The Kennebunks in Vintage Postcards
by The Brick Store Museum
Part of the Postcard History series
The town of Kennebunk split from the neighboring town of Wells on June 24, 1820, just three months after Maine became a state. Kennebunk's proximity to three large bodies of water, the Kennebunk River, the Mousam River, and the Atlantic Ocean, fueled its development over thousands of years. Kennebunk's waterways were home to Wabanaki hunters, settlement farmers, early lumber mills, and a booming shipbuilding business. The Maine coast soon brought tourists to Kennebunk and its beaches. By the 1930s, Kennebunk Beach and its surrounding area contained several hotels and beach cottages. Sites like the Wedding Cake House, Kennebunk Beach, Main Street, and Blowing Cave quickly reached new heights as well-known landmarks. Postcards played a part in fueling the powerhouse tourist industry that remains active to this day.
Petaluma in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Incorporated in 1858, Petaluma rapidly became a thriving commercial and major transportation center. This carefully curated selection of vintage postcards illustrates Petaluma's identity and pride as it grew from a strategic port location provisioning San Francisco during the Gold Rush to an agricultural and manufacturing town in the late 1800s. After the turn of the 20th century, Petaluma focused on the poultry industry and proclaimed itself "The World's Egg Basket." The cast-iron storefronts and iconic buildings, such as the Carnegie Library, post office, and silk mill, are some of the impressive landmarks constructed during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Images of a busy waterfront with a bustling downtown surrounded by Victorian homes, beautiful churches, and public parks demonstrate the town's development and prosperity.
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.
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.
Cincinnati's Great Disasters
Part of the Postcard History series
Cincinnati's Great Disasters explores catastrophes from 1905 to 1937, featuring floods, tornadoes, fires, explosions, winter storms, and crashes. Although tragic, disasters became popular postcard subjects in the early 1900s, with many of these photograph postcards being taken by professional photographers. The postcards documenting the 1907 and 1913 floods make up the bulk of this book, as these disasters dramatically affected Cincinnatians' lives and led to innovative flood prevention planning and health initiatives. Flooding ultimately determined where businesses and residences were located in the city and was a driving force behind urban renewal of the riverfront.
Erie Canal
Part of the Postcard History series
The Erie Canal was completed in 1825 and became the backbone of an economic and cultural explosion that defined the image of New York. The canal's development spurred successful industry and a booming economy, sparking massive urban growth in an area that was previously virtually unexplored wilderness. People poured west into this new space, drawn by the ability to ship goods along the canal to the Hudson River, New York City, and the world beyond. Erie Canal is a compilation of 200 vintage images from the Erie Canal Museum's documentary collection of New York's canal system. Vintage postcards depict life and industry along the canal, including not only the Erie itself but also the lateral and feeder canals that completed the state-wide system.
Around Utica
Part of the Postcard History series
Around Utica features the work of A. J. Manning, who traveled with his camera through picturesque central New York in the early 1900s. Manning recorded historic events, such as Sherman Notification Day in 1908, honoring William Howard Taft's vice presidential nominee James Schoolcraft Sherman; catastrophes, such as the fires at Utica Free Academy and the YMCA; and nostalgic scenes of everyday life. His images were produced in small quantities as real-photo postcards, which today are quite rare and much sought after by collectors.
Early Los Angeles County Attractions
Part of the Postcard History series
With the arrival of affordable transcontinental rail travel in the late 1880s, hundreds of thousands of tourists and transplants began making the trip to Los Angeles. Quickly becoming a haven for Easterners escaping cold winters and crowded cities, Los Angeles and neighboring communities, such as Pasadena and Santa Monica, boasted a sunny Mediterranean climate and the unique situation of both nearby mountain resorts and seaside amusements. The city also developed a bustling shopping and entertainment district downtown. More than 200 vintage postcard images illustrate a greatly diverse range of popular early attractions, including Mount Lowe, Eastlake Park, Hollywood, the Wilshire district, Griffith Park, Cawston's Ostrich Farm, the downtown shopping and theater district, and the expansive beaches, ranging from the turn of the 19th century up until World War II.
