Lower Bucks County
Part of the Postcard History series
Named by William Penn in 1681, Bucks County is one of the three original counties in Pennsylvania and enjoys a lengthy tradition as an important region of this state. Lower Bucks County is a fascinating pictorial history of the towns that comprise the northern suburban edge of Philadelphia. Surveying the era from 1905 to 1970, the book includes images from the towns of Langhorne, Hulmeville, Trevose, Southampton, Newtown, Tullytown, Richboro, Churchville, Holland, Cornwells Heights, Fallsington, Yardley, Feasterville, Bristol, Oxford Valley, Parkland, and Andalusia. Lower Bucks County portrays the natural beauty of the area's scenery, as well as historic homes, hotels, stores, and schools. Several prominent families are also chronicled, as the county evolves into the bustling communities of today.
Canton
Part of the Postcard History series
The town of Canton is a celebration of New England history, from its early days when Paul Revere opened the nation's first copper rolling mill in 1801 to its beautiful nineteenth-century architecture and its economic growth through the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Here, in over 200 rare and striking photographs, the story of Canton unfolds, full of rich tradition and Yankee pride. Canton's reputation as the center of the nation's copper industry helped the town contribute to the young country's history. The first copper plates for the hull of the USS Constitution came from Canton, as did the copper work for the nation's first steam-powered warship. Many of the brass cannons used during the Civil War were also made in this Massachusetts town. Canton will immerse the reader in days gone by, taking a nostalgic look at a time thought by many to be the best. Images of schools, churches, families, police, and firefighters compose a picture of another era, where one can see Canton at work, play, and war.
Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon
Part of the Postcard History series
Most visitors travel to Sedona to view the towering red rock sandstone formations dotted with juniper pines and to hike and explore Oak Creek Canyon, along with other beautiful canyons that were once showcased by the Westerns filmed in Sedona. After the ancient peoples who farmed departed the area, the Homestead Act of the 1870s advertised free land and lured cattle ranchers and farmers, but by the 1960s, tourism reigned, and Sedona became a destination for outdoor activities, art, fine dining, unique shopping, relaxation, and luxury resorts.
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway
Part of the Postcard History series
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway was the first class-one railroad in the United States to be abandoned in its entirety. Whereas other rail lines were closed gradually, the federal government closed down the railroad on March 29, 1957, for its failure to pay employee withholding taxes. The railroad went into bankruptcy in 1937 after its main shipping commodity, coal, was rapidly replaced by oil for home heat. As time passed, the interest in this abandoned railroad grew, and much of the company's records have been recovered and preserved. Today, with 750 members, the Ontario and Western Railway Historical Society Archives Center houses this unique corporate record collection. In addition, there are extensive private collections of everything from locomotives, passenger cars, lanterns, and tools to company passes and railroad police memorabilia.
Harpers Ferry
Part of the Postcard History series
Harpers Ferry, located at the confluence of the beautiful Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, offers visitors a breathtaking view described by Thomas Jefferson as a "scene worth a voyage across the Atlantic." From George Washington's 1796 establishment of the federal armory, through John Brown's 1859 raid to foment slave rebellion and Civil War battles, and to one of the first successful colleges for African Americans, Harpers Ferry has played a significant role in America's history. Hundreds of vintage postcards, many of which are very scarce today, depict this history, the various scenic views and buildings in town, and the daily lives of townspeople over the last century.
Rockefeller's Cleveland
Part of the Postcard History series
John D. Rockefeller arrived in Cleveland in 1853 a boy of 14 and spent six decades in his adopted hometown. With the Standard Oil Company's incorporation in 1870, Rockefeller became the city's most well-known industrialist and, from 1885 to 1917, its foremost summer resident at his Forest Hill estate. Here he raised his children, laid the foundation of a financial and industrial empire, and established a commitment to charitable giving. At the end of the Civil War, Cleveland was a crucible from which would be cast the fortunes of many. None were greater than Rockefeller's. Rockefeller's Cleveland captures the visual panorama of a dynamic city that literally reinvented itself in the 1800s and in doing so emerged a major business and industrial center.
