Park, and Schmitz Park bridges. Bridges of Seattle explores the history of the spans that are a quintessential part of the Seattle experience.

Pennsylvania's Historic Bridges

9780738549941

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Pennsylvania's Historic Bridges examines the development of different types of bridge structures across Pennsylvania through the world of postcards, many of which are from the early 1900s. The structures featured are constructed from various materials and in a multitude of styles. Also found within these pages are several postcards of pedestrian bridges, canal bridges, trolley bridges, railroad bridges, and an aqueduct.

Elephant Butte Dam

9781467133326

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On November 18, 1904, engineer B.M. Hall submitted his final report to the 12th National Irrigation Congress in El Paso, Texas. He concluded that the ideal location for a dam and reservoir would be a site in western New Mexico. A congressional act of February 25, 1905, authorized the construction of Elephant Butte Dam, the first civil engineering structure concerned with international allocation of water. Part of the Rio Grande Project, the dam and its reservoir would provide irrigation water for farmers along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Today, Elephant Butte Dam is designated as a National Historical Engineer Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the oldest national professional engineering society in the United States. The area is home to Elephant Butte Lake State Park, where camping, fishing, and water sports are enjoyed by both residents and tourists.

Building the Columbia River Highway

9781626192713

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When nine-hundred-foot ice age floods carved the Columbia River Gorge through the Cascade Mountains to the sea, little space was left for man to form a highway of his own. It took an artist-poet-engineer extraordinaire to conquer this reluctant piece of real estate and produce the nation's first scenic highway. Meet Sam Hill, the mover and shaker, and Samuel Lancaster, the polio survivor, who turned modern engineering on its ear to create a "poem in stone." Today, Oregon's historic Columbia River Highway is hidden among the trees, where it meanders past spectacular waterfalls and dramatic views. Ride along with Peg Willis as she explores the beginnings of this miracle highway and the men who created it.

Delaware Farming

9780738544496

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Delaware's agricultural traditions have helped define the state for generations. Farmers and millers were part of the Breadbasket of the Revolution, providing critically important wheat and flour for George Washington's armies. In the 19th century, Delaware became known as the Peach State, shipping fresh peaches by rail to urban markets throughout the eastern United States. In 1855, the first cannery on the Delmarva Peninsula started operations in Dover, inaugurating a still viable and active agricultural industry. Sussex County, Delaware, is the birthplace of the modern broiler chicken industry, beginning with an accidental experiment on Cecile Steele's Ocean View farm in 1923. This agricultural heritage continues; 42 percent of Delaware's land mass remains in farms, despite significant land development since World War II.

Logging in Plumas County

9780738559292

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Located within the northern Sierra Nevada mountain range, the forests of Plumas County were once seen as a source of endless timber. Lumber was needed during the Gold Rush for water flumes, mine timbers, and an array of buildings. While timber was abundant, the abilities of the early settlers to harvest, transport, and mill the logs were often very limited. Markets remained relatively local throughout the second half of the 19th century until the completion of the Western Pacific Railroad in 1909. This sparked a new rush of industry into the region. Vast tracts of untapped Plumas County timber were bought up by speculators, and many sawmills were erected. Logging in the western United States moved from animal power to steam engines to internal combustion in the space of about 50 years. While Plumas County's lumber industry was reflective of these developments, it also found its own identity as a timber-producing region that was nearly unequaled.

Plymouth and Northwestern Amador County

9781467108775

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Situated near the Sierra Nevada foothills in the northwestern region of Amador County is the small town of Plymouth. This hamlet, and other surrounding towns such as Drytown, Fiddletown, and River Pines, have been home to farmers, ranchers, and merchants since the early days of the California Gold Rush. Plymouth, known to be the gateway to the world-famous Shenandoah Valley wine country, is a thriving community with a hometown feel. History lives here, from the aged buildings along Main Street to the ruins of the Plymouth-Consolidated Mine, one of the largest gold producers in California.

Blue Ridge Fire Towers

9781626198173

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Fire lookout towers have graced the highest peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountains for more than a century. Early mountaineers and conservationists began constructing lookouts during the late 1800s. By the 1930s, states and the federal government had built thousands of towers around the country, many in the Blue Ridge. While technology allowed forestry services to use other means for early detection of fires, many towers still stand as a testament to their significance. Author Robert Sorrell details the fascinating history of the lookouts in the Blue Ridge's forests.

