All Titles

Most people have heard the song: ""Tis Irish I am and 'tis proud I am of it."" But, what does it mean to be Irish?

When the Irish first came to Savannah, it meant they were either ""lace curtain"" or ""old fort."" Lace curtain inferred that the family was prosperous, usually Protestant, and had come to Savannah with letters of introduction, money, and a plan. Old fort meant that the family had come to America in desperation and to Savannah with little but the clothes on their back, the desire to work, and hope for a better future. Old fort Irish were generally Catholic, attending Catholic schools and depending on the Church for far more than just Sunday worship. Today, the Irish have spread all over Savannah like shamrocks, making these designations a thing of the past. The Irish are involved in every facet of Savannah life, from politics, to business, to education. Catholicism remains the predominant religion and churches abound, as do Catholic schools. When the ""Season of St. Patrick"" begins, the Savannah Irish begin celebrating.

Burlington was the capital of the province of West Jersey from 1681 to 1702, and one of the capitals of the United East and West Jersey from 1702 to 1790. In 1726, Benjamin Franklin printed the first Colonial money in Burlington, and the state's first constitution was signed here in July 1776. The city has been home to numerous historical figures, including President Ulysses S. Grant, Captain James Lawrence, and James Fenimore Cooper. Burlington traces the city's history from a Quaker community to its prominence as the first Burlington County seat and as a manufacturing center served by railroad and shipping lines. The amusement park on Burlington Island, the construction of the Burlington-Bristol Bridge, the Library Company of Burlington, and the Metropolitan Inn are among the many featured landmarks.

Denville, the ""Hub of Morris County,"" has retained its small-town atmosphere since its early days as a stop for stagecoaches.

Iron and good soil attracted the first settlers, but today, its scenic lakes, vibrant downtown, and many festivals attract tens of thousands each year. In this superb image collection from the archives of the Denville Historical Society & Museum, more than 200 images and informative text fill the pages of this township's history. Along with the photographs of buildings, such as the grand Wayside Inn, landscapes, and locals of Denville, are historical figures such as George Washington and William Penn, as well as local legends "Uncle'? Jeddy Cooper and Rock Etam.

Author Beverly Mount-Douds highlight's Florida's Forgotten Coast in her book compiled of historic images collected from Gulf County citizens.

Carved out of Calhoun County on June 6, 1925, Gulf County is one of Florida's youngest counties. The county seat, Port St. Joe, was founded in 1913, and construction of the St. Joe Paper Company's plant in 1937 revitalized the area. The popular fishing site Wewahitchka was the county seat until voters elected to relocate it to Port St. Joe in 1964. Until recently, Port St. Joe was a typical company town, anchored by the paper mill headquarters. The town is near St. Joseph, where Florida's first constitution was drafted in 1838, and which was later destroyed by yellow fever and hurricane surge. Today Gulf County is a thriving, growing area of industrial and recreational resources with nostalgic reminders of a glorious past and a promising future. Port St. Joe and Wewahitchka remain away from the hustle and bustle of large cities.

The years that followed are beautifully detailed in Township of Hamilton. These rare vintage photographs make it possible to visit the township in its early days, to stroll into E.C. Bartha's store, or to get a haircut and even a cigar at Underhill's. The kilns at the brickyards are hot, and production at the many shipyards has picked up again in this exceptional history. The faces of our ancestors and early neighbors appear at places such as Gaskill Park, the Little Red School House, and at many other scenes throughout the Township of Hamilton.

Vintage postcards and photographs depict the history of this Arkansas resort, Hot Springs.

From its rise in the 1800s until well into the twentieth century, Hot Springs was a famed resort known worldwide. The grand hotels and world-class bath houses that sprang up around the government-protected springs drew countless visitors, ranging from the  famous and wealthy to those of humble means, all seeking the health and pleasure promised by the Spa City's promoters. In the words of a railroad tourist guidebook from about 1910, A stay at Hot Springs, be it ever so brief, always remains a pleasant memory afterward. It was the writer's good fortune to spend a few days at this popular resort—not as an invalid, I am happy to say, but as a tourist—and I certainly never bathed in more delightful water than that which flows so abundantly from the hot springs of Arkansas. There is buoyancy, a magnetism about it that is simply indescribable. Such has been the experience of countless visitors over the years. Readers will find much of the history of this storied resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas, which is profusely illustrated with vintage postcards and photographs, all carefully interpreted by the authors, Ray and Steven Hanley, with research assistance from Mark Blaeuer of the Hot Springs National Park staff.

From quiet rural village to major manufacturing center, Waynesboro's history of transformation will engage and interest any who read.

Developed in 1797 by Scotch-Irish settler John Wallace, Waynesboro was a quiet rural village in Pennsylvania's fertile Cumberland Valley. Until the 1850s, the town's chief distinction was its location astride two main roads, which enabled local farmers and artisans to deliver their goods to bigger markets, such as Baltimore. During the next half-century, the mechanical genius of George Frick, Peter Geiser, the Landis brothers, and other visionary industrial leaders transformed the sleepy village into a major manufacturing center and patented inventions still used worldwide today. Waynesboro's location amid rolling farmland and forested mountains, which made the surrounding area a popular resort destination at one time, ensured that industrialization did not come at the cost of scenic beauty. Around Waynesboro is a photographic treasure that documents the many historical milestones and individuals of the area.

In this volume of vintage, black-and-white photographs, readers are fortunate to experience a Laurens County of a different era. The rhythmic patter of horse hooves and squeak of wooden wagons meant people were hard at work, and the ringing of a bell called students to a one-room schoolhouse. The landscape encompassed patchworks of farms and bustling mill villages before the region found the conveniences of modern technology. Some of those who fashioned the area into its present state-where pride in culture and heritage stand at the forefront-take center stage in this pictorial history. Laurens County will spark the memories of those who lived its history while illustrating the tales with images for future generations.

The resources brought together in Plaistow, Westville, and the North Parish illustrate the town's development from the railroad's arrival in the 1830s through the 1960s. This collection of images, most of which have never before been published, is drawn from the archival resources of the Plaistow Historical Society, the Haverhill Public Library, and several private collections. Among the rare photographs are an interior view of Peaslee Mill; a view of Mount Misery, the town's highest point; and the 1704 Hurd House, Plaistow's oldest structure.

Discover the lost port city from the days of the Revolution and the terror of the War of 1812 to the founding of Georgetown University and the town's incorporation in the District of Columbia.

Hartford Radio offers a glimpse into the history of the area's broadcast stations and the people who ran them.

Radio broadcasting has been an integral part of the history of Hartford since the early part of the 20th century. WDRC was the state's first station (1923), and they helped pioneer FM radio technology in the early 1940s. Many Hartford residents learned about the end of World War II via radio, and the medium played a key role in keeping people informed during the floods of 1938 and 1955, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the great Northeast Blackout of 1965. Surprisingly, Hartford, the capital of ""the land of steady habits,"" saw two stations break from the pack to help bring the British Invasion to the state in the early 1960s. And thousands of schoolchildren eagerly listened to WTIC's legendary Bob Steele on wintery mornings as they excitedly awaited school closing announcements.