Pontiac, Michigan
A Postcard Album
Part of the Postcard History series
"I am sending you this so you won't forget Pontiac." This is the sentiment inscribed on one of the postcards included in this collection. Pontiac, Michigan: A Postcard Album brings to life the history of this uniquely American city. The postcard has always been a very popular means of communication, and now as a historical document, it offers us a fascinating insight into the times and places of the past. Like many cities, Pontiac has passed through many phases, from agricultural center to auto manufacturer--through good times and bad. These postcards capture the people and places of Pontiac, and remind us of the courageous people who built this country.
Broward County
Part of the Postcard History series
Broward County came into existence on October 1, 1915, when Dade and Palm Beach Counties were partitioned to form a new county. Named for early-20th-century Florida governor Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, the county has grown to become renowned for nationally acclaimed restaurants, residential areas, colleges, universities, and shopping along Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. A major American metropolitan area, Broward County today is home to a branch of Florida International University, as well as the campuses of Nova Southeastern University, Broward College, and Florida Atlantic University. As of 2016, the population of Broward County was approximately 1.8 million people, making it Florida's second-most populous county and the 17th-most populous in the United States.
Cuyahoga Falls
Part of the Postcard History series
Welcome to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, a small American town that epitomizes America itself. With a history dating back to the rough decades when the land was a deep wilderness inhabited by natives and adventure-seeking Europeans, the town grew into an industrial juggernaut, weathered disasters, embraced inventiveness, and spearheaded progress. Between these covers readers will find a treasure trove of postcards from a colorful past. From grand old buildings and daily town life to the natural beauty and resources of the Cuyahoga River, the images in Postcard History Series: Cuyahoga Falls reflect memories of Americana and times long since past.
Henderson
Part of the Postcard History series
These vintage picture postcards take readers on a trip through the history of Henderson. Featured are the city's many remarkable parks, businesses, hotels, schools, and homes--some lost to time and some transported into the 21st century. The images and stories in this book will entertain and educate architecture buffs, rail fans, river enthusiasts, historians, and visitors and residents, past and present.
St. Augustine in the 1930s and 1940s
Part of the Postcard History series
The Great Depression came early to St. Augustine with the end of the Florida land boom in 1926, followed by the stock market collapse in 1929. Hotels closed, a major bank failed, subdivisions folded, and tourism was reduced to a trickle. The city's main employer, the Florida East Coast Railway, went into receivership in 1931, and public works projects sought to bring relief to the unemployed. The economy slowly improved toward the end of the 1930s, but it was World War II that brought economic recovery to the town. Local hotels were taken over for military training, and servicemen on leave from nearby military bases flooded the town, bringing prosperity once again to the Ancient City.
Vineland
by Arjorie Moniodis Ingraham
Part of the Postcard History series
In 1861, Charles K. Landis carved the village of Vineland from the western edge of the Pine Barrens. The community quickly attracted a diverse population who farmed and manufactured. A network of railroads enabled the town to ship its produce and products to markets along the East Coast. Vineland was recognized as a cultural mecca as well as a center of civil rights and women's suffrage. Physically the largest "small town" in New Jersey in square miles, Vineland today still attracts newcomers in search of new opportunities, just as Landis hoped for all those years ago.
Fort Payne
Part of the Postcard History series
Fort Payne was named for the US Army stockade at the Native American village of Willstown, where Cherokee scholar Sequoyah developed his famous alphabet in the 1820s. Following the Cherokee Removal of 1838, known as the Trail of Tears, a farming settlement developed around the stockade site, and the arrival of the Wills Valley Railroad in the 1850s helped shape its early growth. The small town became the county seat in 1878 and quickly boomed into a coal and iron industrial powerhouse filled with the municipal infrastructure, stately structures, and elegant residences that define the city today. By mid-century, Fort Payne was experiencing its second boom and was ultimately recognized as the "Sock Capital of the World."
Penn State University
Part of the Postcard History series
Penn State University was founded in 1855. Then known as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, the 400-acre campus had only one main building. With almost 100,000 current students (including students at the Commonwealth Campuses) and having the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world, Penn State continues to be a world leader in education. Since its founding, picture postcards have been published to showcase the buildings and highlight the student activities while documenting the school's narrative.