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Chester County Mushroom Farming

9780738556581

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Chester County is well known for its sprawling scenic views, rich farmland, the Main Line, and mushrooms. Chester County, and specifically the village of Kennett Square, is known as the mushroom capital of the world because of the quantity and quality of mushrooms grown there. Mushrooms have been around for centuries, with the French beginning cultivation in the 1600s, and mushroom farming began in Chester County more than 120 years ago. The earliest farmers were Quakers, but over the years members of the Irish, Italian, and Hispanic communities have joined the ranks of Chester County mushroom farmers. The local mushroom farmers were responsible for the forming of the American Mushroom Institute more than a half century ago.

Eagle Rock Reservation

9780738511399

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Founded in 1895, the Essex County Park Commission was the first county park system in the nation. That year, the commission began its management of Eagle Rock. The reservation was designed by renowned architect Frederick Law Olmsted Sr., who also designed Central Park in New York City and the Capitol Grounds in Washington, D.C. Evident characteristics of the architect within the park are the winding roads, natural blended waterways, open fields, and overlooks, all of which combine to attract thousands of visitors each year. Eagle Rock Reservation explores many interesting and little-known facts about the park. Readers are introduced to Llewellyn Haskell, the founder of nearby Llewellyn Park, who first purchased land at Eagle Rock. Seen is the trolley that once served Eagle Rock as it emerged as a popular resort area. Included are the park's view of the New York City skyline and the Hundred Steps to Eagle Rock, the same steps that were ascended by visitors nearly one hundred years ago. Also seen is a never-before-published lab note written by Thomas Edison, documenting World War I experiments he conducted for the U.S. Navy at Eagle Rock.

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Massachusetts Covered Bridges

9780738573236

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From hidden valleys in the Berkshire Hills to the North Shore, 275 documented highway and railroad covered bridges have been constructed in Massachusetts from the early 19th century onward, a figure that often comes as a surprise to those who traditionally associate these unique structures with northern New England. All but a small handful of these are long gone, lost to modern replacements, fires, wear, and the region's notorious weather, especially the devastating storms of the late 1930s. The bridges came in all shapes and sizes, from diminutive 50-foot spans to multitiered structures of nearly 900 feet that crossed the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers and were stout enough to support railroads across their roofs.

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Lost Coal District of Gebo, Crosby and Kirby

9781467156462

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Forging America’s Fuel

Henry Cottle registered the first mining claim in what would become northern Hot Springs County in the late 1880s. Henry Monro and Frank Porter’s Cedar Mountain “Cowboy Mine” followed in 1898. In 1906, Burlington Railroad built its southbound line from Billings, Montana to Frannie and Worland, Wyoming. The route was, in no small part, because of the quality and quantity of coal near Kirby. With a rail contract for a twenty-mile extension, Mormon pioneer Jesse W. Crosby, Jr. filed his mining claim in 1910. Naturally, more entrepreneurs followed, including Samuel Gebo. The coal camps of Gebo and Crosby were born, forming a significant coal district that nurtured a true melting pot of nationalities. Author Lea Cavalli Schoenewald recounts the area’s heyday and the lives that powered its development.

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Birmingham Broadcasting

9780738542713

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Birmingham, Alabama, has enjoyed a long and distinguished broadcasting history. The city's first radio station aired in 1922, and television arrived in 1949. Both media produced personalities who became household names in the city. Audiences came to know Joe Rumore, Tommy Charles, Country Boy Eddy, Cousin Cliff Holman, Rosemary, Pat Gray, Tom York, and many others as if they were members of their own families. Even the commercials became as memorable as the news, entertainment, talk, and children's shows they interrupted.

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Coal in Campbell County

9781467130172

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In his Annual Report of the Territorial Geologist to the Governor of Wyoming 1890, Louis D. Ricketts wrote, The coal of this district has little other use than that of supplying a local market. Years later, nothing could be further from the truth. The United States uses approximately one billion tons of coal a year, with about 390 million tons coming from Campbell County, Wyoming. Since large-scale commercial coal production began in Campbell County in the mid-1970s, most coal companies have changed names, owners, and boundaries several times. To let those changes go unrecorded would be to lose the very beginning of coal in Campbell County.

