Images of America
ebook
(0)
Edgartown
by A. Bowdoin van Riper
Part of the Images of America series
Founded in 1642 as Great Harbor, Edgartown is the oldest of Martha's Vineyard's six townships. It has been a shire town and a center of learning, a whaling port and a fishing village, a manufacturing center and a mecca for sportsmen. Its gleaming captain's houses and majestic public buildings are a testament to the wealth that whaling brought to the island in the mid-1800s, but the end of New England whaling was far from the end of its story. Faced with the loss of the industry that had sustained it, Edgartown reinvented itself as a summer-centered community of resort hotels, bathing beaches, and genteel vacation homes. It welcomed the world to its shores and became an unlikely cultural icon--a backdrop to a best-selling memoir, a political scandal, and a blockbuster film--famous for being its inimitable self.
ebook
(1)
Indianapolis Rhythm and Blues
by David Leander Williams
Part of the Images of America series
Indiana Avenue was traditionally the host to some of America's premier, world-renown entertainment icons in various genres. Along this winding, brightly lit thoroughfare were nightclubs, lounges, supper clubs, taverns, juke joints, and holes-in-the-wall that celebrated the best of the best in entertainment that America had to offer, from the 1920s on into the 1970s. On the bandstand at Denver Ferguson's Sunset Terrace Ballroom, the elegantly attired crooner Nat King Cole, in a sparkling blue silk suit, delivered his signature song "Mona Lisa." Nearby, B.B. King sang his 1973 down-home blues classic "To Know You is to Love You." At Tuffy Mitchell's Pink Poodle nightclub, "Moms" Mabley made the audience roar with laughter during her sidesplitting comedy routine. Indiana Avenue truly was the place to be for the best in entertainment.
ebook
(2)
Milwaukee Jazz
by Joey Grihalva
Part of the Images of America series
Milwaukee's jazz scene has forever stood in the shadow of Chicago's illustrious institution, but it stands strong. Cream City has produced a wealth of talent, attracted top-notch transplants, and hosted legends like Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Billie Holiday, and Wynton Marsalis. From the heyday of the 1940s and 1950s to the renaissance of the 1970s, from the streets to the classrooms, from grand ballrooms to outdoor festivals, from swing to bebop, from smoky bars to dimly lit clubs like the Flame, Thelma's Back Door, and the Jazz Gallery, Milwaukee has been a hotbed of improvised music, providing a noteworthy contribution to the story of jazz in America.
ebook
(0)
Reno's Heyday
1931-1991
by David Lowndes
Part of the Images of America series
For 60 years starting in 1931, Reno was unarguably the place where things not possible elsewhere were its hallmarks-gambling, divorce, and uncomplicated weddings. Old promotional campaigns described two Renos-one for gambling and entertainment and one for outdoor activities. For locals, there were two other Renos. One was a beautiful city on a mountain river between towering peaks. It was a community of local businesses where people knew each other and were proud of its university. The other Reno was the city of casinos and top-name entertainment that attracted visitors. For most of those 60 years, the visitors' Reno increasingly crowded out the residents' Reno. But with the decline of the divorce and gambling businesses and the coming of new high-tech industries to Reno's economy, Reno's heyday may be just gearing up for a second wind.
ebook
(0)
Bothell
by Margaret Turcott
Part of the Images of America series
The river community of Bothell began with the arrival of Columbus Greenleaf and George Wilson in 1870. They staked claims along the Sammamish River after navigating from Seattle across Lake Washington and then east along the meandering Sammamish. Bothell was first a logging community, with several mills producing boards and shingles. After the forests were harvested, it became a farming community, connected to other settlements by the river and, after 1887, the railroad. In 1909, Bothell incorporated as a city after a contentious campaign. The vote was 79 to 70 in favor of becoming a city. The population of Bothell in 1910 was 599, but many lived outside the two-thirds square mile original city limits. This book tells the story of Bothell as a central hub, with distinct neighborhoods having their own personalities. Bothell's population today is almost 43,000, divided between two counties: King and Snohomish.
ebook
(1)
San Francisco's Ferry Building
by Anne Evers Hitz
Part of the Images of America series
For many years, visitors traveling to San Francisco came via ferry, and the Ferry Building, one of San Francisco's most famous landmarks, stood ready to welcome them. In the 1920's, the Ferry Building was the world's second-busiest transit terminal (after Charing Cross, London), with more than 50,000 people a day passing through the elegant structure, designed by architect A. Page Brown and opened in 1898. When the 1906 earthquake struck and the ensuing fire was destroying the city, the venerable waterfront icon stood above the ruins, giving residents hope that the city would recover and rise from the ashes. By 1939, with the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge both open, ferry traffic fell off. By the late 1950's, ferry service ended altogether, and the building's beautiful facade was blocked by the double-decker Embarcadero Freeway. With the freeway's demise after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the Ferry Building was restored and reopened in 2003. It is once again a beacon of civic pride, a landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a public space that anchors the San Francisco waterfront.