High Bridge
by William Honachefsky Jr.
Part of the Postcard History series
The history of High Bridge is intertwined with the development of the iron and steel industry in the United States. As early as the 1700s, the framework of this little hamlet had already been created by English investors who carved up the rich wilderness of the New World, brimming with iron ore that would be essential to the county's development. High Bridge Borough evolved around the Taylor Wharton Foundry, established in 1742. With the passage of time, however, High Bridge has lost its farming and foundry roots, evolving into what is often referred to as a bedroom community. Just like the lofty trestle from which High Bridge derived its name, the city now runs the risk of being lost to time, forsaking the resilient character of the immigrants who forged a nation. This book aims to preserve High Bridge's glorious history for future generations.
New London
Part of the Postcard History series
Founded in 1646 and known as "the Whaling City," New London has played an important role in American history since Colonial days. Its natural harbor at the mouth of the Thames River connects the city to the sea. Around the turn of the 20th century, New London flourished as the hub of southeastern Connecticut. With roots as one of the main ports for the whaling industry, the city became home to a wealthy summer resort called the Pequot Colony. Over the years, dramatic changes occurred as a result of natural disasters, such as the 1938 hurricane, and man-made changes, such as the 1960s redevelopment project. Historical postcards offer a glimpse into bustling city life during this exciting time.
Onset and Point Independence
Part of the Postcard History series
Inaugurated in 1877 as a camp meeting ground by eastern Massachusetts residents who believed in communication with the dead, Onset quickly emerged as the nation's leading spiritualist summer community. By 1900, however, spiritualism had been overwhelmed by an influx of tourists, and Onset subsequently developed as a secular summer resort noted for its scenic bluffs, recreational pursuits, and beaches. At this same time, neighboring Point Independence found wide appeal among middle-class vacationers interested in swimming, sailing, and relaxation.
New Smyrna Beach
Part of the Postcard History series
In 1768, Scottish physician Andrew Turnbull arrived in Florida with more than 1,200 indentured servants. He and his partners dreamed of establishing a plantation settlement that would make them wealthy. Despite some successes, New Smyrna was not the financial windfall they had hoped for, and after only nine years, the settlement failed. Disgruntled workers appealed to East Florida governor Patrick Tonyn, who granted them their freedom. Many of the now free settlers took residence in St. Augustine. In the succeeding years, New Smyrna has seen Civil War skirmishes, the addition of "Beach" to its name, a merger with Coronado Beach, the rise and fall of the rail industry, and a marked increase in local and out-of-state tourism. The "World's Safest Bathing Beach" is no longer a local secret.
East Hampton
Part of the Postcard History series
East Hampton began as a fishing and farming community in the 1600s, but by the late 18th century, the area had grown to be a popular summer destination. Within a year of its construction in 1796, the Montauk Lighthouse was already attracting tourists. By the mid-19th century, steamships and railroads were taking visitors to see the magnificent beaches and stay in the boardinghouses. The smaller East Hampton communities, such as Montauk, Amagansett, and Wainscott, also became favored locations for people escaping the heat of the cities, and they remain highly sought-after destinations today.
Astoria
Part of the Postcard History series
Fortunate to be located in the northwest corner of Oregon, where the mighty Columbia River flows to the Pacific Ocean, Astoria has always inspired residents and visitors. The town's spectacular natural beauty and accessible everyday life invites documentation. Those lucky enough to experience Astoria sense they are witnessing something special. More than a century ago, it was a place of big fish, big trees, big dreams, and big personalities. Luckily, many professional photographers and everyday shutterbugs made it their business to capture life on the Lower Columbia from the earliest days of photography. Today, there are fewer giant Chinooks and the remaining old growth is protected, but the town, dreams, personalities, and photographs remain.