Muncy
Part of the Postcard History series
Muncy, a small river town founded shortly after the French and Indian War, was the earliest European settlement in the West Branch Valley of the Susquehanna River. By 1769, land speculator Samuel Wallis had acquired more than 7,000 acres, so he sold much of this land to pioneers in search of a better way of life. By 1772, the West Branch Canal made Muncy a business thoroughfare and lumber boomtown. Like most Pennsylvania river towns, Muncy suffered great loss in the flood of 1889, which also devastated Johnstown. Another massive flood in 1894 sounded the death knell for the canal system. The railroad, which superseded the canal system throughout the United States, kept the local industry alive, although the port businesses disappeared. Through vintage postcards, Muncy depicts the varied past of this quiet town.
Roycroft Campus
Part of the Postcard History series
The history of the American Arts and Crafts movement is embodied in the Roycroft community. Founded by Elbert Green Hubbard, the Roycroft is more than just a National Historic Landmark in the charming village of East Aurora, New York. Roycroft's artisans and craftspersons flourished from 1898 to 1938, producing some of America's best and most important crafts, furniture, and books. This visual history through postcards and motto cards produced by the Roycrofters' presses shares the story and philosophy of their movement. Here, the 1898 postcards featuring "the Characters of the place" and the years of the "Roycroft Renaissance" show the growth and continuity.
Parris Island
Part of the Postcard History series
In 1891, U.S. Marines were originally stationed on Parris Island to protect life and property as part of the Naval Station, Port Royal. In 1915, Parris Island officially became a Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Women became a permanent part of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1948. Today Parris Island boasts a historic district with homes and military structures built between 1891 and World War I, many of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. These postcards track the history of Parris Island and the rich heritage, character, and changes that mark it as the oldest major post in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Along the Wissahickon Creek
Part of the Postcard History series
Originally called Wisauksicken and Wisamickon by the Lenni Lenape tribe of southeastern Pennsylvania, the creek was renamed Wissahickon by European settlers in the late 1600s. The Wissahickon, beginning as a small stream fed by underground springs in central Montgomery County, winds its way down into a breathtaking valley in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park before entering the Schuylkill River. Rich in history and scenic beauty, the creek has played a major part in the development of the area. Early mills were established along its banks, and during the American Revolution, Washington's army set up encampments in the creek valley. Since becoming part of Fairmount Park in 1868, the Wissahickon has continued to be the focus of land preservation and is now part of the Wissahickon Green Ribbon Preserve.
Lawrence County
Part of the Postcard History series
Lawrence County was named for naval captain James Lawrence, who gave the famous command "Don't give up the ship" during the War of 1812. His command became a slogan for western Pennsylvanians in the early 1800s when what was to become Lawrence County was divided between Mercer County and Beaver County. In 1820, residents started to protest the inconvenience of conducting business in two jurisdictions and proposed a new county to unify the community. They did not give up the ship. Finally in 1849, Lawrence County was authorized. The new county was rich with rolling hills, rivers, forests, and fertile land. Limestone, iron ore, coal, and clay supported burgeoning industries. Lawrence County illustrates the effect of these industries on the area through more than 200 vintage postcards and photographs. Also illustrated are the Old Order Amish and places such as Possum Hollow, Breakneck Bridge, SNPJ, and Energy.
Baltimore Neighborhoods
Part of the Postcard History series
Baltimore's rich diversity is represented by its many neighborhoods--95 at last count. Some neighborhoods meander for several city blocks while others claim only a few. This volume of vintage postcards provides unique glimpses into the past of many of Baltimore's neighborhoods. Included are the elegant homes of Roland Park, Guildford, and Sherwood Gardens; the workingman's Highlandtown, South Baltimore, and Locust Point; the streetcar suburbs of Mount Washington, Overlea, Ten Hills, and Hunting Ridge; and the city park-anchored communities of Patterson Park, Federal Hill, and Gwynns Falls. Readers will find no two communities alike.
Walker County, Alabama
Part of the Postcard History series
Walker County is a unique place inhabited by a unique people. Characters including George "Goober" Lindsey, Tallulah Bankhead, Sybil Gibson, and Eric "Butterbean" Esch, and communities including Cordova, Carbon Hill, and Day's Gap and Horse Creek-or as we know them today, Oakman and Dora-have all contributed to the county's rich history. In this volume of vintage postcard images, readers will learn how the town of Jasper avoided extinction, visit the old Walker County Courthouse that burned six times, and discover which town in Walker County began as Bald Eagle.
