Travel

Incorporated in 1764, Fitchburg began as a farming community nestled among the hills along the Nashua River in north-central Massachusetts.

In 1845, the railroad sparked rapid growth in the city, and by the beginning of the 20th century, nearly 100 trains traveled through Fitchburg daily, the railway linking Albany and Boston. Immigrants from many countries provided a vital workforce, and the city was catapulted into a golden age of industry. Mill owners became prosperous, and their philanthropy became evident throughout the city. Splendid churches, Main Street edifices, and grand residences were built to create a rich architectural heritage, particularly the Victorian style, built at the height of mill town prosperity.

The the story of Binghamton, preserved in images captured by hundreds of unknown photographers, reveals stories from everyday life from bygone days.

Binghamton, once known as Chenango Point, has since been affectionately called the Parlor City. It is a city that grew at the juncture of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers, a land of sweeping hillsides embracing a valley containing a rich mosaic of cultures. As the seat of Broome County, the city has been the center of economic and cultural development, fulfilling a destiny dreamed of by early settlers.  At the heart of this volume are the faces of early residents, rare views of small enterprises, and vintage scenes of familiar landmarks. The accompanying text is often expressed in words from the past gleaned from letters, diaries, and newspapers-stories of real people from the beginning days of Binghamton through the 1950s.

Explore the rich history of Clinton County where strong family traditions, religious celebrations, and social justice movements like the Underground Railroad have greatly enhanced the community.

First permanently settled after Samuel de Champlain's voyages through the region and officially chartered in 1788, Clinton County offers a host of agricultural and industrial pursuits. With a rich military history, the county was pivotal in the American Revolution as the birthplace of the U.S. Navy. Clinton County is home to the city of Plattsburgh, the towns of Altona, Au Sable, Beekmantown, Black Brook, Champlain, Chazy, Clinton, Dannemora, Ellenburg, Mooers, Peru, Plattsburgh, Saranac, and Schuyler Falls, and the villages of Champlain, Dannemora, Keeseville, and Rouses Point.

Explore the town of Westfield and embrace the thriving suburban community, rich in history, culture, and civic pride.

Located just 22 miles outside of New York City, it is affectionately known as Colonial Westfield. In 1720, the West Fields of Elizabeth Town were settled by English immigrants. During the Revolutionary War, several altercations with the Red Coats took place here. Not only did George Washington stop in Westfield during the Revolutionary War, but it is believed he slept at the home of one of the town's forefathers. After the advent of the railroad in mid-1800s, the small but productive farming village gradually developed into the attractive upscale community it is today. Known for its high standards in education, emphasis on the arts, and religious and civic institutions, Westfield is one of the few suburban towns in New Jersey that continues to maintain an active downtown shopping area, complete with a major department store. With approximately 50 restaurants, it draws visitors from all over the state.

In The Five Towns, vintage photographs from unique library and personal collections are brought together to recreate the rich history and charm of the Rockaway Peninsula.

Since the 1930s, the communities of Hewlett, Woodmere, Cedarhurst, Lawrence, and Inwood have been known collectively as ""the Five Towns."" One of the oldest population centers on Long Island, the area attracted Victorian vacationers, many of whom returned and settled in lavish homes. During the Gilded Age, captains of industry, government, and finance came from the city to enjoy the Rockaway Hunting Club, Woodsburgh Pavilion, and the Holly Arms Hotel. The growth of the railroads created service industries and turned quiet fishing and farming villages into a suburban, commercial, and residential hub. A microcosm of the great metropolis to its west, the Five Towns strived to maintain their distinct characters despite the development and homogenization of the 20th century.

Join historian Seth Bramson as he recounts the rise in popularity and rich history of Miami Beach using vintage images from his personal collection.

