Travel

Located in the rolling hills of the Carolina Piedmont, rows of cherry trees line the Old Post Road leading into Cherryville.

Originally called White Pine, the town was renamed for the ubiquitous cherry trees that are still celebrated with an annual cherry blossom festival. The village was spun from the wilderness during the mid-1700s, when Scots-Irish and German immigrants settled the area around Beaver Dam and Indian Creeks. These settlers brought with them their languages, religions, music, and customs; the German tradition of shooting in the New Year with muskets and black powder continues today after 250 years. With a storied history from the Revolutionary War, the advent of the railroad, and the international firm of Carolina Freight Carriers Corporation in 1932, Cherryville has grown into a sophisticated, modern town.

In Images of America: Lake Pontchartrain, photographs document memories of a time that not even Hurricane Katrina could erase.

Native Americans used Okwata, meaning ""wide water,"" as a shortcut for inland trade between the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River. When the Europeans arrived, the original inhabitants showed them the route--the settlement near the river became the city of New Orleans, other lakeshore communities grew, and Lake Pontchartrain continued to be a vital waterway well into the 20th century. Aside from its economic value, Lake Pontchartrain was a cultural mecca: Mark Twain wrote about it and jazz sprang from its shores; locals and visitors traveled out to the amusement parks and opera pavilions, simple fishing villages and swanky yacht clubs, forts and lighthouses; and majestic hotels and camps perched precariously over the water.

Through vintage photographs, Chester documents the community's golden years from the post-Civil War era to the 1950s.

In 1682, William Penn chose Chester as his landing place in Pennsylvania. A hub for commerce in Colonial times, Chester continued its prosperous reputation during the industrial revolution, and it is famous for its textile and paper mills. The town is home to the oldest public building in continuous use--the 1724 courthouse. Kimberly-Clark, formally Scott Paper Company, is among the successful local businesses today. Through the years, many prominent people, including the Wetherill, Scott, Deshong, and Crozer families, called Chester home.

Founded in 1653, the town of Huntington is situated on what is known as the Gold Coast of Long Island.

The incorporated villages within the town are Huntington Bay, Lloyd Harbor, Asharoken, and Northport. Huntington has always attracted a population that has created a foundation of diversity. Settlement-era properties, castles of the Victorian period, and main streets still adorn the town as witnesses of the people who lived here and a community that is still thriving. A few of the castles and mansions that once existed in the town have disappeared, some by wear and tear and others through neglect. Still others have been converted into academic institutions and museums. Around Huntington Village shares photographs that give meaning to the events in the lives of the people who lived here.

Born out of the 1859 Pikes Peak gold rush, Boulder sits along the Front Range where the Rocky Mountains meet the plains.

Discoveries of gold, silver, telluride, and coal nearby put the little supply town on the map, and early miners, farmers, and businessmen prospered there. The railroad's arrival in 1873 brought more newcomers who cultivated a diverse community full of new businesses, social organizations, and schools, and the town flourished despite the social problems and economic fluctuations that were typical of early mining towns. By the 1890s, education, health, and tourism had become significant to Boulder's economic development, a pattern that continues to this day. Great change came about during the early 1900s in the form of a citywide alcohol prohibition, the influenza epidemic, and the closure of the Switzerland Trail railroad in 1919, but Boulder weathered these difficult times even as it witnessed the end of the great railroading era.

Glens Falls presents a photographic essay of a community on the Hudson River, midway between Saratoga Springs and Lake George.

The book spans the years from 1860 to 1925, when Glens Falls was reaching its peak in economic, social, political, and cultural growth. Depicted in stunning images are the city's simple beginnings, the days of dirt roads traveled by horse and buggy, and its cultural emergence with opera houses, exquisite mansions, and public transportation. Clearly portrayed are the educational, religious, business, and recreational opportunities of the time.

In St. Landry Parish, Native American, European, African, and Acadian cultures have melded for three centuries to produce zydeco music, great food, and welcoming people.

St. Landry Parish, one of the oldest European settlements in Louisiana, has a fascinating history and culture. By the 15th century, the Appalousa Indians were known to be in residence. In 1720, the French established le Poste des Opelousas. Traditionally an area of settlement by French Creoles and Acadians, the parish was named for St. Landry, an early bishop of Paris. In the late 1700s, les gens de couleur libres (free people of color) began arriving to take advantage of Spanish land grants. Soon, the government post developed into a commercial center. In the present-day parish, Native American, European, African, and Acadian cultures have melded for almost three centuries to produce world-famous zydeco music, great food, and welcoming people. It celebrates its heritage at the Creole Heritage Folklife Center, one of the destinations on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.