ebook
(0)
Springville
by April Clawson
Part of the Images of America series
Located south of Provo, Utah, is artistic Springville. In 1776, Catholic explorers were the first to map this region. Native Americans enjoyed this locale for its abundance of wild game and its ready access to water. Brigham Young, a president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, asked men to examine the area in 1848. Capt. Aaron Johnson and the few families who were asked to settle here arrived in mid-afternoon on September 18, 1850. Hobble Creek was the first name given to the settlement, and that title is still used today by some local venues. In 1853, the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah approved the city charter, and the first municipal election took place. Springville was then officially named after the large springs in the vicinity.
ebook
(2)
Tell City
by Chris Cail
Part of the Images of America series
Founded in 1858, Tell City is located in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, along the Ohio River between Evansville, Indiana, and Louisville, Kentucky. Carefully planned by the Swiss Colonization Society of Cincinnati, Ohio, Tell City was originally named Helvetia. To proclaim their Swiss origin and honor their hero, William Tell, the founders chose to rename the area Tell City. Tell City is known for its famous Tell City Pretzels, a tradition that dates back to 1858, and the Tell City Chair Company, a well-known manufacturer of Early American–style furniture. After the closing of the Tell City Chair Company, the city changed from a furniture-manufacturing community to a more automotive-manufacturing community, with Waupaca and ATTC Manufacturing both employing a total of 1,500 people.
ebook
(0)
Trappe and Collegeville
by Lisa Minardi
Part of the Images of America series
Located in the scenic Perkiomen Valley, the adjacent boroughs of Trappe and Collegeville have a rich and fascinating history. Trappe was founded in 1717 by German immigrant Jacob Schrack Sr., who ran a tavern known as the Trap, after which the village was named. Its most famous early residents were Lutheran patriarch Henry Melchior Muhlenberg and his sons Peter, a Revolutionary War general, and Frederick, first speaker of the US House of Representatives. Collegeville, initially known as Freeland, developed primarily in the 1800s following the completion of the Perkiomen Bridge in 1799. It was named after several early colleges, including Freeland Seminary, established in 1848, and the Pennsylvania Female College, established in 1851. These institutions were succeeded by Ursinus College in 1869. A pioneer in women's education, Ursinus became coeducational in 1880. Trappe and Collegeville were formally incorporated as separate boroughs in 1896.
ebook
(2)
Ligonier
by Daniel L. Replogle
Part of the Images of America series
Isaac Cavin, of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, traveled to Indiana in 1830. He returned home and married Elizabeth Marker in 1834, and they traveled together to northern Indiana. In May 1835, he planned a new town and named it Ligonier. He built his home a few miles north of town and lived there for 52 years. The next big players were two German Jewish peddlers, Solomon Mier and Frederick William Straus, who traveled to the United States and settled in Indiana. After training with their uncle, they moved to Ligonier around 1854 because they were told the railroad would be coming to Ligonier and that it might be a good place to start up a business. The suggestion led to some wonderful times for Ligonier. Straus developed one of his businesses into the largest farm brokerage firm in the United States, and Mier developed one of his businesses into one of the largest farmland dealers in the Midwest. Images of America: Ligonier explores one of the most unusual small towns in the United States.
ebook
(0)
Campton
by Various Authors
Part of the Images of America series
Located in the southern region of the White Mountains, Campton was granted its charter in 1767 by Gov. John Wentworth, who was in office between 1767 and 1775. Early settlers from Connecticut and Massachusetts were lured by the beauty of the rivers and mountains and beckoned by the fertile fields and virgin forests. Generations that followed the Abenaki Indians transitioned from an agrarian society to one now dominated by the hospitality industry, providing today's inhabitants with jobs in tourism and recreation. Although local ski resorts and neighboring Plymouth State University remain the largest employers in the area, an increase in small businesses and self-employment opportunities began in the mid-20th century. However, it was the completion of I-93 through Campton in the late 1960s that changed many lives, providing an easy commute to jobs outside the immediate area. Without abandoning the values of its founders and what it means to be a community, Campton has fully embraced change over the centuries.
ebook
(0)
Trafford
by Trafford Historical Society
Part of the Images of America series
Trafford, located in the hills east of Pittsburgh, was officially incorporated as a borough in 1904. John Cavett I and his family were among the first settlers in the area, after purchasing land in 1769. Tracks for the Pennsylvania Railroad were laid through in 1852, and the territory became known as Stewart Station. In 1902, land at Stewart Station was purchased by renowned entrepreneur George Westinghouse, with the purpose of constructing a foundry and town to be named Trafford City, after Trafford Park in Manchester, England. Western Pennsylvania newspapers advertised the sale of lots in Trafford City, and thousands of property seekers came pouring in. The plant thrived for the majority of the 20th century and was the key to Trafford's growth as a borough. Today, with the plant long gone, Trafford survives as a quaint, community-oriented town with an industrial history that all Pittsburghers can appreciate.