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Lost Coal Country of Northeastern Pennsylvania

9781467126410

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Lost Coal Country of Northeastern Pennsylvania documents the region's disappearing anthracite history, which shaped the legacy of the United States of America and the industrial revolution.

The coal mines, breakers, coal miners' homes, and railroads have all steadily disappeared. With only one coal breaker left in the entire state, it was time to record what would soon be lost. Unfortunately, one piece of history that persists is underground fires that ravage communities like Centralia. Blazing for over 50 years, the flames of Centralia will not be doused anytime soon. Images featured in the book include the St. Nicholas coal breaker, Huber coal breaker, Steamtown National Historic Site, Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour, Eckley Miners' Village, Centralia, and the Knox Mine disaster. A hybrid history book and travel guide, Lost Coal Country of Northeastern Pennsylvania is one final recounting of what is gone and what still remains.

Washington, D.C., Film and Television

9781467120685

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For generations, movies and television have been sources of entertainment that have shaped the country's consciousness. Washington, DC, Film and Television chronicles popular and obscure films and television programs that feature Washington, DC. Sharing the sites, neighborhoods, institutions, and monuments that filmmakers used as their settings, this exciting title takes readers behind the scenes of classic movies, including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Houseboat, and The Exorcist. Familiar television programs that transmitted local news and information are featured alongside photographs of some of Hollywood's greatest stars. With the nation's capital as a backdrop, the landscape, architecture, and history of Washington have always and will continue to make it an aesthetically exciting and authentic locale for the many story lines of Hollywood.

Cover image for Washington, D.C., Film and Television, isbn: 9781467120685

Quicksilver Mining in Sonoma County

9781626194724

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

In the 1870s, a quicksilver mining boom took hold of Sonoma County, California. Claims were staked, and a rowdy camp took shape in Pine Flat as farmers traded plows for picks and miners answered the siren call of cinnabar. In this compelling account, historian Joe Pelanconi relates the development of the twenty-mile Cinnabar Mining District. Pelanconi shares intriguing stories like those of the Donner Party survivor, Chinese laborers who worked the mines in danger of mercury poisoning and the two brothers who were leading citizens of the district and purported victims of murder. Delve into Sonoma County's heritage and a lost era when eccentrics and dreamers sought shining flasks of riches in the Mayacamas Mountains above today's wine country.

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Naval Air Station Atlantic City

9780738576701

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Few would guess Atlantic City has a rich aviation history, being instrumental in many technical advances and playing a key role in the defense of the nation. The wartime role of Naval Air Station Atlantic City, commissioned in 1943, was training naval fighter pilots as well as developing technology and procedures for ground controlled interception of enemy aircraft. After the war, Atlantic City was the site of testing new Navy aircraft as well as the development of all-weather, night-fighting, and attack capabilities. After the Navy left in 1958, the airfield became home to the Federal Aviation Administration's premier research center, a New Jersey Air National Guard jet fighter base, a US Coast Guard air station, and Atlantic City International Airport.

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USS Constellation

9780738505824

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Few things in our world today can be described as truly "unique," and yet, this word is aptly attributed to the USS Constellation. The last all-sail warship constructed by the United States Navy, the Constellation is the last surviving vessel afloat that actively served in the Union or Confederate Navies during the Civil War. While hundreds of battlefields commemorate the valor of the legions of soldiers who served in our nation's most divisive conflict, this ship is the last buoyant memorial to those who served their country and their cause upon the precarious seas. From her 1854 mystery-shrouded construction, through her numerous roles and assignments, to her several "restorations" over the last 40 years, this majestic vessel has a fascinating story to tell. USS Constellation: An Illustrated History, the first comprehensive account of the Constellation's journey through the years, tells this story and showcases over 200 images, including photographs, engravings, paintings, and sketches gathered from museums, archives, and private collections. These visual records, and the informative captions that accompany them, testify to the engaging tale of this seminal piece of American history, dispel the myths of her past, and set straight her record of accomplishment and endurance.