See how Charles Town, West Virginia, retains its original small town charm while attracting visitors today.

Charles Town, located in the Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia, was petitioned in 1786 and founded on January 7, 1787, by Charles Washington, George's youngest brother. Many of this historic community's streets are named for Washington family members, including Mildred and Samuel. The Jefferson County Courthouse, made famous as the location for the 1859 treason trial of the abolitionist John Brown and the 1922 Miners' Trials, sits in the center of town on one of the original four lots platted by Charles for community use. Today, Charles Town retains its original small town roots while attracting visitors with such diverse activities as The Charles Town Races and Slots and nearby hiking and whitewater rafting.

These pages bring to life the people, events, communities, and industries that helped shape and transform McHenry County. With more than 200 vintage images, culled from three collections-the McHenry County Historical Society, the Crystal Lake Historical Society, the James Keefe Collection, and the personal collection of Don Peasley-McHenry County, Illinois, portrays life against a backdrop of international wars, national social struggles, and technological advances in an expanding world.

Johnstown, Pennsylvania, famed for flood and disaster, is shown here in over 200 rare images, many publsihed here for the first time.

In this photographic history of Johnstown, readers will enjoy more than two hundred rare images, many published here for the first time, from the collections of historical organizations and private individuals. After enduring three devastating floods, residents have adopted the phrase "This town won't die" as a testament to their gritty determination to survive and to be seen as more than flood victims. Johnstown records the true American Dream: the faces of immigrants building their lives in a new country; the expansive golden age of American industrial growth in the steel, mining, and railroad industries; a community's iron will in the face of destruction; and a snapshot of human bonds through love for family and nation, as well as an inherent faith.

Lake Ronkonkoma, located in the center of Long Island, became a summer camp for wealthy New Yorkers with the arrival of the railroad in 1843.

By the 1890s, the luxurious hotels built around the lakeshore attracted visitors in droves. By day, people would enjoy the sparkling waters of the lake for boating, fishing, and swimming; at night, hotel guests could dance, gamble in the casino, and enjoy sumptuous meals. By the 1920s, as more people could afford automobiles, beach pavilions began decorating the shoreline of Lake Ronkonkoma. Thousands of people flocked to the summer paradise—buoyed by the promises of camping, canoeing, live music, and fireworks—up until World War II when gas rationing limited travel. By the 1950s, Lake Ronkonkoma had become a town populated by year-round residents

Nestled against the slopes of Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts, Juneau grew in lockstep with Alaskan expeditions to be the resilient, unexpected capitol it is today.

Juneau has not always been the capital of Alaska. In fact, Juneau has not always been Juneau. But the place nestled against the slopes of Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts, originally named Dzantik'i Heeni, has always been picturesque and welcoming. After a successful strike triggered nearby mining claims in the 1880s, a makeshift camp grew on the waterfront to serve the needs of adventurers and gold-seekers. As numbers increased, the settlement was called Rockville, then Harrisburg, and finally named after Joe Juneau, one of the prospectors who, guided and advised by Tlingit leader Kowee, had made the original strike. In spite of efforts to move the capital to a central location, Juneau has remained Alaska's capital since 1906 and continues to invite settlers, adventurers, and explorers to visit and appreciate its beautiful setting and rich history.

This wonderful visual history weaves together more than two hundred images with intriguing and informative text to create an immensely enjoyable journey through the history of the northern Litchfield Hills.

The Litchfield Hills Region, situated in the northwestern corner of Connecticut, is known for its picture-perfect rolling hills, its traditional farms, and its charming villages. There is a sense of peacefulness and pride here, and yet this idyllic appearance belies a long and fascinating history dating back to the very first years of settlement in America. The Litchfield Hills Region has been home to such legendary figures as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ethan Allen, and Oliver Wolcott, and in this book the contributions of these historic figures are celebrated alongside those of the ordinary folk of Torrington, Winsted, Litchfield, Kent, Sharon, Lakeville, Salisbury, Cornwall, Canaan, Canton, Collinsville, New Hartford, Riverton-Barkhamsted, Colebrook, and Morris.

The modern day village of Lake Ariel is located in Lake Township. The town and the surrounding area have a long and colorful heritage.

The early pioneers settled at the southern end of the Lake Arieland established the area known as Jonestown and Jones Lake. The northern end of the lake was initially called No. 19, for the stationary steam engine on the Pennsylvania Coal Company's Gravity Railroad. While one newspaper account claims that the lake was named for a spirit in Shakespeare's Tempest, another claimed the lake was renamed Lake Ariel from Isaiah 29, the home of David.