ebook
(0)
Arnold Arboretum
by Lisa E. Pearson
Part of the Images of America series
Established in 1872 and designed in collaboration with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the Arnold Arboretum is a National Historic Landmark. Founded as a partnership between the City of Boston and Harvard University, the Arnold Arboretum is a unique blend of a respected research institution and beloved public park in Boston's Emerald Necklace. Occupying 281 acres, its living collection of trees, shrubs, and woody vines is recognized as one of the most comprehensive and best documented of its kind in the world. Its lilac collection is a springtime favorite of visitors, along with the magnificent rhododendrons, and in the fall, trees from maples to dawn redwoods provide a wonderful display of color. The living collection is supported by curatorial documentation, a herbarium, library and archival holdings, and a state-of-the-art research center. These facilities and holdings provide the basis for research and education of visitors, students, and scholars from around the world.
ebook
(0)
Simpsonville
by Andrew M. Staton
Part of the Images of America series
Simpsonville was little more than a stop on the road between Greenville and Laurens, South Carolina, when a man named Peter Simpson moved to the area in the 1840s. Simpson became the postmaster and blacksmith for the area, then known as "Plain" or "Dry Ridge," and streets and churches began to spring up, creating a town. By the time of its incorporation in 1901, Simpsonville was thriving as a small railroad town, with a textile mill drawing more to the area in 1908. Under the leadership of two particularly influential and long-standing mayors, Dr. L.L. Richardson and Ralph Hendricks, Simpsonville grew throughout the 20th century to become the hub of commerce and development that it is today.
ebook
(1)
Lake County Schoolhouses
by Antone R. E. Pierucci
Part of the Images of America series
The quaint, one-room schoolhouse of the untamed frontier looms large in the collective image of the American West. The stories that surround these schoolhouses have become embedded in the nation's cultural memory: the hardships of having to walk miles to and from school, the often cramped quarters within, and the harsh lessons learned at the hand-or ruler-of the teacher. More often than not, these stories are told with a sense of nostalgia for the bygone era of rural education. This book explores the myths and realities of these iconic buildings in one rural county in California. Although this volume focuses on just a single region, the important role these schools played in the lives of those they served (or did not serve) speaks to the wider influence of schools and education throughout early California.
ebook
(0)
Around Remsen And Steuben
by Megan Plete Postol
Part of the Images of America series
The first settlers of the rugged wilderness that became the towns of Remsen and Steuben were hearty pioneers, Welsh immigrants, and a famous Revolutionary War hero. The untamed forest of Oneida County proved challenging but not insurmountable for Remsen's first settler Barnabas Mitchell and the noble Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand Steuben, who was famed with being the sturdy backbone of Washington's Continental Army and known as the "Drillmaster of the Revolution." The area flourished into a place of farming, manufacturing, business, and religion. Settlers ranged from rollicking woodsmen to large working families to pious pastors. There were so many churches that the lands of Steuben became known as "the singing hills." It has been said that the courage of a Welshman rises in proportion to the obstacles thrown in his path. This book strives to tell their tales through visuals of old Remsen and Steuben.
ebook
(0)
Moorpark
by Michael Winters
Part of the Images of America series
The story of Moorpark begins with a town that was built in the right place at the right time. In the 1890s, when the Southern Pacific Railroad announced plans to relocate its Coast Line through Chatsworth to Ventura, land speculation ensued. Robert W. Poindexter, secretary of the Simi Land and Water Company, owned the plot of land that became Moorpark and laid out the townsite in 1900. A depot was quickly built, and soon, trains were arriving daily. Shortly thereafter, an application for a post office was also approved. After the completion of the Santa Susana tunnels in 1904, Moorpark began to grow. Historically, Moorpark's main source of revenue has been agriculture. Initially, dry land farming, including apricots, was preferred. As irrigation techniques improved, walnuts and citrus became the major crops. Its extensive apricot production endowed Moorpark with the title Apricot Capital of the World." After World War II, the poultry industry became big business, with turkey, chicken, and egg ranches dotting the landscape.
ebook
(0)
Cumberland Township and Carmichaels
by Shelley McMinn Anderson
Part of the Images of America series
Cumberland Township, located in the northeastern portion of Greene County, was one of Pennsylvania's original townships. The history of this area shows that settlers were here prior to 1760. The settlement known as Old Town was founded in 1767. In 1796, Carmichaels was named in honor of Maj. James Carmichael, a Revolutionary War soldier and pioneer settler. Carmichael had traded his land in what is now the town of Jefferson for land owned by Thomas Hughes along the banks of Muddy Creek in Old Town. Carmichaels became home to the Greene Academy, notably, the first school of higher learning west of the Allegheny Mountains. The Carmichaels Covered Bridge spans Muddy Creek separating Old Town from Carmichaels. Both the Greene Academy and the Carmichaels Covered Bridge are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
ebook
(1)
Summer Camps around Asheville and Hendersonville
by Melanie English
Part of the Images of America series
Historically, western North Carolina has been a haven for summer camps, sustaining one of the highest concentrations of summer camps in America. For generations, the natural beauty, rustic terrain, and cool climates of the southern Appalachian Mountains have attracted campers from around the world. In the last decades of the 19th century, the summer camp movement arose in the Northeast in response to industrial era concerns about the waning of traditional values and new child development theories. By the turn of the 20th century, the first residential summer camps had emerged around the popular resort towns of Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard, Black Mountain, and Lake Lure, North Carolina. Founded on lakeshores surrounded by woodlands, these camps offered an array of activities, such as archery, canoeing, horseback riding, swimming, and woodcraft, that instilled lifelong lessons in youth and forged lasting friendships. Today, many of the same camp traditions like council rings and campfire stories are still passed along each summer. Readers will recognize familiar cabins and lakefronts with nostalgia in this collection of vintage photographs.