Balboa Park and the 1915 Exposition

9781626193451

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The Panama-California Exposition of 1915 established San Diego as a focal point of cultural activity in California. The Spanish Colonial Revival exposition buildings, along with those from a second exposition in Balboa, house several of the great museums of San Diego. This 1,200-acre park in the central portion of the city contains the world-famous San Diego Zoo, fifteen museums, the Old Globe Theatre, sports and recreation facilities, hiking trails and some of America's most elaborate gardens. The late Richard W. Amero, longtime Balboa Park historian, wrote extensively about the park and its two expositions. His chapters on the creation of the first exposition have been edited into this essential volume on city history by Michael Kelly, president of the Committee of One Hundred. .

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Cape Cod Shore Whaling

9781596294295

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While Nantucket has long enjoyed an illustrious position in America's whaling history, Cape Cod's contribution to the industry is relatively unknown. Yet, it was a Cape Codder who taught the Nantucketers how to hunt whales. In Cape Cod Shore Whaling, authors Duncan Oliver and John Braginton-Smith uncover Cape Cod's integral role in shaping whalefishery, which began along the Cape's sandy shores and evolved into the far-flung whaling expeditions that drove Nantucket's economy into the nineteenth century. Drawing on rare documents never before published, whaling journals, and diaries, Oliver and Braginton-Smith recreate a bygone age when men fought one another for rights to the sea.

Firefighting in Frederick

9780738517346

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The story of firefighting in Frederick, Maryland, is a complex tale of heroism, sacrifice, and duty that dates back to 1818.

Firefighters play a vital role in any time, but it's almost easy to forget the days before mandatory fire safety practices, when most buildings were made of wood, how often the fire department was the only thing to prevent a fire from destroying an entire city. This volume describes the heroic role the fire department has played in defending the city of Frederick for close to two centuries. Highlighted in this work are the Independent Hose Company, Junior Fire Company, United Steam Fire Engine Company, Citizen's Truck Company, Fort Detrick Fire Department, as well as historic fires, emergency medical services, and major disasters throughout the region.

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Firefighting in Hagerstown

9780738516585

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The story of firefighting in Hagerstown is almost as old as the town itself. From the bucket brigades in 1791 to the modern fire apparatus used today, the fire department of Hagerstown has played a significant role in protecting local citizens and structures from the ravages of fire. By highlighting the major components of the fire department, including firefighters, fire stations, and the blazes that have spread throughout the city, Images of America: Firefighting in Hagerstown chronicles over two centuries of protection in Hagerstown. This work touches on the dedication, sacrifice, and willingness to serve by the members of each fire company. With over 200 archival images, this volume highlights many rarely seen photographs, including horse-drawn equipment, firehouses, and many of Hagerstown's most challenging fires.

Oakland Fire Department

9780738529684

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For over 150 years, brave firefighters have battled to preserve the lives and property of the citizens of Oakland. Beginning in 1853, volunteer engine and hook and ladder companies organized and the Oakland Fire Department formed in 1869. Until 1922, teams of magnificent horses pulled steamers belching black smoke and embers, with firemen holding on for dear life. These gallant fire horses were as much firefighters as the rugged men of Oakland who extinguished blazes with leather hoses and brass nozzles. After waging an internal battle of racial integration--a 35-year struggle that began in
1920--the Oakland Fire Department became one of the first in the nation to hire women firefighters beginning in 1980.

Portland Fire & Rescue

9780738548838

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Firefighting in Portland boasts many proud traditions and a long and storied history. In 1851, Col. Thomas Dryer, editor of the Oregonian newspaper, decided that it was in the best interest of the city to establish a firefighting force, and with that, he founded the Pioneer Fire Engine Company No. 1. Little better than a bucket brigade, this volunteer force of 37 men wearing red shirts started operations with just a single hand pump. From these humble beginnings, the organization grew to keep pace with a burgeoning city. From the great fire of 1873 and the colorful era of horse-drawn apparatus to technological innovations and community involvement, Portland Fire & Rescue--as the department is now known--has valiantly protected lives and property in Portland for more than a century and a half.