Miami Beach began its rise to the top of the world's resort scene when Carl Fisher, builder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, arrived prior to 1920. The lure of The World's Playground was impossible to ignore for many, as hotels and restaurants flourished, even through the Great Depression. The images in this volume evoke poignant memories of Miami Beach's great past, almost inevitable downturn, and return to life with the discovery of South Beach and a renewed interest in art deco. Among the vintage views, most of which have never before been published, are early Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue; Miami Beach High School; Parham's; Junior's; Wolfies; Pumperniks; the first hotel on Miami Beach, Brown's; the Roney Plaza; the Fontainebleau; and, of course, the people who helped create this modern paradise.

An engaging visual history of Cambridge, Maryland, with never before seen photographs and postcards.

Cambridge, Maryland, ideally located along the Choptank River, has been home port to people of every description, including Native Americans, patriots, and state governors to oyster pirates and their nemesis-the Maryland Oyster Navy. Today, Cambridge embraces the diverse cultures and rich past evident in its historic homes and buildings and exhibited in its museums. The city owes much to maritime and agricultural resources including oysters and crabs from the river and bay, and crops from the surrounding fields. The town's Colonial history, proximity to Chesapeake Bay, and dauntless spirit lend a certain charm that is distinctively Cambridge.Images and postcards culled from a variety of sources bring to life the vivid and varied past of one of Maryland's earliest settlements. This unique volume of vintage photos and memorabilia, with its well-researched captions, will engage young and old alike. Highlighted in this photo journal along with the oyster fleet, businesses, churches, and events are the ordinary and extraordinary people who make this area special.

As Cranford celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2021, Celebrating Cranford illustrates the town's story and highlights its citizens, some well known and some overlooked in the past

The story of suburban Cranford, New Jersey, began after the Civil War as wealthy New Yorkers came to the area for the fresh air and the beautiful Rahway River that winds through town. After its incorporation in 1871, the town grew as neighborhoods like Roosevelt Manor, Lincoln Park, and Sunny Acres were established by Albert Eastman, Alden Bigelow, Miln Dayton, J. Walter Thompson, Severin Droescher, and the Sears Roebuck Company. Public buildings like the Opera House Block and the Cranford Casino and grand private houses were designed by local architect Frank Lent. Celebrations on the Rahway River gave birth to the nickname the “Venice of New Jersey.” Meanwhile, the citizens of Cranford went about daily life, shopping downtown, going to school, attending services at houses of worship, and working at local businesses.

Maureen E. Strazdon has served as the chair of the Cranford Historic Preservation Advisory Board for 12 years. A 35-year resident of Cranford, she lives in a restored 1887 Victorian house. The photographs and documents in the book are from the extensive collections of the Cranford Historical Society, local organizations, and personal family archives.

Images of America: Gary's Glen Park looks back at the southern neighborhood of Steel City from its birth to the early 1970s.

America's Big Steel gave birth to Gary in 1906, when the United States Steel Corporation established a plant in Indiana along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. The new city on the lake attracted thousands of job seekers from the coalfields and factories in the East to far-off lands in southern and eastern Europe. As they settled in Gary, immigrant groups established communities, built churches and schools, and instilled in their children the values of hard work, strong faith, and cultural traditions. Each chapter in Gary's Glen Park looks at a specific part of this southern neighborhood's history, such as the neighborhood, local businesses, memorable events, and people. Other chapters focus on the foundations of any community: the churches and schools.

Images of America: Richmond: A Historic Walking Tour guides readers through one of the earliest cities in the United States.

The book offers stories about settlers and Native Americans, our Founding Fathers, and even famous celebrities such as Elvis Presley, who made a visit to the Jefferson Hotel. Presented in this book are several walking tours, including one through Capitol Square, home to the Thomas Jefferson-designed state capitol; a stroll down Monument Avenue, one of the first streets to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and even a ramble through Hollywood Cemetery, the picturesque 19th-century resting spot for many celebrated historical figures.

Explore the fascinating history of Lynchburg, Virginia with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

In the spring of 1757, the Lynch brothers established a ferry across the James Riverto transport settlers on their way to the Ohio Valley. Within a decade, the settlement clustered around the ferry house became known as Lynchburg.