ebook
(3)
Early Massillon and Lost Kendal
by Mandy Altimus Pond
Part of the Images of America series
Before Massillon, there was Kendal, Ohio. The story of these communities is a tapestry of local, national, and international history. Referencing new archival discoveries in the Massillon Museum, Spring Hill Historic Home, and Massillon Public Library collections, this book tells stories of early Kendal and Massillon, shedding light on the Ohio frontier and its pioneers from 1812 to 1860. Kendal was founded in 1812 by Thomas and Charity Rotch, prominent Quakers from powerful New England whaling families. Kendal became an Owenite utopian socialistic community between 1826 and 1829, visited by Robert Owen himself. In 1826, James Duncan founded Massillon, bordering the Tuscarawas River, the boundary between the United States and Indian Territory. Massillon attracted inventors such as photographic pioneer Abel Fletcher, who invented the paper negative in his South Erie Street studio. Both Kendal and Massillon were hubs for Underground Railroad activities.
ebook
(0)
Around Elmont and Rosedale
by Bill Florio
Part of the Images of America series
Once portions of a farming community called Fosters Meadow, Elmont and Rosedale have changed dramatically since Thomas and Christopher Foster first farmed the land in the 1600's. In the 1850's, immigrant German farmers settled in the area abutting Elmont Road, Brookville Boulevard, Linden Boulevard, and Merrick Boulevard. The remnants of that German farming community continued into the early 20th century, despite encroaching suburbanization, renamed streets, and subdivided farmland, along with Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants changing the area's ethnic makeup. This new suburban area covering the southern corners of Nassau and Queens Counties became home to landmarks like the Argo Theatre, Rottkamp Farm, Schmitt Farm, Laurelton Parkway, Gouz Dairy, Sapienza Bakery, St. John's Methodist Church, and world-famous Belmont Park. Today, Elmont, Rosedale, and the rest of the former Fosters Meadow are home to a large population of Caribbean immigrants, bringing a new culture to the area and, with it, new landmarks and new ideas.
ebook
(0)
Glennville
by Glennville-Tattnall Museum
Part of the Images of America series
The area that would become modern Glennville was first opened to settlement in 1773. In the early decades of the 19th century, settlers converged around the intersection of Hencart Road and Reidsville-Johnston's Station Road. The community that grew around this intersection came to be known as Philadelphia - a name it would hold until 1889, when the village's first post office was established. The village was then renamed after a prominent schoolteacher and minister, Glenn Thompson, who was instrumental in securing the post office for the village. Glennville was incorporated as a town in 1894 and continued to grow remarkably through the coming decades until it became the commercial and agricultural hub of Tattnall County.
ebook
(0)
Costa Mesa
1940-2003
by Costa Mesa Historical Society
Part of the Images of America series
Perhaps no one could have foreseen the amazing transformation of Costa Mesa from a sleepy rancho to today's bustling "City of the Arts." Along with other Orange County cities, Costa Mesa experienced explosive growth, redevelopment, county bankruptcy, traffic, and environmental issues. While navigating these events, Costa Mesa emerged with its own brand of Southern California cityhood. World War II brought the Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB) to town, along with 125,000 cadets. Postwar SAAAB conversion established the Orange County Fairgrounds, colleges, and housing. After incorporation in 1953, the race was on to achieve critical mass while surrounded by older, established cities. The Segerstrom family led the way to world-class facilities, such as South Coast Plaza and the Orange County Performing Arts Center. These venues shifted the city center from the traditional downtown to north Costa Mesa. Located at the confluence of three freeways and adjacent to John Wayne–Orange County Airport, Costa Mesa faces the future as the center of the South Coast Metro complex.
ebook
(1)
Old Town
by Peter R. Stowell
Part of the Images of America series
Old Town, situated in north-central Maine, sits snugly along the mighty Penobscot River. Taking advantage of the river's vibrant woods and watershed, Old Town would become the country's leading producer of timber in its early history. Penobscot Indian tribes had inhabited the land for more than 6,000 years, but the area's resources were so vast that, by 1836, the first railroad in Maine had established a line from Bangor to Old Town, with many eager to access the town's wealth. Since its separation from the town of Orono in 1840, Old Town has developed a robust industrial base, including Old Town Canoe Company, Penobscot Chemical Fibre, T.M. Chapman & Sons, the Bickmore Gall Company, Jordan Lumber, LeBree's Bakery, and the James W. Sewall Company. Today, Old Town has lost much of its industrialized base, but nonetheless, its strong ethnic and religious communities, which have worked together for more than 175 years, stand ready to prepare the river town for a bright future.
