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Native Americans camped and fished along the lower River, but it was the potential for lumbering that drew the first White settlers and in the 1870s led to the building of railroads. Towns formed, resorts and businesses sprang up, and the River fell into a seasonal rhythm of catering to summer visitors. Spanning over 150 years, this book documents the events and attractions of the lower Russian River, including the towns of Forestville, Rio Nido, Guerneville, Monte Rio, Duncans Mills, Cazadero, and Jenner.

Hurricane Michael may have taken away some of the landmarks, but these images reveal the history of Florida's Mexico Beach, once known as the "Unforgettable Coast".

As French interests in the Americas dwindled, records indicate very little activity around Mexico Beach until rumors of buried riches and sunken ships brought treasure hunters to the coast. In the early 1900s, businessman Felix du Pont purchased the land known today as Mexico Beach. Resin to make turpentine was harvested from the native pine trees, and fishermen could not resist the migratory fish passing through the area's waters. By the 1930s, US Highway 98 was completed, and visitors could finally reach the sugar-soft sand beaches of the "Unforgettable Coast." By 1941, Tyndall Field was constructed and became a training site for Air Force pilots. In 1946, a group of farsighted businessmen, led by Gordan Parker, W.T. McGowan, and J.W. Wainwright, purchased 1,850 acres along the beach for $65,000. Parker's son Charlie moved to the area in 1949 with his wife, Inky, and their family. He soon took over development responsibilities for the Mexico Beach Corporation and laid the groundwork for the beach town known and loved today. Charlie went on to become the city's first mayor and a lifelong advocate of the family-friendly community.

In nearly 200 rarely seen photographs and vintage postcards, discover Cincinnati as you've never seen it before.

Since its inception in 1788, Cincinnati has evolved from a brawling pioneer town to a thriving Midwest metropolis, experiencing rapid growth and unprecedented social and technological change. Highlighted in this volume are the city's spectacular architectural achievements, its centers of culture and learning, its hubs of industry and transportation, its legendary sports tradition, its diverse neighborhoods, and, above all, the spirit of its citizenry. Through these striking images, together with the insightful text, authors Kevin Grace and Tom White take the reader on a unique visual tour of this historic river city. It is a tour well worth taking.

Go beyond the historic Johnstown flood and explore the in-depth history of this quintessential Pennsylvania community that has endured and prospered through generations.

The flood of 1889 has often taken center stage in the history of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, but the history of this community is greater than this tragedy. In this first installment of a two-volume set, local author Randy Whittle chronicles this town's past. Beginning with the aftermath of the 1889 flood, Whittle describes the key events and issues that the community's institutions and many of its leading personalities have wrestled with from the mid-1890s. The result is an accessible and entertaining narrative that not only recounts the community history, but also the topical histories of many civic organizations, the local government and leading businesses.

Explore the supernatural mysteries of the historic Georgia city of Roswell. A must-read for fans of southern ghost tales, legends, and history.

The town of Roswell is haunted by the lingering ghosts of generations long dead. In this historic Georgia town, spirits roam through ruined mills, antebellum mansions and slave cabins, searching for those lost in the battles of the Civil War. From the banks of the Chattahoocheeto the streets of Roswell's historic district, chilling specters remind us of this charming Southern town's shocking past.

Author Dianna Avena blends Roswell's history with tales of the city's most famous haunts --from the slave quarters of Bulloch Hallto the cracked graves in Founder's Cemetery--to send chills down the spines of locals and visitors alike.

New York's Finger Lakes region is filled with compelling characters, tragic disasters and fascinating mysteries.

Famed daredevil Sam Patch, known as the "Yankee Leaper," thrilled audiences at Niagara Falls but took his last jump into the Genesee River with his pet black bear, plummeting to his death. The first ever Memorial Day was celebrated in Waterloo in 1866 and inspired a nation to adopt the holiday. Seneca Lake claims its fair share of ships, including the Onondaga, which was blown up with dynamite as part of a spectacle to commemorate the sinking of the USS Maine. Author Patti Unvericht reveals the forgotten history of the Finger Lakes region.

Middleburg was established in 1787 by Leven Powell, one of Virginia's founding fathers.