Old Orchard Beach
Part of the Postcard History series
From 1631 to the present, Old Orchard Beach has had a singularly rich history among New England's summer communities. Old Orchard was originally a small seacoast farming community nestled on the shore of Saco Bay. When the railroad came in 1873, the coast exploded into one of the grandest Victorian settings in Maine. It boasted famous religious camp meetings, transatlantic flights, big bands, big fires, harness racing, and automobile racing on the beach. The Kennedy family, Bette Davis, Fred Allen, Rosa and Carmen Ponselle, Pierre Trudeau, and Charles Lindbergh all rejuvenated themselves in this community. Old Orchard Beach is still a vacation mecca, and residents and visitors alike will find enjoyment and education within these pages.
Berlin
Part of the Postcard History series
Berlin, first settled in 1822 by William Sessions of Gilead, Maine, began as Maynesborough and was incorporated as the town of Berlin in 1829. The invention of the water turbine allowed early residents to harness the immense power of the Androscoggin River, which bisects the town. The arrival of the railroad in 1852 aided the transport of timber and later paper products, helping to give Berlin the nickname "the City that Trees Built." Incorporated as a city in 1897, what began as a small town grew until it was, for a time, the world's largest manufacturer of paper products.
Ocean City, New Jersey
Part of the Postcard History series
From the early 1900s through the 1950s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this "golden age" can today be considered works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of local children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history. This fascinating new history of Ocean City, New Jersey, showcases more than two hundred of the best vintage postcards available. Images in this collection date between 1879 and 1950.
Southeastern Berks County
Part of the Postcard History series
Berks County was established in 1752 from portions of Chester, Lancaster, and Philadelphia Counties, but its early settlers had already left their marks on the area. Southeastern Berks County covers a mythical trip between the villages Oley, Englesville, Exeter, Yellow House, Earlville, Amityville, Douglassville, Pine Forge, Little Oley, Greshville, Moreysville, Boyertown, Gabelsville, Shanesville, and Pleasantville. It examines why people settled here and how they lived, worked, and enjoyed themselves 100 years ago. The trip, taken through the medium of vintage postcards, may be traveled today by car.
Brookville
Part of the Postcard History series
Platted in 1808 on a strip of land between the confluence of the East and West Forks of the Whitewater River, Brookville is one of the oldest and most picturesque towns in Indiana. The authors have assembled more than 200 historic postcards, contributed by local residents and collectors, that tell the story of Brookville's people and places. Many of the scenes depicted in Brookville postcards show homes, busy factories, and rural scenes that have long since disappeared. Browsing through these images gives an indication of the way Brookville used to be. Others scenes are easily recognizable today and show how the citizens of the town have preserved some of its most important landmarks.
The Iowa State Fair
In Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Each August, the Iowa State Fairgrounds, home to America's quintessential state fair, becomes 400 acres of sights, sounds, and aromas. More than just a showcase for farm machinery, the fair has one of the world's largest livestock shows, hundreds of competitive events, first-class entertainment, and every imaginable food-on-a-stick. The first Iowa State Fair, held in 1854 at Fairfield, drew 10,000 visitors, and attendance now tops one million each year. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it has been held at its present location in Des Moines since 1886. In the early 1900s, fairgoers could choose from a large selection of postcards, stick on a penny stamp, and mail them to friends to describe their blue ribbon, an exciting midway ride, or the great entertainment. Over 190 vintage postcards provide glimpses of the fair from the 1890s to the mid-1950s in The Iowa State Fair.
The Blue Ridge Parkway
Part of the Postcard History series
In the late 1890s, the Blue Ridge Parkway was envisioned by many as a great getaway and nature preserve. The concept materialized in the early 20th century, when John D. Rockefeller donated the first $5 million to begin purchasing land for the project. Located at the top of the great Appalachian ridges, the parkway covers 469 winding miles of mountains and meadows lined with lush wildflowers, old farms, and split-rail fences. Inspiring scenery makes for a journey rich in history and mountain culture.