ebook
(0)
Ridgefield
by Mauro De Santis
Part of the Images of America series
In 1662, two men and their families settled along the banks of Overpeck Creek. At this location, the township of Ridgefield would be established and later become the beloved borough of Ridgefield. Historically, the settlement of Ridgefield began as a modest subdivision within the English Neighborhood that spanned an area of 10 square miles, centrally located between the Hudson River and Hackensack River. This valley, with its unique location and close proximity to New York City, intrigued many people. This caused substantial real estate growth, creating a community that would forever be adored by many. Ridgefield was home to distinguished residents, such as Samuel F. B. Morse, inventor of the Morse code, and Alexander Shaler, Civil War Union army general and Medal of Honor recipient. The charming landscape and stunning views would captivate some of America's most prominent 20th-century artists. This collection of historical images provides a glimpse into what Ridgefield once was and how it grew into what it is today.
ebook
(2)
Freeport-Velasco
by Brenda Laird
Part of the Images of America series
In 1821, Stephen F. Austin and the 'Old 300' colonists boarded the Lively and entered the Brazos River, landing at Old Velasco. After hurricanes repeatedly tore the little town apart, residents moved four miles upstream to New Velasco in 1891. Then, the 1900 hurricane, which nearly wiped Galveston off of the map, also devastated New Velasco. But even the earliest Texans were tough, and they endured, rebuilt, and thrived. In 1912, across the Brazos River, the discovery of sulphur gave birth to Freeport. Freeport and Velasco grew side-by-side for 45 years until 1957, when they were consolidated. Thus, some citizens felt that the city ought to then be called Freeport-Velasco. In 1961, Hurricane Carla roared into Freeport. It was followed through the years by many other mega-storms, but Freeport has weathered them all. Efforts are being made to revitalize downtown to the beauty it had a century ago.
ebook
(4)
Washington, DC, Jazz
by Regennia N. Williams
Part of the Images of America series
Home to "Black Broadway" and the Howard Theatre in the Greater U Street area, Washington, DC, has long been associated with American jazz. Duke Ellington and Billy Eckstine launched their careers there in the early 20th century. Decades later, Shirley Horn and Buck Hill would follow their leads, and DC's "jazz millennials" include graduates of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. For years, Bohemian Caverns and One Step Down were among the clubs serving as gathering places for producers and consumers of jazz, even as Rusty Hassan and other programmers used radio to promote the music. Washington, DC, Jazz focuses, primarily, on the history of straight-ahead jazz, using oral histories, materials from the William P. Gottlieb Collection at the Library of Congress, the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives at the University of the District of Columbia, and Smithsonian Jazz. This volume also features the work of photographers Nathaniel Rhodes, Michael Wilderman, and Lawrence A. Randall.
ebook
(1)
The Floppy Show
by Jeff Stein
Part of the Images of America series
In 1957, WHO-TV asked staff performer Duane Ellett to come up with an idea to help teach children how to better care for their pets. Ellett created Floppy, a high-voiced beagle dog puppet that became his sidekick for the next 30 years. Together, the iconic duo made 200 personal appearances every year at community festivals and events. The Floppy Show aired weekday afternoons in part of four decades, featuring a live studio audience of children telling Floppy riddles, beeping his nose for luck, and watching cartoons. On weekends, the duo appeared in a variety of programs over time, from the S.S. Popeye in earlier years to The Floppytown Gazette in the 1980s, featuring Floppy and other puppets Ellett created. Thousands of Iowans outside of Des Moines discovered the duo from their performances at the Iowa State Fair. Even now, 30 years after their last television appearance, Duane and Floppy still hold a warm place in the hearts of baby boomers across America.
ebook
(0)
Bloomfield Hills
Home of Cranbrook
by Christine Blackwell
Part of the Images of America series
Bloomfield Hills is an affluent suburban city located 20 miles north of downtown Detroit. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the area's rolling farmland was purchased by wealthy Detroit residents who had first discovered "the hills" when they went touring northward in their new horseless carriages. Seeking refuge from Detroit's summer heat and crowds, the newcomers built weekend homes that ranged from elaborate farmhouses to large manor estates. Philanthropists George Gough Booth and his wife, Ellen Scripps Booth, envisioned more than a manor house for themselves, however, and built what is now a National Historic Landmark, the Cranbrook Educational Community. In 1932, Bloomfield Hills incorporated as a city. The city retains its mystique as an enclave of elegant living and exceptional schools, but its history also includes instances of poverty and mayhem. It is all here in Images of America: Bloomfield Hills: Home of Cranbrook.