Kane County
Part of the Postcard History series
Rich land at the edge of a great prairie with the wonderful Fox River flowing through it, providing a source of power-this is what the settlers of Kane County found when they arrived. Early pioneers came from the eastern United States in the 1830s, and later migrated from Europe. Kane County in Vintage Postcards tells the story of the beginning of Kane County through its first 100 years, 1838 through 1938, featuring images of that period. This new history of Kane County includes an essay on the importance of postcards as historical data, a general history of the county, and a section-by-section look at 27 cities and villages. More than 200 pictures and colorful narratives tell of the accomplishments by those first few generations who lived and died in the county.
Route 7, The Road North
Norwalk to Canaan
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 Route 7 from Norwalk to Canaan, Connecticut, showcases more than two hundred of the best vintage postcards available.
The Outer Banks in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
The Outer Banks of North Carolina have been a destination for seasonal visitors since Algonkian Indians hunted and fished on the islands. In 1584, English explorers arrived and before long were promoting the area as a land of natural abundance and beauty, pleasant weather, and kindly natives. Not much has changed in that respect. By the beginning of the 20th century, visitors and residents alike were using postcards to share the things that make the Outer Banks unique with family and friends in other places.
Rehoboth Beach in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Rehoboth Beach is heralded as the "nation's summer capital." Located along the Atlantic Coast within 100 miles of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia, Delaware's treasured resort has provided millions of tourists with unforgettable memories along its mile-long boardwalk and white, sandy beach. Vintage postcards and photographs will allow readers to experience the thrill of this renowned beach and see why many have made Rehoboth their choice for vacations, holidays, and getaways time and time again-and why some call it home year-round. This photo album features then-and-now scenes of the beach, documents the rise of other attractions surrounding the area, pays homage to storms that shook the seacoast, and showcases some of the people, festivals, hotels, and motels that make this a special place to visit.
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.
West Orange
Part of the Postcard History series
Although West Orange is best known for Thomas Edison, there is much more to this New Jersey town than its famous inventor. Through vintage postcards, West Orange explores the town's history from the days of cable cars that once climbed the mountain to the long-gone amusement park at Crystal Lake. Postcards illustrate how Llewellyn Park and Eagle Rock share a common beginning and West Orange once had two train stations. The familiar roads of home come alive as images reveal West Orange's rich history.
Big Moose Lake, New York in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Big Piney and Marbleton are one mile apart, and attempts to combine the two towns have been unsuccessful. The area had been home to family-operated cattle ranches starting in 1878, and a year later Daniel B. Budd and Hugh McKay brought 1,000 cattle from Nevada and were stopped here due to the weather. Founded by Daniel, Big Piney was incorporated in a boggy area on July 5, 1913, and is the oldest settlement in Sublette County. Daniel's eldest son, Charles, had hoped to build the town up on the bench to alleviate the problem of wet land. He founded Marbleton, the newer town, which was incorporated in 1914. Big Piney has been called the "Icebox of the Nation" because it had the coldest year-round average temperature in the country when it was officially made a weather station in 1930. Cattle remain a vibrant part of the local economy, and the land has been drilled for oil since the 1920s. Both towns have known several booms and busts, typical of the energy industry.
Denton County
Part of the Postcard History series
The history of Denton County, founded in 1846, has been well preserved through postcards. These images, produced from vintage photographs and artist renditions, reflect a time when communication through postcards was quicker, easier, and less expensive than writing a letter. Inside this book, readers are treated to charming snapshots of local history depicting churches, the downtown public square, businesses, public schools, the two newly created universities, railroad depots, trolleys, the earliest automobiles, and some of Denton County's most familiar town views and tourist attractions.