For a century, the city was regarded as one of the most important transportation centers in the Upper South, although its real fortune lay in tobacco. After the Civil War, Lynchburg evolved into a manufacturing center with a broadly based economy. As it marks its 250th anniversary, Lynchburg has become a focus for higher education and tourism in Central Virginia.

From the development of the modern camera to the current digital revolution, this photographic record of Lynchburg and the surrounding counties' growth is rich, varied, and traces their transformation almost from their birth to the present day.

Residents of Beacon, New York, are justifiably proud of a community that is rich in history and promise.

In this exquisite collection of images, local historians Robert J. Murphy and Denise Doring VanBuren uncover the fascinating past of Beacon and the people who have called it home. The community's earliest permanent European settler was Madam Catheryna Rombout Brett, whose c. 1709 home is preserved within the city as the the oldest building in Dutchess County. Within the vicinity of the Madam Brett Homestead, two distinct villages grew: Matteawan, a manufacturing community at the foot of the mountain, and Fishkill Landing, a Hudson River port. Both villages prospered and eventually merged in 1913. Through the decades, the community was hailed as a model of a successful manufacturing center and became the location for several significant Hudson River estates. It played host to one of the longestrunning ferries in American history and introduced one of the first electric streetcar systems in the Hudson River Valley. Perhaps its most well-known feature was the Mount Beacon Incline Railway, a feat of engineering documented as the world's steepest incline railroad.

In its beginnings, Baltimore County was covered with dense ancient forests of deciduous trees and so little undergrowth that it was said a man could gallop horses within them.

Today horses gallop over bucolic pastures of renowned Thoroughbred farms amidst quaint historic towns seen dotting the rolling landscape. Named for the Lords Baltimore, Baltimore County was originally an expansive area extending well beyond today's boundaries. Founded in 1659, the county has evolved from tobacco farming to diverse industries ranging from steel manufacturing to picturesque vineyards. Both then and now, nearby Baltimore Harbor on the Chesapeake Bay provides lucrative opportunities for merchants to trade their crops and commodities. The county offers endless recreational pursuits on over 175 miles of shoreline. Baltimore County is proud to claim among its residents the noted neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson; baseball's all-time iron man, Cal Ripken; and famous author Tom Clancy.

Despite Marco Island's common distinction as the largest of Florida's Ten Thousand Islands, there are only 12 square miles of land upon which to wander - making the enormity of its history all the more remarkable.

Marco Island projects prominently from Florida's mainland at the peninsula's southwestern fringe, where the waters of the Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico commingle. Its tropical climate, verdant landscape, unique topography, and abundant wildlife sustained prehistoric Native American cultures for centuries. The first pioneer settlers arrived in 1870, carving out a niche on the harsh Florida frontier. Bustling villages soon sprang up on the island, bolstered by strong leaders and economies centered around farming and fishing. The crash of Florida's land boom, along with the Great Depression, devastating hurricanes, and a series of failed developments, ultimately stunted the island's growth. Most of Marco Island was sold to the Deltona Corporation in 1964, which transformed the island into a place its early residents might find unrecognizable.

While it may be hundreds of years younger than its Italian namesake, Naples, Florida, has an exciting history all its own!

Naples was not much more than a bend in the road in the 1940s, but by 1950, its beautiful beaches and balmy weather had been rediscovered, and development and tourism became the city's lifeblood. Although Hurricane Donna struck Naples in 1960, the building boom continued, and by the late 1970s, few undeveloped areas remained, culminating in 1972 for the development of a new gulf-front luxury community called Pelican Bay. More than 200 images offer insight into this rarely chronicled period of Naples' history, including seldom-seen historic photographs from the archives of the Naples Daily News (formerly the Collier County News) and vintage postcards from the collection of Nina Heald Webber.

Permanent settlers began arriving at the village of Flagstaff around the 1820s, drawn by its advantageous location along the Dead River floodplain and the availability of waterpower at the outlet to Flagstaff Pond.