Following a long decline after the Civil War, the arrival of foxhunting in 1904 gave the town an international reputation for breeding, showing, and racing Thoroughbred horses. Over the ensuing decades, Middleburg would undertake significant historic preservation, but the town would also be remarkable for its laissez-faire attitude toward the rich and famous. Movie stars and presidents were seduced not only by Middleburg's horses, hounds, and history, but also by its respect for the privacy of its more renowned residents and visitors. In Middleburg, photographs from the collections of local residents Howard Allen and Tyler Gore as well as from the National Sporting Library, the Library of Congress, and other sources were chosen to reflect the character and charm of this historic village.

The history of the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is a testament to the strength of the people that call it home.

In the second volume of history for this stalwart Pennsylvania city, Randy Whittle shows how Johnstown pulled together, even after the devastation of a flood in 1936 that wrought massive damage throughout the community. Following World War II, the community struggled to rise above adversity in the economy and to establish civil rights for all. Johnstown is a true American city, as strong as the steel that is forged in its famous mills. From Johnstown's enormous contribution in steel and coal to the war effort to its recovery after the monumental flood of 1977, Whittle's book shows how the people of Johnstown made it the modern city it is today.

150 years of Lake Erie's shores and islands' tourism and recreation history is detailed in this book.

From quaint wineries, world-class amusement parks, indoor and outdoor water parks, to cottage communities, religious retreats and natural wonders, for 150 years, people have come to rest, relax, and recharge in the area. Lake Erie is the constant in this fascinating story, the natural resource that gives the region, from Vermilion to Port Clinton, south to Milan, Bellevue, and Fremont, and north to Sandusky, Cedar Point, the Marblehead Peninsula, and the Lake Erie Islands, its character and charm.

Kennett Square features vintage photographs which document the history of this Baltimore community.

Kennett Square, the mushroom capital of the world, began its long history as a mere crossroads on the Philadelphia to Baltimore road in the early 18th century. With the arrival of the railroad in 1859, the area grew to become a major agricultural and manufacturing center. It also produced some noteworthy individuals, including author Bayard Taylor, New York Yankee Herb Pennock, and several inventors. Kennett Square highlights many postcard and photographic images from the period 1890 to 1930. Many of the buildings shown are now gone, but thanks to the golden age of postcards, Kennett Square's historic scenes can still be enjoyed.

Robert Sengstacke Abbott had a vision, purpose, and a slogan that said it all: ""American race prejudice must be destroyed.""

In 1905, Abbott created the Chicago Defenderwith 25¢ and a dream in his landlady's kitchen. The Defender was a platform and voice for talents such as Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and W.E.B. DuBois. What began as a humble weekly grew into the largest and most influential Black newspaper in the country, inspiring roughly a million African Americans to leave the oppressive South for a better life in the North. Born in 1868 on the heels of the Reconstruction Era, Abbott--the son of former slaves--managed to influence the first two decades of the 20th century and was a major contributor to the prolific movement known as the ""Great Northern Migration."" Boasting a circulation of over 300,000 nationally, the Defender was secretly delivered by Pullman porters across the United States. By 1920, the paper's tagline read, ""The World's Greatest Weekly."" The story of the Defender is one of inspiration, struggle, triumph, and irreversible pathways being forged.

Images of America: Mississippi in the Great Depression reveals the politics, the economy, the places, and the people persevering the nation's most trying economic era.

By the time the Great Depression was well underway, Mississippi was still dealing with the lingering effects of the flood of 1927 and the Mississippi Valley drought of 1930. As Pres. Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933, Mississippi senator Pat Harrison, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, oversaw the passage of major New Deal legislation, from which Mississippi reaped many benefits. Other Mississippi politicians like Gov. Mike Connor initiated measures to improve the treatment of inmates at Parchman Prison in the Delta and Gov. Hugh White established the Balancing Agriculture with Industry initiative. Women also played an active role. The Natchez Garden Club successfully spurred tourism by starting the state's first pilgrimage in 1932. Mississippians found employment through the Public Works Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps, which stimulated economic development through new and add-on construction in urban and rural areas and the construction of nine state parks. For black Mississippians, segregation and discrimination in New Deal benefits and jobs continued, but what they did receive from the federal government spurred a determination to fight for equality in the Jim Crow South.

Lifelong Mississippian Richelle Putnam is an award-winning author, a Mississippi Arts Commission teaching artist, and a Mississippi Humanities speaker.