San Antonio in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Postcards are an important element of understanding our history, for they provide future generations with a rare glimpse into the past. Since the late 1800s, photographers have traveled around the nation to places such as San Antonio to capture scenes of everyday life and preserve them in this unique form. San Antonio began as a small mission village, a wild west frontier town, and starting point for huge cattle drives northward, and quickly grew into a bustling economic and cultural center for South Texas, luring residents and tourists with its colonial missions, diverse people, prominent military bases, long-standing traditions, and festive celebrations.
Cascade County and Great Falls
Part of the Postcard History series
Great Falls, on the Missouri River, began as a city of sun, water, and future. Long a crossroads for Native Americans, in 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition portaged the great falls of the Missouri. Early development combined electrical power from dams with mineral resources from nearby mountains to power smelters and refineries. The railroad stimulated growth as Great Falls became a dynamic "Electric City" at the heart of the mountains and valleys of Cascade County. Today the river, ranching and farming, regional retail, and medical facilities combine with cultural and recreational tourism and Montana's largest military presence. Great Falls boasts Montana's greatest ethnic diversity, with the state's largest Native American and African American populations. A world-class symphony and the renowned Charles M. Russell Museum help round out Great Falls as Montana's "All-American City."
Historic Wilson in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Wilson, North Carolina was formed in 1849 when the villages of Toisnot and Hickory Grove merged together. Named for Mexican War hero Gen. Louis D. Wilson, the new town came to be known for agriculture and education. The Wilson of today holds fast to its roots, offering antique shops laden with treasures from all walks of life and nationally recognized historic districts brimming with remarkable structures, significant styles of architecture, and numerous locations to taste the famed Eastern North Carolina style of barbecue. Historic Wilson in Vintage Postcards is a priceless collection of images that depict, among other views, the Wilson Depot from the late 1800s, local businesses, street scenes, churches, cotton and tobacco, and residential areas. The volume also affords readers postcards of Nash Street when it was considered "one of the most beautiful streets in America," tobacco scenes when Wilson was "the world's largest tobacco market," and the infamous 1911 trial of the Lewis West gang.
Roanoke in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Officially chartered in 1882, Roanoke is nestled among the Blue Ridge Mountains and is often referred to as the "Star City of the South." The history of this remarkable community is captured here through the images of the picture postcard. With the construction of each new bank, school, bridge, and church, the postcard became a convenient way to promote and celebrate the achievement; now, these images preserve a collective record of Roanoke's heritage. See how the area looked in the early 1900s, with its dirt streets, trolley tracks, horse-drawn wagons, and Model Ts. Postcards of succeeding decades frame the growth of Roanoke from a railroad town to the center of commerce and industry in Southwestern Virginia.
Hattiesburg in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Located in the heart of Mississippi's piney woods, Hattiesburg was named by William H. Hardy in honor of his second wife, Hattie Lott Hardy. Incorporated in 1884, the town quickly established itself as a regional center of the yellow pine lumber industry, and by 1910 it was the fifth largest city in the state. During the 20th century higher education became an important part of the city's persona, with the establishment of William Carey College and The University of Southern Mississippi. Camp Shelby, established in 1917 to train soldiers for World War I, also trained soldiers for World War II, the Vietnam Conflict, the Persian Gulf War, and the War on Terror. Today, Hattiesburg is the center of a metropolitan area of over 110,000 people that encompasses Forrest and Lamar Counties.
Tennessee Valley Authority in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Created by the federal government in 1933 to revitalize a region twice the size of New England, the Tennessee Valley Authority began as an experiment of unprecedented proportions. Seen here through picture postcards, the dramatic achievements of the TVA take on a personal aspect, as individuals visit the hydroelectric projects and enjoy the newly created recreational opportunities. Tangible benefits are also documented, such as improved navigation, new roads and bridges, and abundant and inexpensive electricity. Influenced by such visionaries as Gifford Pinchot, Theodore Roosevelt, and George Norris, the agency also dealt with regional issues, including river commerce, soil conservation, and flood control.