ebook
(0)
Visalia
by Terry L. Ommen
Part of the Images of America series
When the first settlers arrived in what is now Visalia in the fall of 1852, they found a lush river delta in the midst of an oak forest at the base of the Sierra Nevada. The soil was fertile, just right for farming, enabling Visalia to take root as the oldest town in the southern San Joaquin Valley. For the next 163 years, the town provided important products and services, like David Walker's Saddle Shop that became home to the famous Visalia Stock Saddle and Ben Maddox's Mount Whitney Power Company that harnessed water from the Kaweah River for electricity. Now with a population of almost 130,000, the county seat of Tulare County continues to be surrounded by some of the most productive farmland in the world and is a vibrant business center.
ebook
(0)
Greeley
by Peggy Ford Waldo
Part of the Images of America series
In October 1869, Nathan Meeker, the New York Tribune's agricultural editor, visited the Colorado Territory. Impressed with the scenery, people, climate, and resources, he wrote an article, "A Western Colony," for the Tribune, inviting principled people with money to invest in a temperance and agricultural colony. Over 3, 000 prospective colonists wrote to Meeker. On December 23, Meeker founded the Union Colony, a joint-stock colonization company, and chose 737 of the best applicants as members. In April 1870, the company established the town of Greeley, named for Tribune editor Horace Greeley. Founded on the principles of temperance, religion, education, agriculture, irrigation, cooperation, and family values, Greeley became the Weld County seat in 1877. Agriculture and water development ensured Greeley's reputation as the "Garden Spot of the State." Potatoes became its first commercially viable crop. From 1900 to 1950, agricultural expansion ushered in a succession of immigrants, including Germans from Russia, Japanese, Hispanics, and Mexican nationals, looking for work and new opportunities. Greeley's economy, growth, and diversity remain rooted in the land and its people.
ebook
(1)
Capitol Park and Spanish Town
by Matt Isch
Part of the Images of America series
The land north of downtown Baton Rouge between the Mississippi River and Interstate 10 encompasses the first high ground north of the mouth of the Mississippi. As the oldest neighborhood in the city, Spanish Town is widely considered to be the heart and soul of Baton Rouge. France, England, and Spain disputed the land for over 100 years, and in 1779 the English fought the Spanish and their American allies to secure it. Over the past 200 years, the area has been the home of an Army garrison, the campus of Louisiana State University, and Louisiana's magnificent state capitol building and surrounding Capitol Park. Today, Spanish Town's residents are notably diverse, and the neighborhood claims to host the largest Mardi Gras celebration in Baton Rouge.
ebook
(0)
Glendive
by Dr. R. Michael Booker Jr.
Part of the Images of America series
Glendive was founded in the early 1880s, and its growth was promoted and sustained by the Northern Pacific Railroad. Legend holds that Sir George Gore, on a hunting expedition with famed mountain man Jim Bridger, named a creek in the area Glendale Creek after a similar one in his native County Donegal, Ireland. Over the years, the word "Glendale" somehow transformed into "Glendive." Prior to the arrival of European Americans, indigenous peoples, including the Crow and the Lakota Sioux, called the area home. The arrival of the Northern Pacific in 1881, along with the passage of the Enlarged Homestead Act in 1909, lured people from America and abroad to this isolated region to pursue their version of the American dream.
ebook
(0)
Vanport
by Zita Podany
Part of the Images of America series
Nestled in the floodplain between North Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, a housing project was built to help house World War II shipyard workers. Its very name, Vanport, is derived from Vancouver and Portland. When the United States entered the war, the demand for ships and for workers to build those ships became a huge priority. Workers were recruited from all corners of the United States. Portland had a serious lodging shortage, so much so that these workers lived in cars, tents, parks, and whatever shelter could be found. Vanport, built in a little over a year to house them, was a city that did not sleep. In its heyday, Vanport was the second-largest city in Oregon with a population of over 40,000 residents. It was a city with many firsts. It was a city that touched many lives in a very short period of time. And on May 30, 1948, it was a city that disappeared just as quickly as it came into existence, leaving a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.
ebook
(0)
Kalama
by C. Louise Thomas
Part of the Images of America series
Pioneers had first settled in the area along the Columbia River by 1847, but Kalama was not officially incorporated there until 1890. Early riverboats stopped in Kalama to obtain timber to fire their boilers. The Northern Pacific Railroad chose Kalama as the site to land its rail-transfer ferry, and it also became the terminus for Northern Pacific Railroad to complete a rail line to Puget Sound. The city grew and flourished around these industries. However, it also endured many hardships, surviving devastating floods, a fire that destroyed the business district, and the loss of its agricultural base, but each time, the citizens rebuilt. With the second-largest port by volume in Washington State and a growing industrial base, Kalama continues to prosper today. People are drawn to its small-town charm and advantageous location along the I-5 corridor and the Columbia River, where rail, road, and river meet.