Around Lake Arielfeatures historic images of the steam launches and the amusement park that drew hordes of vacationers to the area, as well as the summer homes of many of Scranton's leaders that were built along the lake's shores.

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

Grosse Pointe documents the rich history of this Detroit community.

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

Take a trip back in time to when Clearfield County’s woods were occupied by lumbermen and log drives filled the West Branch of the Susquehanna.

Through historic photographs, witness the growth of Clearfield, Curwensville, and Dubois despite terrible floods and fires; marvel at the growth from a loose collection of logging towns into prosperous and successful Pennsylvania county, well-known for its coal, quarries, the Gearhart Knitting Machine, and businesses such as Kurtz Brothers, Clearfield Furs, and Clearfield Cheese. The engaging photographs in Clearfield County also document how Kylertown Airport was once one of the busiest in the country and reveal how a few county residents, including Nora Waln, Philip Bliss, George Rosenkrans, and Tom Mix, found fame.

Founded in 1641, Stamford is one of the oldest towns in New England. The images in this book date from the Civil War through the end of World War I.

Founded in 1641, Stamford is one of the oldest towns in New England. The resulting influx of immigrants and industrial expansion that followed transformed Stamford from a rural community into a bustling city. Although once a stopping place on the stagecoach route between New York and Boston, Stamford remained largely agrarian until the coming of the railroad in 1848. The images in this book date from the Civil War through the end of World War I, from the earliest available photographs to the established use of the automobile. It is a time that saw the gristmills become factories and old frame trading posts be replaced by imposing brick structures. During these years the people of Stamford supported the Union Cause and voted for Grover Cleveland; they built new homes, churches, schools, and parks; they established a hospital and a library; they joined the YMCA, went yachting, and always turned out for a parade.

In this unique retrospective, the history of the island comes to life through remarkable vintage images, culled from the collections of the Georgia Historical Society; the Ford, Torrey, and West families; Project Genesis and Ossabaw Island Project members and directors John Earl, Al Bradford, and Helen Hamada; Paul Efird; Dr. M. Craig Alee; and others. Ossabaw is explored from prehistoric times through the arrival of the Spanish 450 years ago, from its plantation years through the purchase of the island by the Torrey family in 1924, and from the establishment of Eleanor Torrey West's internationally acclaimed Ossabaw Foundation through the sale of the island to the State of Georgia in 1978. Within these pages, readers will enter the historic gardens of Mrs. Nell Ford Torrey, meet a young Eleanor Ford Torrey exploring her own paradise on horseback in the 1930s, mingle with the influential businessmen at Dr. Torrey's hunting parties, and gaze in breathtaking wonder at the beauty of Georgia's first Heritage Preserve.

Join author Gregg M. Turner as he recounts the history during the ecomomic boom in Venice, Florida in the 1920's.

In the 1920s, a tremendous land boom gripped Florida, and waves of people descended upon the Sunshine State. Between just 1923and 1925 an estimated 300,000 people came to permanently settle in the state, and over a dozen new counties were created in this single decade. Fueled by postwar prosperity, tourists and new residents poured money into the state's economy and dramatically increased the demand for land, homes, hotels, industry, recreation, commerce, and services. At the height of the boom, when many believed that the bubble had to burst, there came news that a new resort city was under development on the Gulf Coast below Sarasota, and all eyes turned to Venice. Over the decades since its creation, Venice, with its balmy climate, unlimited boating and fishing, and pristine mainland beach, has grown to be a Mecca for thousands of tourists, snowbirds, and retirees. Carved out of a tropical wilderness by America's oldest and wealthiest union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Venice was made into a Gulf Coast oasis with Spanish-style architecture, beautiful landscaping, and a friendly network of tree-lined streets and boulevards. Visual documentation of this early era has captured a city in its infancy and a valuable piece of Venice's heritage.

This fascinating new addition to the Images of America series offers a glimpse into the unique history of Ocean City, New Jersey.

Ocean City is among the nation's most popular vacation destinations. Founded in 1879, it has evolved from a Christian-oriented summer resort to a year-round community that mirrors the many facets of America's diversity.

The area's wide, sandy beaches and lively boardwalk continue to attract thousands of visitors each year. Ocean City, New Jersey Volume II uncovers many more vintage photographs of the town's seaside attractions and features rare scenes of the community, its politics, the impact of World War II, and the unusual events that have become the hallmark of parades and celebrations held here. From Martin Z. Mollusk to the Miss Miscellaneous Contest, Ocean City has had a long and animated history of offbeat traditions.