Butler County
Part of the Postcard History series
Settlement in Butler County began when Fort Hamilton was built on the Great Miami River in 1791. For the next century, water shaped the county's fortunes. Settlers built towns, commerce moved on the river, and mills and factories grew up along the Miami and Erie Canal and its hydraulic canals in Hamilton and Middletown. The devastating 1913 flood tested residents' resolve and reshaped parts of the landscape. Despite losses caused by the flood, the county's important landmarks remained. The vintage postcards presented here illustrate Butler County life from the days of the fort through the 1950s. A special chapter honors Miami University, which was chartered in 1809. Miami has become a beacon of learning set among the fields and the alma mater of thousands.
Bristol
Part of the Postcard History series
In 1852, Joseph R. Anderson purchased 100 acres on the Virginia- Tennessee border with the intent of building a town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Four years later, Bristol was incorporated, and it celebrated its 150th birthday in 2006. Taking its name from the English city, Bristol is also known as the Twin City because of its two distinct towns with two separate governments--one in Virginia and the other in Tennessee. Postcard History Series: Bristol portrays the city from the late 1800s through its growth during the 20th century and preserves its rich heritage in vintage postcards.
Carolina Beach
by Elaine Blackmon Henson
Part of the Postcard History series
Carolina Beach, North Carolina, has been a destination for beachgoers, boaters, and fishermen since the 1880s. Visitors came first by the combination of river steamers and a train and later by automobiles to seek respite from the summer's heat and the daily grind. This book shares the history of this seaside community through the postcards its visitors sent home. From the early hand colored cards printed in Germany to the modern chrome cards of today, we see the people and places of Carolina Beach.
Amsterdam
Part of the Postcard History series
In the 1700s, Amsterdam was just a small trading village in upstate New York. Utilizing its superior location astride critical waterways, the village grew during the westward expansion of the early 1800s to become an industrial powerhouse. By the 20th century, Amsterdam had become America's foremost rug-making center, nicknamed the "Carpet City," and the seventh largest city in New York. Waves of Dutch, German, Irish, Italian, and eastern European immigrants were drawn to the city for work. Some became mill workers while others became millionaires. The vintage postcards in Amsterdam tell the story of an American dream created, lost, and still pursued on what was once America's frontier.
Boise
Part of the Postcard History series
Boise was founded on the Oregon Trail in 1863, shortly after the opening of Fort Boise, which was built to protect the gold that had recently been discovered in the Boise Basin around Idaho City. By the late 1800s, Boise had a very large downtown infrastructure, and it saw the addition of many multistoried buildings after 1900. In the late 1960s though the 1970s, Boise experienced a major urban renewal project with many of the historic buildings being torn down to make way for a new downtown mall. Since the 1970s, many new buildings have filled in the lots created by the urban renewal. This book will give readers an idea of what Boise once looked like.
Chalfont and New Britain
Part of the Postcard History series
New Britain Township, founded in 1723, was a rural farming community originally settled by Welsh Baptists and German Mennonites. This changed dramatically in 1856 when the North Pennsylvania Railroad was built. Two train stations were built in the township and were named Chalfont and New Britain. The villages next to these stations attracted numerous new residents and businesses. The local picnic grove was even converted into an amusement park, which became known as Forest Park. The villages surrounding these railroad stations grew until residents decided to create their own separate boroughs, establishing Chalfont Borough in 1901 and New Britain Borough in 1928. The postcards and pictures in Chalfont and New Britain include images of the villages of Chalfont, New Britain, Line Lexington, and New Galena, as well as scenes of historic homes, hotels, stores, churches, schools, and the businesses and people who lived and worked in the community.
Around Brockport
Part of the Postcard History series
Throughout the 20th century, Brockport residents and visitors shared their experiences, sending postcards of the town to friends and family. These postcards present the important places and events that made visitors come back year after year and made residents proud to call the town home. This book complements the author's pictorial history Around Brockport in Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series. Along with Brockport, the towns of Sweden, Clarkson, and Hamlin are included in this extraordinary collection of postcards. The vintage postcards in this volume span a century of the area's history, presenting a portrait of the streets, buildings, events, and disasters that impacted the time and preserving the memories of the past for future generations.