In 1923, the Maine legislature passed a bill condemning a 25-mile section of the upper Dead River Valley to inundation, causing the eventual permanent flooding of the villages of Flagstaff, Dead River, and Bigelow. The bill authorized the construction of a dam at the river narrows at Long Falls and the subsequent creation of Flagstaff Lake. The properties in these towns were obtained by the process of eminent domain, and residents were forced to relocate. In the spring of 1950, Flagstaff Lake was officially created when the gates in Long Falls Dam were closed. It remains a controversial project today.

See the people and places that helped shape Boca Raton, Florida, into the proud city that it is today.

Boca Raton has long served as a beautiful home to a host of interesting and talented people, from the Tekesta Indians and the buccaneers who sought refuge in the calm waters of its natural inland harbor, to today's proud residents. From a hardscrabble agricultural outpost along Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast line, the city is today one of America's great resort destinations and a prime address for a growing number of people from all over the world who want to live ""the good life."" Personalities including first settler Thomas Moore Rickards, society architect Addison Mizner, and inventor Domina Jalbert have all helped define Boca Raton, adding to the brick-and-mortar landmarks, attractions, and natural features that shape its landscape.

The history of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, can be summed up in four words: rice, sea, golf, and hammocks.

The rivers threading through coastal South Carolina created an ideal environment for cultivating rice, and by the mid-18th century, vast plantations were producing profitable crops and wealthy landowners. But those plantations also produced malaria-carrying mosquitoes, so the landowners sent their families to the seashore for the summer and built the first houses on Pawleys Island starting in 1822. The end of slavery doomed the rice culture, and the old plantations were sold to rich Northerners for hunting and fishing retreats. By the 1960s, many of the old plantations were turned into golf courses, reviving the economy. But the beating heart of Pawleys Island remains the rhythm of the sea and what one early visitor called the only beach in the world.

Travel across several centuries of change in Northeast Georgia from the early American Indian tribes to the present day's unprecedented growth and expansion.

In the late 18th century, waves of intrepid settlers made their way down the Great Wagon Road into the virgin wilderness of Northeast Georgia to find new homes and opportunity for land and wealth. Against a dramatic mountainous backdrop, these pioneers carved out farms and small communities in perilous isolation and created an American experience vastly different from that of the plantation-style society established along Georgia's coast. Battling Creek and Cherokee warriors, government intervention, natural disasters, and a landscape not easily tamed, year after year, these men and women of Northeast Georgia stamped their self-reliance, their perseverance, and their industriousness upon generations to follow and upon the very geography they called home.

In Northeast Georgia: A History, readers will go inside the American Indian tribes that once made this place their hunting grounds to the present day when both industry and population grew. Truly a world unto itself, Northeast Georgia has served as a haven and destination for all classes over the past two centuries: the bold gold miners of 1829, the stalwart sustenance farmers, the social elite enjoying fresh mountain air at the many summer resorts, a multitude of businessmen seeking opportunity in railroading, cotton, lumber, and poultry farming and bootleggers finding the landscape convenient for clandestine whiskey-making and distribution. These stories and more provide insight into understanding a people and place unique in Georgia.

As the companion volume to Around Auburn, this pictorial history chronicles the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Auburn, New York.

Local historian Stephanie E. Przybylek has compiled another impressive collection of images in a joint effort with the Cayuga Museum to preserve the history of Auburn. Around Auburn Volume II features images from the museum, the Community Preservation Committee, and private collections. Included in this volume are views of Genesee Street in the bustling 1920s, interior shots of the McIntosh & Seymour factory, and Lakeside Park and Enna Jettick Park, amusement parks that served as summer playgrounds for generations of local residents on the shores of Owasco Lake. The strong community bonds created by the hardship of the Great Depression and two world wars are documented, as well as immigration in the early twentieth century, which added rich ethnic and cultural contrasts to Auburn.

Nestled in the Allegheny Mountains in Western Maryland sits Frostburg, a community brimming with a deep sense of history and tradition.