Williamsburg in Vintage Postcards
by Kristopher J. Preacher
Part of the Postcard History series
"Williamsburg is a stronghold of the past, a sort of enchanted ground, lovely and quiet as a dream." Williamsburg may no longer be quiet as a dream, but it is certainly lovely and unquestionably a stronghold of the past, more so now than Miss Hildegarde Hawthorne could have dreamt when she penned these words in 1917. After Virginia's capital moved from Williamsburg to Richmond in 1780, the city sank into one and a half centuries of sleepy obscurity punctuated only by the Civil War. From 1928 to 1932, however, John D. Rockefeller Jr. restored the city to its colonial glory, and it leaped from impoverished backwater to tourist mecca within the space of a few years.
Texas Oil and Gas
Part of the Postcard History series
Texas Oil and Gas documents in postcards the rapid growth of the Texas petroleum industry from its beginnings near Corsicana in the 1890s through the next several decades of oil booms throughout the state. The young 20th century opened with the Lucas Gusher at Spindletop in 1901. Thousands rushed from the oilfields of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia to find work and riches. Continued drilling success along the Texas Gulf Coast transformed Houston into a major city and the Beaumont area into a major petrochemical center. Through the 1910s and 1920s, oil booms occurred in North Texas, the Panhandle, Central Texas, and West Texas. The giant East Texas oilfield, the second largest North American oilfield to Alaska's North Slope, was discovered in 1930. Texas oil replaced coal as fuel for the nation's railroads and provided fuel for our military in two world wars.
Lexington, Kentucky
Changes in the Early Twentieth Century
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 friends and neighbors 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 Lexington, Kentucky, showcases more than two hundred of the best vintage postcards available.
Buxton
by James D. Libby, Ph. D.
Part of the Postcard History series
Buxton sits along the eastern side of the Saco River in northern York County. The Saco was instrumental in the town's establishment, as early settlers moved up the river from the towns of Biddeford and Saco and settled on the river's bank at Salmon Falls. Buxton's inhabitants powered their mills from the river and other local tributaries, and the town's early villages were located near these mills. Buxton presents vintage postcards of the riverside villages of Salmon Falls, Union Falls, Bar Mills, West Buxton, and Bonny Eagle, along with inland centers, including Groveville, Buxton Center, Lower Corner, Duck Pond, and other hamlets. Postcard images of Buxton from the year 1895 forward provide valuable insight into the life and times of the citizens of this onetime industrial center.
Central Park
Part of the Postcard History series
Harper's Weekly reported in 1857 that no engineer had yet been able to present a feasible plan for Central Park and that "it may not ever happen." Their pessimism was misplaced, as Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's Greensward Plan was approved in May 1858. By 1860, visitors were enjoying the magnificent new park's naturalistic splendor. Central Park quickly became one of New York's premier attractions, featuring the menagerie, the mall, Bethesda Fountain, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the music pavilion, the casino, and the original Croton Reservoir. The northern section of the park was more reminiscent of an untamed wilderness than of an urban park. Through historic postcards, Central Park highlights this man-made green oasis at the center of a teeming metropolis.
Sarasota and Bradenton
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 Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida, showcases more than two hundred of the best postcards available.
Chelsea in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Using stereoviews and postcards, Chelsea chronicles ninety-five years of the city's glorious past as it emerged from agrarian roots to become an important industrial center and home for thousands of European immigrants. The pages are filled with more than one hundred eighty historic views, documenting Chelsea's history from the post-Civil War era to the Vietnam decade. Highlighted are the 1867 Water Celebration, the great fire of 1908, the city's rebirth during Reconstruction, the expansion of the Naval Hospital during World War I (today's Admirals Hill), Prattville, the Soldiers Home, the post-World War I era, and much more. This volume will excite anyone who is preservation minded and enjoys local history.
Grand Rapids
Community and Industry
Part of the Postcard History series
In the years between 1890 and 1950, the city of Grand Rapids grew from a small Midwestern town of great potential into a large and important commercial and manufacturing center. With the growth of the city and its population came a large variety of activities, commercial and recreational, which were happily recorded in a huge array of postcards produced by both local and national printers. These cards and the moments they preserve provide a unique glimpse into the life and growth of Grand Rapids.
San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
Along the California coastline lies the community of San Luis Obispo; a town just as rich in history as it is in beauty. Situated almost directly between Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo was first inhabited by the Chumash and Salinan Indians in 1400 B.C. It took almost 3,000 years before its majestic landscape was encountered by European explorers.
