How do you build a town from scratch? The first ingredient is a dream. W.W. Duson served as the chef with a vision for a new town. With the railroad completed through southwestern Louisiana in 1881, Duson, general manager of the Southwestern Louisiana Land Company, orchestrated the purchase of land along the railroad. Railroader Patrick Crowley moved his �Crowley Switch� house depot to the new townsite as Duson stirred interest through advertisements in Midwestern newspapers. Duson blended...

Edison, named for its most famous resident, inventor Thomas Alva Edison, can be called the birthplace of modern life as we know it. It was here at his Menlo Park complex that Thomas Edison created the incandescent electric lightbulb and 300 other inventions, providing residents with not only a place of employment but also a source of national pride. Known as Raritan Township until 1954, Edison was a slow-paced agricultural community until the twentieth century, with farms remaining until t...

Apopka, Florida, started out as a place once dubbed "Big Potato" by the Native Americans of the area and was formerly known as the "Fern City," but it is now most notably considered the "Indoor Foliage Capitol of the World." Once-thriving fragrant citrus groves have been replaced by climate-controlled greenhouses and fields of landscaped nurseries and subdivisions. The second largest city in Orange County, Apopka is located in the northwest region of the county. It functions today as a bed...

Discover the stories behind historic Columbus neighborhoods and their engaging landmarks. The community centers that locals call home aren't just points of interest but places that have shaped history beyond their communities and even Ohio. This encyclopedia of Columbus neighborhoods gives voice to the rich heritage residing in the bell towers, parks and streetscapes of Franklinton, German Village, King-Lincoln, Olde Town East, Short North and the University District. Along with WOSU's awa...

Postcards are an important element of understanding our past, for they provide future generations a rare glimpse into a world that many times has disappeared under the aegis of expansion and progress. This book, containing over 200 vintage postcards, allows readers to see one of the South's most historic cities as it looked in the earlier part of the twentieth century'a time when the city was experiencing unparalleled growth. Spartanburg, South Carolina contains scenes of early textile mil...

Much of the history of New York's scenic Mohawk Valley has been recounted time and again. But so many other stories have remained buried, almost lost from memory. The man called the baseball oracle correctly predicted the outcome of twenty-one major-league games. Mrs. Bennett, a friend of Governor Thomas Dewey, owned the Tower restaurant and lived in the unique Cranesville building. An Amsterdam sailor cheated death onboard a stricken submarine. Not only people but once-loved places are al...

The town of Ogden and the village of Spencerport were considered pioneer country when the first settlers arrived in 1801 from Connecticut, seeking more fertile farmland. The two communities witnessed the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 and survived through the rise and fall of the importance of that waterway. Throughout much of the nineteenth century, many farms produced and sold vast amounts of produce, shipped via the canal. Since the time of their agrarian roots, Ogden and Spencerp...

An entertaining guidebook to the city's many communities with maps, landmarks, history, and fun facts.With over two hundred neighborhoods divided into seventy-seven community areas, Chicago offers a dazzling and daunting challenge to ambitious tourists and lifelong citizens. This blend of history and travel guide introduces you to them.Anyone who's never been to Chicago will be shocked to learn how big it really is. Did you know that Humboldt Park isn't eve...

In Voices of Rondo, real-life stories illuminate the northern urban Black experience during the first half of the twentieth century, through the memories and reflections of residents of Saint Paul’s historic Rondo community. We glimpse the challenges of racism and poverty and share the victories of a community that educated its children to become strong, to find personal pride, and to become the next generation of leaders in Saint Paul and beyond.

Wallingford depicts the interesting history of this Connecticut community.Wallingford lies nestled among the hills along the valley of the Quinnipiac River in Connecticut. Its first settlers were 38 planters and their families, who arrived in 1670. The land proved to be productive for farming and orchards. Many years after its founding, Wallingford flourished as a center for the making of silver holloware and flatware. With names such as Wallace, Simpson, Rogers, Elton, Hall, Miller, Inter...

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...

Based solely on vintage postcards, this important new book is a unique addition to the small number of works devoted to the history of Morgan County. Captured here in more than 220 commercially produced and personal real-photo postcards is a chronicle of the past 100 years in Martinsville (the county seat), Mooresville, Morgantown, Waverly, and other communities that have been imprinted on the local landscape. This visual record showcases the people, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, rec...