ebook
(0)
Phenix City
by John Lyles
Part of the Images of America series
Phenix City, Alabama, on the western bank of the Chattahoochee River across from Columbus, Georgia, was officially incorporated as Brownville in 1883. However, its history can be traced through Girard, Knights Station, Summerville, Fort Mitchell, the Creek Indian town of Coweta, and several other communities within Russell County. Phenix City has provided a setting for many of the important events in Alabama's history from early Spanish explorers, to its rich Native American heritage, to its role in opening and settling the Southern frontier, to its adherence to King Cotton, to its rebirth after being regarded the "wickedest city in America." Phenix City has undergone profound change and yet has retained its rural charm.
ebook
(0)
Minnesota Shoreview
by Verna Rusler
Part of the Images of America series
This fascinating pictorial history arrives as the City of Shoreview marks its 45th anniversary of incorporation. In over 200 historic photographs, Verna Rusler tracks the area's development, from its roots as a farming community and recreational area to today's bustling city. During the early 1800s, the area now known as Shoreview was part of the Indian Territory. By 1850, Samuel Eaton and the aptly named Socrates Thompson philosophized that the Shoreview area would make for an ideal land claim. More than one hundred years later, residents voted to incorporate as a village, with the first mayor being Kenneth Hanold. Shortly thereafter, it became a city. Shoreview includes images of familiar lost landmarks, from the summer cottages and farms that formerly dotted the shores of the community's lakes and ponds, to the Snail Lake Tavern, where Chicago gangsters mixed with local residents.
ebook
(0)
Prisons of Cañon City
by Victoria Newman
Part of the Images of America series
Cañon City sits in a geological bowl surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Historically, it has been known as the prison capital of the world, with eight-- soon to be nine--state prisons in the area and four federal facilities located 11 miles away in Florence. The first prison in Cañon City was built in 1868, before Colorado became a state, and was opened in 1871. Originally known as the Colorado Territorial Penitentiary, it is currently called the Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility and holds approximately 800 male inmates. Cañon City has grown up around the prisons, and the area's colorful history is defined by daring prison breaks, infamous inmates, such as the Colorado cannibal Alferd Packard, and by the stories of the inmates and employees who have been part of the prison system.
ebook
(1)
Watertown
by Donna M. Dutton
Part of the Images of America series
Watertown began as a small hamlet of three cabins located in a wilderness. In time it grew to become the county seat of Jefferson and, from the early 1800s through the mid-1900s, a major industrial and trade center in northern New York State. With more than 200 images, Watertown tells the fascinating history of this community, once known as the Garland City. This pictorial history looks back at a time when horse-and-buggy travel was a way of life, when crowds gathered to cheer for the returning troops, and when life seemed less hectic. Here are the Watertown public square, the first ten churches that were built in town prior to 1850, and the faces of schoolchildren-the ancestors of today's residents. Also in view are the early days of the Watertown Police Department, the industries that supplied jobs for thousands, the mighty Black River which powered these industries, and Thompson Park and the Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library-two gifts donated by benefactors who anticipated the community's needs.
ebook
(1)
Thetford
by Susanna H. French
Part of the Images of America series
Soon after Thetford was chartered in 1761, settlers from southern New England arrived and began transforming the forestland into a community. They took advantage of both the Connecticut River and the Ompompanoosuc River to forge a lively and self-sustaining collection of mill villages within the town. The railroad arrived in 1848, enabling three depot villages to blossom. Thetford Hill, with neither mills nor transportation, became home to the renowned Thetford Academy, the first coeducational secondary school in Vermont. Thetford's mill-based commerce ebbed significantly by 1900, but tourism became a prevalent industry, with city dwellers flocking to summer retreats such as Camp Hanoum and the Lake Fairlee camps. Despite fires, floods, and hurricanes, as well as the construction of the Union Village Dam in 1950 and Interstate 91 in 1971, Thetford has retained its resilient spirit and looks much as it did a century ago.
ebook
(0)
Massanutten
by Christine Michaels
Part of the Images of America series
Massanutten, a 50-mile-long mountain range, ends in a striking peak in the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia, splitting the Blue Ridge Mountains from the Alleghenies and the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River. Once an area where Native Americans dwelled and perhaps cultivated the land, Massanutten boasted healing springs that blossomed to become a four-season resort. Private homes intermingle with a conference center, timeshares, and condominiums in an area of preserved woodland heritage. This volume chronicles the history and development of this part of the mountain range, from its use as a Civil War lookout point to a modern-day ski resort complete with golfing and a water park. Included are glimpses of sports, business, and political notables like Lance Armstrong, Del Webb, and Bob Mathias, who have made their marks here--either as guests or in the development of the resort itself.
ebook
(0)
Spanish Harlem's Musical Legacy
1930-1980
by Silvio H. Alava
Part of the Images of America series
Spanish Harlem's musical development thrived between the 1930s and 1980s in New York City. This area was called El Barrio by its inhabitants and Spanish Harlem by all others. It was a neighborhood where musicians from the Caribbean or their descendants organized musical groups, thereby adding to the diaspora that began in Africa and Spain. The music now called salsa had its roots in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo, and it continued developing on another island: Manhattan.