The Dams of Western San Diego County

9781467127219

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The unreliability of the San Diego River compelled the Franciscan fathers to construct the area's first dam in 1813 to conserve drinking and irrigation water for the Mission San Diego de Alcalá. This water-driven circumstance continued and expanded in the ensuing American era. Lacking a reliable water source at the turn of the 20th century, San Diego County was destined to experience modest growth. The region's semiarid conditions, cyclical droughts, and existing river systems determined that the only effective way to maintain a ready water supply was to conserve runoff and river floodwaters behind dam-created reservoirs. Between 1888 and 1934, private and municipal interests constructed a series of massive structures that made San Diego County the dam-building center of the world. The county featured some of America's first multiple arch dams and earliest hydraulic fill dams. Into the mid-1940s, dammed reservoirs remained the principle water source for county consumers and made the municipal expansion of the city of San Diego possible.

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Firefighting in Buncombe County

9781467121804

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When Buncombe County was formed in 1792, firefighting efforts were left up to individual landowners and helpful neighbors using buckets and a nearby well or body of water. Not until 1882 was an organized, community-sponsored fire department established; this was the Asheville Fire Department. Other fire departments followed, and no two were the same. Stations appeared in the towns of Weaverville and Black Mountain, while others sprang up in the residential communities of Kenilworth, Biltmore Forest, and George Vanderbilt's Biltmore Village. In September 1953, county commissioners formally passed a resolution for county aid and supervision for rural volunteer fire departments. Through photographs that illustrate firefighting in many of its forms--rescue squads, wildland firefighting units, ladies auxiliaries, and ambulance services--Firefighting in Buncombe County showcases and honors the firefighters of this mountainous area who have always worked to keep their communities safe.

Portland Firefighting

9781467128285

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The city of Portland, Maine, has an extraordinary history as a prominent seaport dating back to early colonial times. Few realize how heavily intertwined this history is with fire and firefighting. The motto of the city, Resurgam, is Latin for I will rise again. The city symbol has long included the phoenix, a mythological bird that is said to arise from the ashes of its predecessor. With over 20 major conflagrations and four different fires that destroyed the majority of the city, both the symbol and the motto directly reference Portland's perseverance despite catastrophic fire. As the Portland Fire Department celebrates the 250th anniversary of the inception of organized fire protection on March 29, 1768, Portland Firefighting takes the reader on a photographic tour encompassing not only the department's history but also the development of firefighting through the centuries.

Cover image for Portland Firefighting, isbn: 9781467128285

Newport Beach Fire Department

9780738555935

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For nearly a century, the men and women of the Newport Beach Fire Department have served their Orange County community with dedication, professionalism, and grace. Starting with a primitive hose reel and a dozen volunteers in 1911, determined Newport Beach firefighters protected the always tourism-friendly community with more dedication than equipment. In 1927, the volunteers were disbanded and a paid fire department was organized. This volume celebrates 100 years of the Newport Beach Fire Department's exemplary service by combining historical photographs with a narrative that traces the evolution of firefighting in Newport Beach from its turn-of-the-century roots to the state-of-the-art operation it is today, entrusted with protecting one of coastal California's most affluent and picturesque showcase communities.

Firefighting in Hopkinsville

9780738553238

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Organized in 1832, the Hopkinsville Union Fire Company represented the first attempt to provide fire protection for the town of Hopkinsville, which had 1,260 residents at that time. Succeeding volunteer groups (called runners) were created through the remainder of the 19th century. By 1900, a paid, professional fire department had been established with the firemen and equipment housed in the old town market house at the intersection of Fifth and Main Streets. Five years later, the City of Hopkinsville completed the new Central Fire Station located on East Ninth Street between Liberty and Clay Streets. In October 1924, the destruction of this building by fire generated widespread comment. A new station was built within the original walls of the burned building. This facility served as the Hopkinsville Fire Station until the department moved to the new Main Station on West First Street in May 1964.

Orlando Firefighting

9780738553078

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Mystery surrounds the origins of Orlando's name, but the most probable explanation for its moniker dates back to the exploits of Orlando Reeves. While guarding Central Florida forts against Native American attacks, Reeves was alarmed in the middle of the night. A log rolled toward Reeves in the darkness, and he knew it disguised movement by an opponent. After firing his gun to awaken his fellow soldiers, he was bombarded by arrows, which resulted in his death. Orlando's name was bestowed upon a local post office in 1857 and then on the city incorporated in 1875. Just like the brave solider for whom the city was named, firefighters of Orlando boldly risk their lives for the welfare of others. This volume commemorates those men and women and traces a rich history from 1883, when a devastating fire inspired William C. Sherman to start a volunteer fire company, to today.

