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The railroads and coal industry permanently changed both the economy and culture of Floyd County, Kentucky.

Floyd County, named for Kentucky pioneer John Floyd, was formed in 1799. Originally encompassing all of the Big Sandy River Valley and much of eastern Kentucky, the boundaries included portions of what are now Pike, Martin, Knott, Magoffin, and Johnson Counties. Because of its river access, Floyd County developed earlier than many counties in eastern Kentucky; Prestonsburg, the county seat, became a major river port and center of trade in the region. With the coming of the railroad in 1903 and the coal industry, the county rapidly grew, in no small part thanks to the rapid rise in population due to the migration of white Americans from around the country, European immigrants, and African Americans from southern plantations and coalfields. What had been an agrarian, white population suddenly took on a whole new face, one more reflective of the nation. The history of coal production plays a large role in this book, particularly the Wheelright Coal Camps, but we know how much Kentucky has given to contribute to the story of America.

Interesting tales of beauty, progress, intrigue, and murder are chronicled in this volume on Breathitt County, Kentucky.

Settled by English and Scotch-Irish descendants who ventured ""over the mountains"" in search of adventure, land, and fortune, Breathitt County, Kentucky, has a long history. ""Bloody Breathitt"" was the site of a long series of feuds that lasted from the early days of the ""Cattle Wars"" until the 1970s and beyond. Through the years, the city of Jackson and Breathitt County have experienced booms and busts centered on its natural resources, which included salt, timber, oil, and coal. Since its establishment on April 1, 1839, the county has been a place of educational opportunity through community schools, school districts, Lees College, and a vocational school. From its rugged mountain roots filled with feuds to a community working to embrace new technology and the reemergence of timber and coal industries, Breathitt County has always been in transition, and its continued growth must be grounded in a firm understanding of its past.

Recognized as one of the best small towns in the United States, as well as the "Bourbon Capital of the World," this community has some big city renown. During the early part of the nineteenth century, Bardstown excelled in state issues, including politics, religion, education, and business. The Civil War would bring significant tensions and a decline in the town's population, but through industrial growth and the development of the lucrative distilling industry, Bardstown gained much fame. Although Prohibition proved economically devastating to many residents, Bardstown survived and grew, enjoying a strong tourist trade today with its almost 300 historic structures and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival each fall.

Concentrating on the early twentieth century, Images of America: Louisville celebrates a dynamic community and the people, both famous and everyday, who have contributed to its lasting legacy.

Since its founding at the Falls of the Ohio by George Rogers Clark in 1778, Louisville and its people have looked to the mighty Ohio River as the city's lifeblood. Louisville has counted on the river for transportation, commerce, leisure, culture, and natural beauty. Characterized by abundant opportunity-both professional and recreational-this renowned city has grown and prospered to become the business and industrial center of Kentucky.

Is Louisville the southernmost midwestern town, or is it an upper south, southern city? This identity crisis has arisen from a historical diversity of people, industries, architecture, and commerce. Louisville has been home to large populations of German, Irish, French, and other immigrants. Large multi-national corporations, such as General Electric, Brown Forman, Philip Morris, and UPS have also called Louisville home over the years. The city counts among its famous sons William Clark, who, with Merriwether Lewis, led the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1803, and sports icon Muhammad Ali. Local streets boast modern architectural treasures such as the Humana Building, designed by Michael Graves, and the American Life Building by Mies van der Rohe. Louisville is also home to Churchill Downs and the country's premier equestrian competition, the Kentucky Derby. These and many other notable facets of the city's rich heritage are illuminated in the vintage photographs within this volume.

Join native Kentuckian Deborah Adams Cooper as she retells the rich history of Letcher County using vintage images.

Since 1795, when Peter Whitaker built the first known settlement on what is now Linefork Creek, Letcher Countians have demonstrated the perseverance and fortitude for which Appalachian people are known. The majesty of Pine Mountain in the south of the county or the rare beauty of old-growth forests that became Lilley Cornett Woods must have brought Daniel Boone to seek a paradise in ""Kanta-ke."" Whitesburg and Letcher County have seen their resources of timber, oil, and coal bring growth, as well as decline. With the rise of the coal industry before World War I came a steady flow of Eastern European immigrants who contributed a new and exciting perspective on life, business, and art. It was Italian stonemason John Palumbo Sr. who led other Italians to Whitesburg because the beauty of it reminded him of his home in the Campania region of Southern Italy. The churches, homes, and buildings they established stand in homage to their energy and skill.

Lake Cumberland is a premier vacation destination for millions of people each year. Before Lake Cumberland became a recreational paradise, the wild and wondrous Cumberland River ruled the land.

With its 1,255 miles of federally protected shoreline, an average depth of 90 feet, and a surface area of more than 60,000 acres, Lake Cumberland is one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States, yet visitors may not realize the storied history that lies beneath the deep water. Although plagued by spring floods, towns and communities prospered along her banks. In an effort to control the Cumberland River and reduce flooding, Wolf Creek Dam was constructed following the Flood Control Act of 1938. With the dam in place, Lake Cumberland began filling in 1951. The dam offered protection to South Central Kentucky, but it drowned or forever changed many thriving towns and communities. Images of America: Around Lake Cumberland shows what life was like along the banks of the Cumberland River before Lake Cumberland was born.