Whether as a stop along the National Road, a booming coal-mining area, or the diverse college town of today, Frostburg has always fostered a rich ethnic heritage, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to education. The vintage photographs in Frostburg reveal the story of a town abounding with history. Carved out of Revolutionary War military lots, the town gained significance in the early 1800s as a stagecoach stop. The people who came to build the community represent a variety of cultures: Scottish, Welsh, German, and Italian residents of decades past are all included in this pictorial retrospective. The diligent efforts of early coal-mining families helped to establish what is now Frostburg State University in 1898, and the impact the institution has had on the community is evident within these pages. Photos of lively baseball games, decorated bands, public servants, early businesses, and memorable events are just some of the engaging images that are displayed in this collection.

Boston neighborhood history extraordinaire Anthony Mitchell Sammarco casts his local knowledge to nooks and crannies of The North End.

The streets of Boston's North End, some laid out in the seventeenth century, exude a rich history that has included every generation of immigrants to Boston since 1630. An active port, the neighborhood of the North End also included churches of every denomination, historic homes, and early commercial concerns. Immigrants from Russia, Ireland, Germany, Italy, and most other European countries settled in the North End and contributed to itsdevelopment over the years. Today, most visitors to Boston tour the North End and see the Paul Revere House and the famous Old North Church. On the weekends, shoppers visit the bustling Haymarket and attend feasts and festivals amidst the appetizing ambiance of restaurant row. This thriving, lively area of town is an alluring meeting place forresidents and tourists alike.

Long before white settlers staked claim to the land now known as Bradenton, generations of Native Americans congregated around a natural spring with reputed medicinal and spiritual powers.

In 1842, as the second Seminole War ended, Josiah Gates and a hardy band of pioneers labored to put down roots near the spring. They built homes and started businesses, gradually creating the village of Manatee. To the west, another early settler, Dr. Joseph Braden, constructed a fortified encampment where employees working on his sugar plantation found refuge from Seminole raids. As the garrison evolved into a town, Maj. William Iredell Turner proposed naming the community after Dr. Braden, but an error in the application resulted in the name Braidentown. Turner, considered the city's founder, envisioned a thoroughfare with access to a wharf on the Manatee River. His plotting of lots along Main Street spurred business development and produced a conduit for commerce and trade. Bradenton was formed in 1944, when it merged with the town of Manatee.

By the 1920s, a change came over the township. Its proximity to New York City made River Vale's land more valuable for recreation than for farming, and the township became known for its summer charms, golf courses, and ice arena. Visitors arriving in bus caravans traveled from urban areas to enjoy the pleasures of Herrmann's Grove, and fishermen flocked on opening day to angle for trout in the clear waters of the Hackensack River and the Pascack Brook. It was this very appeal that led to tremendous change as River Vale became one of North Jersey's attractive bedroom communities.

Pictorial history of beautiful Lake Champlain from one end to the other...highlighting nature and recreation along with commerce and trade.

Nestled between the Adirondacks of New York and Vermont's Green Mountains, Lake Champlain offers 120 miles of tranquil beauty with a rich, bustling history. Picturesque waterfront communities established in the 18th century recall the era when the Champlain Valley's natural resources—iron, lumber, granite, marble, and potash—were shipped to distant ports on lake sloops and schooners. By the early 19th century, Lake Champlain was connected with the canals of New York and Quebec, and the resulting economic boom lasted for 100 years. Apples, hay, bricks, and finished goods were shipped on thousands of workaday canal boats that were also floating family homes. Massive steamboats carried travelers and tourists drawn to the fresh country air, and lakefront camps sprang up everywhere. Automobiles traveled over Lake Champlain on ferries and bridges. Through stunning historical images from the archives of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and other regional collections, Lake Champlain tells the story of this busy commercial corridor and pastoral recreational destination.

Moorestown depicts the history of this important agricultural and social hub.

Settled in 1682 by Quakers, Moorestown grew quickly into an important agricultural and social hub. Local farms and nurseries were considered the best in the state with their superior produce and specimen plants, and the coming of the railroad in the 1860s brought industrial leaders who helped the town to grow and prosper beyond its agrarian roots. It became the home of Eldridge R. Johnson, cofounder of the Victor Talking Machine Company, and Alice Paul, a women's suffrage champion. Moorestown provided easy access to New York City and surrounding urban centers, and it continued to be a mix of sought-after residential neighborhoods, working farms, and thriving businesses. Since 1904, the Moorestown Improvement Association has been instrumental in the town's growth, with contributions including funding the first artesian well, purchasing land for the first parks and athletic fields, and registering the town in the National Register of Historic Places.