A Chicago Firehouse

9780738518572

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From its humble beginnings in 1884 as a one-story frame building with one bay to house Hose Company 4 and its team of horses, Engine Company 78 has been the firefighting sentinel at the end of Waveland Avenue, sitting in the shadow of Wrigley Field. Using vintage photographs and moving stories from firefighters themselves, Karen Kruse captures the spirit and heroism of this historic Chicago landmark. Captain Robert F. Kruse served the Chicago Fire Department for 30 years, half of those at Wrigleyville's Engine 78. Growing up within the tight-knit firefighting community, Ms. Kruse records the dramatic and touching stories from her father's and his peers' experiences, and combines them in this volume exploring the unique history of Lakeview's firehouse, including a foreword by Mike Ditka and preface by Fire Commissioner James Joyce. With details about little known historic districts and a brief guide to Chicago's cemeteries and their relations to firefighters, A Chicago Firehouse: Stories of Wrigleyville's Engine 78 relays in first-hand accounts some of Chicago's most fiery tragedies, the brave men who battled them, and the diversity of the neighborhood that housed them.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Apparatus Heritage

9780738552637

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The formation of the volunteer fire and rescue departments were a central part of Loudoun County's rich history. In the beginning, residents rallied to provide fire protection and emergency medical care to their neighbors. As more communities were
established, fire and rescue departments worked together to provide assistance to each other during an emergency. As Loudoun County experiences incredible growth, volunteers from the community
work side-by-side with career personnel to ensure that citizens are well protected. The images in this volume capture the history of Loudoun's fire and rescue apparatus, from the earliest trucks to today's modern fire and rescue vehicles. The photographs depict a time when departments struggled to raise funds and provide protection to their communities. This Images of America book shows how far fire and rescue departments have come to ensure the protection of life and property in Loudoun County.

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Apparatus Heritage

Bristol Firefighting

9780738510774

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In 1845, a series of disastrous fires nearly crippled the economy of Bristol. Earlier in the century, the community had become one of the leading clock producers in the world, and this astounding success spawned many other local businesses. As the factories multiplied, so did the need for fire protection; unfortunately, when the whirlwind of fires struck, Bristol was unprepared and suffered heavy losses. Yet, it was not until eight years later that three prominent businessmen took the first steps toward organizing a fire company: in September 1853, a firehouse was built on School Street and it was equipped with a used hand pump and five hundred feet of leather hose. It became Bristol Engine and Hose Company No.1.

With some two hundred stunning images, Bristol Firefighting relives the fire department's proud history over the past one hundred fifty years, as the old hand pump gave way to an 1881 Amoskeag steamer drawn by horses, which in turn moved aside in the early 1900s for a Pope-Hartford, a motorized auto chemical truck, which changed firefighting forever. Years later, Bristol was recognized throughout the country for owning the first American La France foam pumper, appropriately known as the Bristol Model. Bristol Firefighting recalls firsthand accounts of many infamous fires, told through the eyes of the local people who witnessed them. Most dramatically, it relates the stories of heroism, sacrifice, and bravery displayed by firefighters in their unending desire to serve and protect their community.

Springfield Firefighting

9780738550114

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The history of the Springfield Fire Department dates back to 1792 when the first hand pumper, Lion, was purchased. On January 24, 1794, a fire club with 50 members, all prominent citizens of the city, was organized. Fire districts were established in 1830 by an act passed by the Massachusetts legislature. By 1833, Springfield officially organized a fire department, and like the fire club, the new volunteer department consisted of prominent members of the community. The fire department changed from volunteer to paid in 1872. The volunteers then formed the Springfield Veteran Fireman's Association. After 1872, the department made great strides, especially in the area of apparatus. In 1906, Springfield entered the motorized age with the introduction of a Knox squad truck, and by 1916, Springfield became the first fullymotorized fire department in the United States.

Black Fire

9781596293281

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Robert J Crawford was one of the first 12 black firefighter hired by the City of Memphis. He came through the ranks as the first black battalion chief, deputy chief and deputy director. This book details his experiences as a boy growing up in Memphis and as a black firefighter.