Louisville
Part of the Postcard History series
Founded in 1778 as a portage point on the lower Ohio River, Louisville was closely tied to river commerce for a century. In the 1880s, the Southern Exposition and the growth of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad did much to establish the city as an important commercial link between the North and South. By 1900, Louisville was the 18th largest city in America, with a population of just over 200,000. The city had a vibrant downtown with elegant office buildings and hotels and one of the finest park systems in the country, designed by the Olmsted brothers in the 1890s. In Louisville, more than 200 postcards present a visual record of the institutions, prosperity, and charm of the river city.
Victorian Hartford Revisited
Part of the Postcard History series
The gilded city of Hartford triumphantly returns in this volume, Victorian Hartford Revisited, a compilation of many never before published images of Victorian splendor and incredible architecture. The social, economic, cultural, and architectural center of the state went through unparalleled growth after the Civil War. Demand for new technology made Hartford not only the political capital but the epicenter of the Industrial Revolution in the region. Tremendous wealth accumulated and materialized in the form of extensive estates, historic parks, magnificent schools, churches, public buildings, grand hotels, and a multitude of immigrant housing. This once Colonial port city along the Connecticut River rose to epitomize America's Victorian age, and it is captured within these impressive pages.
Misquamicut
Part of the Postcard History series
Originally named Pleasant View, Misquamicut is a lovely stretch of beach located in southern Rhode Island. Court Bliven and his wife named the area for its remarkable views. They built the first cottage, called the Pioneer, in 1894 and the Wigwam Hotel in 1905. The trolley came to the area in 1908, and by 1911, there were three major hotels, a casino, a village square, and 150 cottages. Its Victorian charm attracted visitors from all parts of the country, but the Hurricane of 1938 devastated Misquamicut and destroyed many of its photographs. Misquamicut brings together more than 200 vintage postcards, many very rare, in chronological order dating from 1894 to today.
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Part of the Postcard History series
The Benjamin Franklin Parkway has sliced through the Logan Square neighborhood of Center City (downtown) Philadelphia since World War I. Named after Philadelphia's favorite son, the mile-long boulevard begins at city hall and heads diagonally towards Logan Circle before reaching the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The postcards and other images in this work show the parkway's development and its role in Philadelphia's civic and cultural life. Despite often serving as a speedway into and out of town, the Ben Franklin Parkway is a triumph in urban planning that has become a treasured part of the City of Brotherly Love.
Alexandria
Part of the Postcard History series
Alexandria is situated near the center of Douglas County, surrounded by a chain of beautiful lakes. These lakes brought pioneer settlers to the area as early as 1858, when Minnesota achieved statehood and the town was established. The lakes remain a key factor that continue to draw residents and visitors. The images in Postcard History Series: Alexandria tell the community's story, recalling fond memories of the businesses, churches, homes, schools, and recreational opportunities that form the generous and caring nature of the welcoming community that is Alexandria.
by Durham Historical Society
Part of the Postcard History series
Durham: 1900-1950 presents a unique view into the history of Durham through vintage postcards. A small town of approximately 7,000 people, Durham is located in central Connecticut between New Haven and Hartford. A quintessential New England town, Durham was settled in 1699 and has a vast and exceptional history. During the postcard era, images of historic homes, celebrations, businesses, and other areas of interest in town were sent all across the state and country and brought a little piece of Durham to the recipient. These snapshots of town history illustrate the many changes and transitions that have made Durham what it is today.
East Central Georgia in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
From the 1890s through the 1920s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this "golden age" can today be considered works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of local children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history. This fascinating new history of East Central Georgia showcases more than two hundred of the best vintage postcards available.
Grand Canyon National Park
Part of the Postcard History series
Arizona is proud to have one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World--the Grand Canyon. With the arrival of the Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroad in the early 20th century, the development of the canyon began in earnest. The railroads, along with the Santa Fe's business partner, the Fred Harvey Company, greatly promoted the Grand Canyon as a tourist destination through books, pamphlets, and magazine advertisements. On February 26, 1919, Congress established the Grand Canyon National Park, and the federal government became a promoter of the Grand Canyon, too. But perhaps the best promoters of the Grand Canyon were the people who wrote home on picture postcards telling their friends and families about the amazing canyon. A number of the postcards published about the park can be found within the pages of this book.