Marking the ridgelines and hearts of the Appalachians during the Great Depression, packhorse librarians delivered hope, one book at a time.

When the Great Depression started, folks stumbled on hard times. Many lost their jobs and homes, and they struggled to support their families. But people craved hope for the future, and hope arrived with the packhorse librarians through Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1933. Each week, children, families, and schoolhouses celebrated when their packhorse librarian arrived at their doors with books. After being handled by many cherished hands, reading materials needed to be taken out of circulation. The librarians constructed scrapbooks and filled them with beloved items—recipes, quilt patterns, pictures, and stories. Challenges awaited the librarians at every pass. From muddy creeks to snowy hillsides, the packhorse librarians delivered books and hope to their patrons. Although the program ended in 1943, the lasting effects on literacy and the communities these packhorse librarians visited can still be seen today.

Author Nicki Jacobsmeyer lives in rural Missouri, where she writes fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. She inspires others to discover and dream through reading and believes books are windows to the world. 

Located in Northern Kentucky, Newport is a small, historic river town bustling with business in a respectful and developing community. While it is now known for its charm, Newport once had a dark and sinister past known as its Sin City years.

Newport earned its reputation for vice, crime, political corruption, bootlegging, casinos, brothels, and bookie joints early in the city's history. During the Civil War, soldiers stationed at the Newport Barracks were offered entertainment from various saloons and bordellos located in the city. At the turn of the 20th century, John Thompson, a Newport native, invented the Thompson Machine Gun. The tommy gun was made infamous by gangsters during Prohibition. Citizens of Newport, fed up with the city's sordid reputation, eventually banded together to drive out the vice and reclaim their city. After a long struggle, Newport is now a pleasant and enchanting community.

Images of America: The Land Before Fort Knox illuminates the past while images bring to light people and places of yesterday.

Located south of the Ohio River and Louisville, Kentucky, the Fort Knox military installation is the location for the training of U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry forces. Known as the home of Mounted Warfare, Fort Knox is also the location of the U.S. Treasury Department Gold Vault that opened in February 1937. Fort Knox covers 178 square miles and spans parts of Hardin, Meade, and Bullitt Counties. The area was once home to Thomas Lincoln, father of the nation's martyred 16th president, as well as the burial place of Abraham Lincoln's grandmother, Bathsheba Lincoln. Images of America: The Land Before Fort Knox illuminates the past while images bring to light people and places of yesterday.

Images of America: Bardstown is an educational and entertaining volume that will delight residents, visitors, and lovers of history everywhere.

A visitor to Bardstown today can view as many as 300 buildings listed on the National Register and marvel at their age and condition, but the original state of many of these landmarks has long since been altered or forgotten.

Fire destroyed many buildings during the late 1800s, and commercial progress in the 1900s prompted the demolition of more than 100 of the area's homes and businesses. In this remarkable new volume, the search of public and private collections for photos of local landmarks and events has resulted in the lost puzzle pieces needed to complete the history of Bardstown's physical heritage. In 190 rare photographs, Bardstown reveals the people and places who have contributed to its growth and gives readers the opportunity to witness the changes that have occurred throughout the history of this close-knit, Southern community.

Images in this collection include recently discovered photographs of the tragic Shepherdsville Train Wreck of 1917; the effects of Prohibitionn on a community with 12 distilleries; the changing faces of My Old Kentucky Home (the inspiration for Kentucky's state song); and unique views of the fires that destroyed Heaven Hill Distillery and the Talbott Tavern.

Ludlow depicts the gripping history of this small Kentucky town.

Disproportionate to its small size, Ludlow's history is undeniably spacious. Situated along the Ohio River, Ludlow is located in the northernmost region of Kentucky, south of Cincinnati. Although not officially incorporated until 1864, Ludlow had been established much earlier by a handful of affluent families. As an alternative to chaotic city life, Ludlow offered residents vast land and tranquil surroundings where they could build their estates. Shortly thereafter, however, the late 19th century would bring the railroad to Ludlow, sparking dramatic growth and expansion of the city. Images of America: Ludlow displays a spectrum of photographs, from the hardworking faces of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad to the lively happenings at the Lagoon Amusement Park. Opening in 1895, the amusement park provided over two decades of entertainment and leisure activities for the community. Extensively photographed, it now endows us with striking images featured in a unique chapter. Additional views of businesses, churches, schools, and citizens give further glimpses of early life in Ludlow. Several historic family homesteads are displayed, including Elmwood Hall, the city's earliest known permanent residence.

Journey back in time for a visual history of the Derby City in the Victorian Age!

On August 1, 1883, the eyes of the nation turned to Kentucky as thousands crowded the lanes of Louisville's Southern Extension. Tugging a silken cord, President Chester Arthur set the machinery in motion for an event that changed the town forever. Touted at home and abroad as the 100 Days that Louisville Opened Its Doors to the World, the occasion was the inauguration of the Southern Exposition, an early world's fair with a wide variety of mechanical, scientific, and cultural displays showcasing the latest advances in the cotton industry.

In the first 88 days, an astounding 770,048 visitors came. As a result, tremendous growth occurred, the city's first suburb eventually sprang up, and the site became populated with a new neighborhood containing architecturally opulent residences. Known as Old Louisville today, it counts as one of the country's largest historic preservation districts, with hundreds of magnificent structures providing a glimpse into a fascinating Victorian past.