This is a first hand personal experience of what black firefighters faced from a systemic manipulation to deny them opportunity and examples of tactics used to "get rid of them."

New Jersey's Covered Bridges

9781467120111

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In the 18th and 19th centuries, covered bridges dotted the landscape of New Jersey, providing safe passage to travelers. Forty-five covered bridges once crossed waterways in all corners of the state. Perhaps the most extraordinary examples of these wooden bridges were found along the western border, crossing the Delaware River into neighboring Pennsylvania. These bridges were feats of construction and engineering but were ultimately unable to prevent the inevitable fate of almost all the covered bridges of the state, namely ice, floods, and fire as well as the development of new materials and technology. Today, only one covered bridge survives in New Jersey. The Green Sergeant's covered bridge in Hunterdon County was constructed over the Wickecheoke Creek in 1872 and has stood the test of time. New Jersey's Covered Bridges showcases the rich transportation history of these structures and pictorially honors the lost ones.

Smith Mountain Dam and Lake

9781467122658

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Explore the vibrant history of Smith Mountain Dam in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

The construction of a dam in the gap of Smith Mountainin Pittsylvania County, Virginia, had been considered as early as the 1920s. However, the dam's construction did not begin until 1960.Smith Mountain Damclosed the gap completely in 1963, and Smith Mountain Lakebegan to fill and form behind it.

The hydroelectric dam consists of 175,000 cubic yards of concrete and has the capacity to generate 605 megawatts of electricity for up to 11 hours.Smith Mountain Damis part of a two-dam system on the Roanoke River, and its companion dam, the Leesville Dam, is a smaller structure designed to pump water back to Smith Mountain Lakeand to also generate hydroelectric power for American Electric Power (AEP) customers.Smith Mountain Lakecovers 20,000 acres and has a 500-mile shoreline, which borders Franklin, Pittsylvania, and Bedford Counties.

Over the years, development near and around Smith Mountain Lakehas exploded, and this has presented both opportunities and challenges in regard to stewardship of the area's natural resources. James A. Nagy, author of Images of America: Franklin County, presents images from various collections, including the AEP archives, showing the construction and development of Smith Mountain Dam and Lake.

Indiana's Covered Bridges

9780738533353

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Once there were hundreds of 19th-century and very early 20th-century covered bridges in Indiana--so many in fact, that the state ranked third in the nation in the number of structures still standing. By the early 1930s and 1940s, a movement was afoot to preserve those magnificent structures that had not already disappeared due to desertion and deterioration. Some were saved, but many were not. What was saved and cherished, however, was an abundance of vintage black and white images taken by pioneer photographers who willingly trekked from bridge to bridge decades ago. Captured in this volume are nearly 200 of those photographs from the mid-20th century and before, representing more than 36 Indiana counties from Adams County to Wells County.

Bridges of Downtown Los Angeles

9781467133531

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The Los Angeles River was tamed years ago. The river, by nature wanting to be violent and random, doses now in a concrete bed through downtown Los Angeles. In the city's core, there are over a dozen bridges that connect Los Angeles across the river—and these bridges are architectural marvels! These bridges were built in the first decades of the 1900s, and their history continues. The largest and longest bridge, the Sixth Street Viaduct, is in the process of being replaced. Others have been upgraded and enlarged; Spring Street is underway now. Many of the bridges were designed by one man, Merrill Butler, who made each bridge different, yet matching. In this volume, the reader will explore the necessity of the bridges, how they came to be, and where they are going in the future. The time is ripe for a reexamination of these jewels of downtown Los Angeles.

Bay Area Iron Master Al Zampa:

9781467119139

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Jefferson City Civil Pilots, The

9781467154499

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Aviation captivated young men before World War II, regardless of their skin color. But few Black enthusiasts had access, means or opportunity until the Civil Pilot Training program.

Lincoln University of Missouri and the old Jefferson Airfield offered the only program west of the Mississippi River exclusively for Black pilots. Fulfilling the dream of the school’s founders, many successful Lincolnites joined the Tuskegee Airmen, the first U.S. military aviation units. Wendell Pruitt’s aerial acrobatics were legendary, and Wilbur Long was one of twenty-two to survive Nazi POW camps. Clovis Bordeaux went on to be one of the first Black rocket scientists, and Charles Anderson became a pioneer in satellite meteorology. Michelle Brooks explores Lincoln’s men and moments in their pursuit of Double Victory.

