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

...

First founded in 1853 by New York lawyer Paul Cornell, who named the community after the famous London park, Hyde Park was incorporated in 1861 and in 1889 the village was annexed to the City of Chicago. At the time of annexation, Hyde Park was extremely large in size, extending from 39th to 138th Streets. Today the area stretches from Lake Michigan to Cottage Grove Avenue and 47th to 59th Streets.

The 1890s was a time of great growth for Hyde

...

In 1837, Henry Janes applied for a post office called Black Hawk for the southern Wisconsin settlement where he ran a ferry across the Rock River. The postmaster general, however, noticed a town already by that name in the Iowa part of Wisconsin Territory, and he assigned the name Janesville, with Janes as postmaster. Two years later, Janes moved his family west, but the community grew to become the Rock County seat, and by 1860 it was Wisconsin's

...

Homes of Hollywood Stars highlights the souvenir postcards and folders that were sold to millions of tourists who visited Hollywood between 1920 and 1970 - an era known as the 'Golden Age of Hollywood.' Some of the actors of those years permitted their elegant residences to be photographed for the pleasure of their fans who wanted to know something about the off-screen lives of their favorite players. Usually located in exclusive communities like...

On the southern edge of the vast Llano Estacado, Midland began as a midpoint along the Texas and Pacific Railway. From its earliest days, entrepreneurs like the Scharbauers and Henry Halff built a city based upon their dreams. Land speculators, ranchers, farmers, financiers, oilmen, investors, and engineers each placed their own unique brands on Midland's landscape. Over time, the community earned a variety of nicknames--Windmill Town, Land of the...

Baraboo, a community as unique as its name, had the same beginnings as many other southern Wisconsin cities--but its development throughout the 19th century set it apart. Starting in 1839, several dams were built along the Baraboo River rapids and a typical mill town formed. Baraboo's population began to rise when it became the county seat in 1846. With the arrival of the railroad in 1871, the village doubled in size within a decade. The railroad...

Jeannette, the Glass City, was the first industrial city in Westmoreland County. From Jeannette's founding in 1888 by Pittsburgh industrialist H. Sellers McKee, the city was destined for fame. Jeannette produced more glass in various forms than any other city in the world. At one time there were seven great glass factories in Jeannette, all producing glass that was shipped worldwide. Jeannette was a beautiful planned Victorian town, and the residents...

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,...

In 1824, the completion of the Schuylkill Canal gave birth to Spring City, and the opening of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad in Royersford soon followed. Over the years, the "twin boroughs" grew simultaneously, sharing the community and industrial developments that their respective transportation hubs fostered. Spring City and Royersford, through more than two hundred vintage postcards, shares the history of these sister towns: the stove factories,...

Through its many incarnations, Alameda has never lost its charm and ability to draw people from all walks of life. Originally a peninsula inhabited by Native Americans, it was purchased by Don Luis Peralta in 1818 and developed into a bedroom community of San Francisco. Alameda became an island in 1902, and a short time later, it was a new home to many refugees from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. The Neptune Beach amusement park attracted...