Join authors Frank Esposito and his son Robert on an insightful journey back in time to discover the people and places of Ocean City's early days. With a variety of images from the collection of the late Al Senior, this volume provides residents and visitors of all ages with a captivating account of a unique seaside community and its colorful past.

Salem, Massachusetts, is one of the most historic settlements in the United States. This new and exciting visual history reveals Salem's comprehensive heritage from the 1860s to the 1950s.

Most commonly associated with the seventeenth-century witchcraft hysteria of Salem Village - an area that now falls within the bounds of neighboring Danvers - the city of Salem actually boasts a rich and textured history with a variety of economic, religious, and cultural highlights. Salem's early strengths as a colonial community were drawn from the waters around it: fishing was a staple industry in the beginning, and shipbuilding and ocean tradebolstered the settlement economically for many years. In the nineteenth century, after war with Britain caused Salem's maritime tradeto decline, the city developed into a modern commercial center. Prominent settlers fostered the development of luxurious architecture and interior design, along with the founding of the city's well-known resort and amusement center, the Willows.

From a small agricultural community in northern Florida into a thriving city, many people have helped transform Gainesville into what it is today.

After befriending the Timucuan Indians who originally inhabited the region, Spanish colonizers began recruiting other settlers to move to the area. Despite the early foundations set, the people who brought the railroad to Gainesville deserve the most credit for giving the town its start. Soon after tracks were laid throughout the city, small businesses sprouted and opportunities for new industries arose. The city's population expanded along with its economic growth, and more people began to witness the unique potential of Gainesville. In 1905, the city became home to the University of Florida, and a rich educational heritage began. The university brought great attention to the town and subsequently made Gainesville not only one of the most important cities in Florida, but one of the most prominent educational epicenters in the South.

The Greenhaven/Pocket area was a rural farming community for 110 years before suburban development, with the most significant group of people contributing to the area's history and identity being Portuguese immigrants from the Azores Islands of Faial, Pico, Sao Jorge, and Terceira. They began arriving a few years after the Gold Rush and by 1880, almost half of the Portuguese population in Sacramento County was within these townships that encompassed and surrounded the Riverside/Pocket area. Pictured here is the evolution of this thriving community, from the earliest founding families and their sprawling ranches, to the Japanese settlement of World War I, and finally to the innovative Greenhaven 70 plan development in the 1960s that laid the foundation for today's community.

Rare and vintage photographs document the fascinating history of Gulfport, from small port city to modern urban hub.

Gulfport's name says it all. The port and railroads were the foundation for this community. In 1900, at two years old, its population was only a little over 1,000. However, by 1906, that number had grown to over 14,000. A wide channel and deepened basin provided for the 36 ships anchored in the harbor. Capt. William T. Hardy's railroad was complete. Wealthy oilman Capt. Joseph T. Jones had made good on his promises of a train depot, an office building, banks, schools, churches, and stores. The luxurious Great Southern Hotel stood as a star costing over $350,000 to build. Gulfport was a thriving port city. The golfing, hunting, and waterfront activities were an early appeal. Images reflect great fortune and the desperate losses in Gulfport.

This pictorial history of Hendersonville illustrates the people, places, and events that have shaped the area’s history.

Resting in one of Western North Carolina's scenic valleys near the continental divide, Hendersonville offers a rich culture and intriguing history in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hendersonville was chartered as a city on January 7, 1847, and the coming of the railroad in 1879 sparked its growth. The summer arrival by train of both wealthy and middle-class visitors bolstered Main Street businesses and gave rise to fashionable inns and innumerable boarding houses. The photographs in Images of America: Hendersonville illustrate the history of a town still populated with founding families, seasonal residents, and summer tourists. This volume explores the early pioneer days, the Civil War period, the land boom of the 1920s, the Great Depression, and the growth of this now-thriving city.

Perched near the eastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Waynesville is an attractive destination with stunning vistas, cool mountain air, and small-town charm.

For centuries, the Cherokee lived and hunted in what is now western North Carolina, and after the Revolutionary War, white settlers moved into the area from all directions to farm and build a new life on the frontier. By the end of the 18th century, families had established a small community known as Mount Prospect. In 1810, the town was renamed Waynesville after the Revolutionary War general Mad Anthony Wayne. With the coming of the railroad in the 1880s, Waynesville blossomed as a summer retreat for guests who came to stay at numerous boarding houses and hotels. By the early 1900s, Waynesville's neighboring town, Hazelwood, became a hotbed of industrial growth with lumber mills and assorted factories producing furniture, leather goods, and rubber products, and the town would eventually merge with Waynesville in 1995.

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.