Lordsburg and La Verne in Southern California
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 history of Lordsburg and La Verne, California, showcases more than 200 of the best vintage postcards available.
Reading in Vintage Postcards
Part of the Postcard History series
In the mid-nineteenth century, a transportation industry developed in Reading that put the city on the map--and on the Monopoly board--forever. Founded in 1748 by William Penn's sons Thomas and Richard, Reading experienced rapid growth throughout the nineteenth century as the Reading Railroad (the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad) breathed steam into the city's industry. As the powerful railroads faded later, so did the city's economy. In recent years, Reading has become known as the birthplace and capital of factory outlet shopping and the hub of newborn manufacturing, financial, and agricultural enterprises.
Wilmington, North Carolina
Part of the Postcard History series
A city of rare beauty and fascinating history, Wilmington attracts armies of tourists and visitors year-round eager to view its picturesque waterfront, to learn of the old port city's remarkable heritage and traditions, and to enjoy its grand beaches and landscapes. This visual history explores the city's and the vicinity's unique story from the late 1890s to the 1960s through the medium of postcards, a popular way of documenting a town's famous buildings, dwellings, personalities, and scenery.
Victorian Hartford
Part of the Postcard History series
From workers' housing to the grand homes of industrialists, prosperous Hartford experienced an explosion of Victorian building that turned this capital city into a rich mixture of culture, beauty, and business. The capital of the insurance industry, Hartford was also home to the first public art museum, the Wadsworth Atheneum; the first municipal rose garden, Elizabeth Park; and colossal factories that produced Colt firearms, typewriters, sewing machines, and even the first automobiles. Victorian Hartford showcases the city's great architecture through historic images, some of which are the only evidence of the city's former grandeur, and provides glimpses into a world long gone.
Along the Brandywine River
Part of the Postcard History series
This fascinating new history of the historical river that winds through Chester County, Pennsylvania, and the upper regions of Delaware and emptying into the Christina River in Wilmington, Delaware, showcases more than two hundred of the best vintage postcards available. The collected postcards show the countryside as it appeared during the Revolutionary War Battle at Brandywine through the time of nineteenth-century settlements in the region and into the twentieth century.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
Part of the Postcard History series
The people of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, the "plain people," avoid manifestations of modern culture, preferring to live a simple life in accordance with their interpretation of the Bible. The Old Order Amish are considered the most fundamentalist, shunning electric appliances, gasoline-powered vehicles, modern dress, and engaging primarily in agriculture. Since the Pennsylvania Dutch Country is a favored vacation destination, postcard publishers have produced scenes of the everyday life of the plain people since the beginning of the twentieth century. More than two hundred of these postcards are meticulously arranged and described in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
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.
Canton
Part of the Postcard History series
Canton is a town like so many New England towns. Its rich history extends back to Canton's early connections with the founding fathers. An expansive industrial center was made possible by superb water rights and one of the first railroads in the nation. Canton's history is enriched by its strong associations with patriots, industrialists, great thinkers, and doers. Within Canton are postcards and photographs that capture the spirit of enterprise and pride in the community.
Billings
Part of the Postcard History series
Billings is sometimes called "The Magic City" for its rapid growth that seems to change the skyline overnight. Located in the heart of the Yellowstone Valley, it is Montana's largest city and the state's premier business destination. From 1900 to the 1960s--Billings's "Golden Years"--locals and tourists alike enjoyed a variety of hotels, fine restaurants, and retail and wholesale shopping, while businesses such as sugar and oil refineries, banking, and brewing kept the economy running. Surrounded by unparalleled natural splendor, Billings has always had the stark juxtaposition of a modern city set amid wilderness, as these vintage postcards attest.
Kenosha
Part of the Postcard History series
Looking from the decks of schooners toward the western shore of Lake Michigan, early explorers quickly saw the potential of the prairie wilderness that was to become Kenosha. The vintage postcards in this book show a community that has evolved through rapid growth due to immigration, employment opportunities, and eras of educational leadership, patriotism, and a phoenix-like revival following devastating economic depression. From its beginning, the people of the area have demonstrated a strong work ethic, religious and civic spirit, and the ability to triumph over adversity.