ebook
(2)
Tropical Storm Agnes in Greater Harrisburg
by Erik V. Fasick
Part of the Images of America series
Tropical Storm Agnes, along with the unprecedented flooding which resulted from it, is arguably the most significant event to have transpired in the Harrisburg area in the last 150 years. Over the course of June 21 and June 22, 1972, Agnes drenched the region with more than a foot of rain. As a result, the Susquehanna River rose to record-breaking levels and backed into the already overwhelmed feeding creeks and streams. In Harrisburg, armed National Guardsmen patrolled the vacant streets and set up checkpoints to enforce a curfew and deter looting. Surrounded by floodwaters, row homes near the governor's mansion burned, and firefighters waded through chest-high water as they attempted to reach the blaze. Entire neighborhoods in both Shipoke and Steelton were ultimately lost due to the high waters entering homes. To this day, Agnes continues to serve as the measuring stick by which all storms since have been judged.
ebook
(0)
Phillipsburg
by Dr. Leonard Buscemi Sr.
Part of the Images of America series
The largest town in Warren County, Phillipsburg is located in the southwestern tip of the county along the Delaware River. Although the origin of its name is uncertain-named after a Native American chief or an early landowner-the area was known as Phillipsburg as early as 1749 and was officially incorporated in 1861. Situated relatively close to New York and Philadelphia, Phillipsburg developed as a manufacturing hub. Companies such as J.R. Templin's Iron and Brass Foundry, Cooper Iron Works, and Reese & Company helped Phillipsburg to grow. The prosperity alive in the town during these times is evident on the faces of those pictured in Phillipsburg. In these rare photographs, our earlier neighbors are on the field playing for the company team, on leisurely drives, or hard at work building the old trolley line. Even when times were harder, such as during flooding of the Delaware River, history was recorded with images and is retold in this volume.
ebook
(0)
Along the Huerfano River
by Kay Beth Faris Avery
Part of the Images of America series
Long before English speakers set eyes upon it, the volcanic plug on the south bank of the Huerfano River was tagged with a moniker that means "the orphan." Spanish conquistadors saw it as a rock pile that God dumped in the middle of nowhere, an odd little cone far removed from the regular foothills edging the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. In the 18th century, this outcropping and the river that bears the same name were famous landmarks for Native American tribes, Hispanic explorers, and French adventurers. Then in the 19th century, along came US mountain men, gold-seekers, cowboys, sheep ranchers, railroad workers, town developers, and coal miners from 31 different countries, speaking 27 different languages. Counterculture revolutionaries discovered the area in the 1960s and established five separate communes west of Walsenburg. Each wave of immigrants brought new perspectives and lifestyles.
ebook
(3)
Denair
by James Shehan
Part of the Images of America series
Rancher John T. Davis first established Davis Ranch in 1871, but it would be over 30 years before the land was declared the town of Denair. Tucked away in the San Joaquin Valley, this small oasis offered an abundance of fertile land and water, as well as close proximity to the expanding railroad. Originally considered the townsite of Elmwood, it was renamed Denair on April 14, 1907, for John Denair, a Santa Fe railroad man and land developer who had purchased 9,000 acres in the area. Over the next 100 years, the settlement of Denair slowly grew. Businesses came and went. Families and farms appeared and then disappeared like shifting sands, only to be replaced by others years later. In Denair, nothing ends--it just changes.
ebook
(0)
Nelsonville
by Lorinda LeClain
Part of the Images of America series
Named for Daniel Nelson, who arrived with his family in 1814, Nelsonville grew to become a boomtown by the mid-1800s. Coal mines and brick factories were its major employers, and the town attracted emigrant workers from England. Two major routes, the Hocking Canal and Hocking Valley Railroad, not only provided transportation for the area but also a means to export coal. The canal suffered attacks by Gen. John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate cavalry during the Civil War and was ultimately destroyed by spring flooding, but the railroad has remained a premiere tourist attraction. The Public Square, around which the earliest establishments such as the Dew House were erected, continues to thrive as an arts district. Images of America: Nelsonville uses archival photographs and postcards to celebrate the most influential people and beloved places of the "Little City of Black Diamonds" and to recap the challenges and triumphs that helped earn Nelsonville its distinctive reputation.
ebook
(0)
Clarinda
by Trish Okamoto
Part of the Images of America series
After fighting fiercely to provide for and protect its people and land for over 160 years against enemies and nature, Clarinda stands strong and proud on the west bank of the West Nodaway River in Page County, Iowa. Clarinda has achieved this goal due to the foresight and wits of a handful of early pioneers and the strength and pride carried in the hearts of generations of craftsmen and entrepreneurs. Now, with a population of over 5,000 and a community still strong in character, the town's history is highlighted in Images of America: Clarinda. Some of the photographs featured here may be cracking and fading in places, but this story of Clarinda offers a look back into a community that has a past as bright as its future.