Altoona
Part of the Postcard History series
The Pennsylvania Railroad was incorporated in 1846 and immediately began the task of finding an all-rail route to connect Philadelphia with Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania Railroad surveyed possible routes and arrived on a valley floor at the base of the Allegheny Mountains in 1849 that was primarily occupied by the David Robeson farm. As people arrived for employment opportunities, the railroad company purchased the Robeson farm, laid out the plan of a town, and named it Altoona. Shops were established, and crafts were needed as locomotive and car design and building evolved, all with increasing population and prosperity. Altoona grew from farmland to 75,000 people in 75 years.
Along the Allegheny River
The Northern Watershed
Part of the Postcard History series
The Allegheny River of western Pennsylvania and New York rises in Potter County, Pennsylvania, and flows 320 miles to its confluence with the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh. The Allegheny's southern watershed district begins in East Brady, Pennsylvania, and ends in Pittsburgh, and it includes the historic Redbank Creek, Mahoning Creek, Crooked Creek, and Kiskiminetas River valleys. Along the Allegheny River: The Southern Watershed features over 200 vintage postcards of the landscapes, people, industries, and events that shaped the history of the southern Allegheny River Valley and of the nation. These absorbing images chronicle over 200 years of history from the frontier wars of the 18th century to the rise and growth of the Industrial Revolution in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Alameda
Part of the Postcard History series
Alameda was once a peninsula of grassy fields and sandy beaches, separated from Oakland by a snaking estuary. A tidal canal made Alameda an island in 1902 and its waterfront became a major shipping port. Park Street's bay-windowed commercial buildings looked out on a prosperous city of streetcars and comfortable homes. Between the two world wars, Alameda's Neptune Beach resort and amusement park became the "Coney Island of the West," eventually boasting a Moorish entrance tower on Webster Street, a stadium, two swimming pools, a high dive, and a roller coaster called the "Whoopie." Alameda's strategic location made its "airdrome" the busiest in the world in the 1930s and eventually attracted a U.S. Coast Guard base, known as Government Island, and the Alameda Naval Air Station.
by Genesee County Historical Society
Part of the Postcard History series
Most postcards were written as quick messages to let a friend or family know that "I arrived OK" or someone was "thinking of you." Now the vintage cards in this book are carrying another message, giving readers a glimpse of what small-town life was like early in the 20th century, when the majority of these cards were produced. During the first half of the 20th century in Genesee County, the communities outside of Flint were small, but visitors and residents still wanted postcards depicting scenes from Davison, Fenton, Flushing, Grand Blanc, and even the smaller settlements such as Otterburn and Atlas. Railroad stations, churches, and town halls were common subjects, but some surprises were found too in the search for postcard images of Genesee County.
Long Branch
Part of the Postcard History series
In days gone by, Long Branch was filled with the mansions of millionaires, a business district bustling with commerce, and an oceanfront dotted with glittering gambling casinos and the finest hotels. At the dawn of the 20th century, everyone flocked to Ocean Avenue, either as a resident or visitor just taking in the sights. Some of these people were well-known actors, politicians, and business tycoons of the day. Others were day-trippers here to enjoy the cool breezes and summer entertainment that Long Branch had to offer. Some local citizens worked in the city, helping to maintain its reputation as the premier summer resort in the nation--a distinction bestowed by Mary Todd Lincoln when she visited in the summer of 1861. Many people came to Long Branch for many reasons, but all of them had one thing in common, the important role they played in its proud past.
Aurora
Part of the Postcard History series
Covered wagons brought a wave of migration to northern Illinois in the mid-1830s. On April 1, 1834, the first permanent white settlers, Joseph McCarthy and two assistants, paddled up the Fox River. The vicinity was known as Waubonsie's Village at that time. They built a log cabin, a dam across the Fox, and eventually a sawmill. The village had about 400 Native Americans who bartered fish for bread and tobacco. For almost 175 years now, growth has been steady and sure, and the city of Aurora is the second-largest metropolitan area in Illinois. Aurora is home to honorable civic institutions, excellent education, and a multicultural and energetic population.