Cover image for Jefferson City Civil Pilots, The, isbn: 9781467154499

Montana Women From the Ground Up

9781467137232

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Growing up on the family ranch, Linda Finley fought hard to gain the acceptance and respect as a ranch hand that her brothers took for granted. Arlene Pile barely remembers learning to ride a horse and run machinery—she was so young. She learned to drive on an 8N Ford tractor with a buck rake. Lee Jacobsen became the first woman in the state licensed to artificially inseminate cattle. Meet these and other Montana women passionate about caring for their land and determined to make the lifestyle their own. Many never doubted for a moment that they would spend their lives in agriculture, while others speak of their surprise and delight to find themselves living on the land. All agree that they wouldn't be happy doing anything else.

Cover image for Montana Women From the Ground Up, isbn: 9781467137232

Brewing in Montana

9781467109086

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Montana can trace its brewing roots back more than 150 years to when a barrel of beer was brewed in Virginia City and carried to the town saloon. Since then, Montana has seen breweries large and small erupt along cattle trails and at train stations and riverside trading posts. Some of the brewers and breweries set in Montana were the foundations of future, national-brand breweries, having unique ties to Olympia Brewing and Pabst Brewing Company. And like many other states across the country, Montana was not immune to Prohibition, though not every brewer laid down without a fight. The breweries in the Big Sky state showed resilience when needed, but more so, they were reflections of the diverse communities and economies the state fostered. Fortunately, when Montana's mines began to dry up, agriculture took over, and even in the early 20th century, state officials documented in the Seventh Annual Report 1900-1901 that Montana could be "one the chief beer producing states in the nation" because of the amount of barley growing on the land.

George County

9781467129060

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George County, named for Sen. James Z. George, became one of Mississippi's youngest counties in 1910. Located east of the DeSoto National Forest, west of Mobile, and north of Pascagoula, the county is embedded in the pine belt, a region that stretches from the Carolinas along the Gulf Coast to Texas. The founders unapologetically boasted that George County was formed by combining the best land from neighboring Greene and Jackson Counties. As the only city in the county, Lucedale was the obvious choice to become the county seat. Lucedale was named for Gregory M. Luce, the Michigan native who saw opportunity in George County's natural resources. Business generated by Luce and other like-minded entrepreneurs set in motion the ongoing development and evolution of local agriculture, transportation, infrastructure, and commerce.

Cover image for George County, isbn: 9781467129060

Farming in Torrance and the South Bay

9780738559308

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Jared Sydney Torrance originally founded Torrance in 1912 as an industrial city. But the land and its surrounding South Bay region thrived through agricultural activities, beginning in 1784 on the Rancho San Pedro. Farming activities continued after Ben Weston became the first one to buy land from the Dominguez family's rancho in 1847. Farming remained an important part of city commerce in the transition to a thriving Los Angeles County suburb in the late 1950s. Throughout those early years, family farmers contributed to the city's economy by raising cattle, pigs, and turkeys, as well as sugar beets, alfalfa, beans, hay, oats, barley, and flowers, and operating dairy farms. Other South Bay cities also relied on agriculture for economic growth, including Carson, once home to a thriving cut-flower farm industry, and Gardena, the one-time berry capital of Southern California, as well as the Palos Verdes Peninsula, where dry farming was a successful industry.

Old College Street

9781609496142

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Every city has a neighborhood that housed its earliest founders and their successors, an enclave of local power and financial success. For Rochester, Minnesota, this neighborhood is personified by a ten-block stretch of tree-shaded street originally platted in 1855 as West College Street, now designated as 4th Street Southwest. In the span of 150 years, two and sometimes three generations of remarkable buildings have come and gone in this neighborhood. Under the direction of movers and shakers like George Head and Dr. William J. Mayo, the street helped shape the city's architectural legacy and define its purpose. Join architectural historian Ken Allsen on a stroll down this storied street.

Spokane's Expo '74

9781467125550

$7.99 $5.99 Save 25%

Spokane's Expo ‘74 boasts a rich history. In this collection of fifteen vintage-photograph postcards, Bill Cotter explores the fair's past.