A vibrant community of artists, watermen, entrepreneurs, educators, and spiritual leaders left a legacy well worth preserving.

Nestled in northeastern Indiana's Kosciusko County, Syracuse and its two lakes, Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake, became a popular area both for industry and tourism following the completion of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1874. What had been a quiet fisherman's paradise developed quickly, as hotels, restaurants, and merchants sprang up to meet the growing demand of residents and visitors. Pharmaceutical manufacturer Col. Eli Lilly helped establish the first sailing club on Lake Wawasee, and Chicago-based mobsters in Al Capone's crime syndicate ran gambling operations. Upscale hotels attracted the wealthy and influential, while ambitious locals made Syracuse a competitive industrial presence in the state, nurtured innovative boat builders, and supported a strong foundation of schools and churches.

Take a fascinating journey through the history of Foster, Rhode Island with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

Foster, originally incorporated as part of Scituate in 1731, became a separate community in 1781.

The town was named in honor of Theodore Foster, a coauthor of the Bill of Incorporation. By 1820, the population topped out at 2,900 and then sharply declined. The building of the Scituate Reservoirbetween 1915 and 1925 contributed to this decline as the Providence and Danielson Railwaydecided not to relocate trolley service to the area. The population would not surpass the 1820 figures until 1975, when it reached 3,000. Today, Foster is known for its simple, country lifestyle; friendly and neighborly residents; and plentiful open spaces with clean air and clear streams.

Author Raymond A. Wolf is a member of the Scituate Preservation Society, the Foster Preservation Society, and the Rhode Island Historical Society. Besides the Foster Preservation Society, over a dozen residents of Foster graciously loaned their collections of postcards, photographs, and documents to bring this book alive.

Summer in the Catskills was a classic vacation for millions of American Jewish families. Known as the Borscht Belt, the towns of Sullivan County were home to resorts, entertainers, and the ultimate "day camp" for generations.

Dive into the pool. Welcome to day camp. All of this and more are here in Sullivan County: the Borscht Belt. Relive the world of "Dirty Dancing": Sullivan County, the Borscht Belt, the Catskills--all are synonyms for the greatest American Jewish resort area, the playground of about one million visitors a year during its peak from 1920 to 1970. The Sullivan County of Borscht Belt legend really consists of the eastern part of Sullivan County and a bit of southern Ulster County. Here are the large towns of Liberty, Monticello, and Ellenville and the small towns of Woodbourne, Hasbrouck, South Fallsburg, Livingston Manor, Fallsburg, Loch Sheldrake, Greenfield Park, Mountaindale, Accord, Ulster Heights, Kiamesha Lake, Kerhonkson, Swan Lake, Glen Wild, Hurleyville, Ferndale, White Sulphur Springs, Rock Hill, Parksville, Woodridge, and White Lake. In Sullivan County: Borscht Belt, you will find the lost world of the kuchaleins and bungalow colonies and the hotels, great and small. This was a world to be enjoyed, whether swimming in the Neversink River, watching unmatched entertainment, or eating the legendary Borscht Belt meals. Join us on the lawn, on the handball court, or at the Ping-Pong table.

Floral Park Village, with its boulevards and avenues named for flowers and trees, was a community built around the cultivation, promotion, packaging, and sale of seeds and bulbs.

From fields of flowers to streets full of houses with diverse architecture, for more than 100 years Floral Park has continued to be a family-oriented village. At the western edge of Nassau County, with Belmont Park as its neighbor, Floral Park seems very distant from New York City, though it is only a 30-minute train ride away. Floral Park contains photographs from the archives of the Village of Floral Park, the library, and Floral Park Historical Society. These collections yield unique images that tell the story of a community that has retained its appeal for generations.