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From a hot springs attraction to a central location for gangsters, gambling, moonshine and organized crime, trace the evolution of this "loose buckle in the Bible belt", now a resort and major tourist destination.

In the late 1800s, Hot Springs, Arkansas, was a small town with a big attraction: hot thermal water. The federal government took possession of the downtown-area springs, and bathhouse row was born, along with the first property that would be considered a national park. Following not too far behind were great entrepreneurs who brought in gambling and prostitution to go with the area's leading industry: moonshining. By the time the 20th century rolled in, Hot Springs was booming with tourists and became America's first resort. In the early 1930s, former New York gangster Owen Madden took up residence in the spa city, and things became very organized. Gangland luminaries from Al Capone to Frank Costello made regular pilgrimages over the next few decades to what was referred to as "the loose buckle in the Bible Belt."

One of the most notoriously dangerous and deadly correctional facilities in the US, this history of the legendary penitentiary in West Virginia will make you reconsider a life of crime.

In 1863, the newly formed West Virginia lacked a state penitentiary to house convicted felons. As a result, construction began in July 1866 on the West Virginia Penitentiary, the second public building constructed in the state. The infamous and foreboding West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville was known as one of the bloodiest institutions in the United States. With an extensive history of violence, the prison was ranked on the Department of Justice's Top Ten Most Violent Correctional Facilities list. Nearly 1,000 inmates perished within the stone walls of the prison, many of whom are said to still be serving their sentence, even after death. Many inmates were tortured, executed, murdered, or committed suicide. Plagued by these horrific events, the prison is a hotspot for paranormal activity. Images of America: West Virginia Penitentiary chronicles the fascinating history of a notorious prison from the planning stages to present day.

Many earthen fortifications defended the city of Savannah and its numerous water approaches after the Civil War broke out. One of these defenses, Fort McAllister, protected the entrance to the Ogeechee River and the strategic railroad and highway bridges upstream. From November 1862 to March 1863 the U.S. Navy bombarded the fort seven different times without success. The fort finally fell to General Sherman in December 1864; ironically, the final threat the fort faced was not from an enemy trying to get up the river, but from one trying to get down the river to the sea. In the 1920s auto magnate Henry Ford renovated the fort and focused new attention on its history. In 1960 the State of Georgia built on Ford's work and opened the fort as a State Historic Site to mark the centennial of the Civil War. Today visitors can quietly wander the massive, earthen walls and gun positions, gaze across the wide river and expansive marshes, and ponder the thundering, blazing reality that once played on this ground.

Arlington County was carved from a section of the District of Columbia and formally named by the Virginia General Assembly in 1920. The rural farming community across the Potomac River was home to vacationing District of Columbia elite as well as rumrunners and brothels. Law enforcement fell to the commonwealth attorneys, sheriffs, special officers, and citizen leagues. The county board adopted a proposal, and the Arlington County Police Department was founded on February 1, 1940. This photographic history covers law enforcement from the early days of rumrunners to the present day, showing the changes in uniforms, equipment, methods of policing, and the department's response to the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. Officers are shown training for the line of duty, investigating crimes, serving in specialized units, and promoting public safety. The officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the community are honored here.

The workhouse, reformatory, and penitentiary buildings of the Lorton Correctional Complex were built on land purchased by the federal government in 1910 and leased to the District of Columbia Department of Corrections to establish prisons. The men's workhouse was built in 1910, and a women's annex was added in 1912. A reformatory to rehabilitate prisoners convicted of more serious crimes was built in 1916. All three were constructed dormitory style with no cells or walls. A brick wall enclosed the penitentiary built to house serious felons in the 1930s. When the Lorton prisons closed in 2001, the complex had grown to 3,200 acres. Its story reflects the history of the 20th century as it was impacted by and reacted to the ideas, events, and people outside its walls.

After constables and night watchmen had protected Alexandria, Virginia, for nearly 100 years, the Alexandria Police Department was officially organized on July 15, 1870. When the city authorized a formal police department, the board of police elected a captain, a lieutenant, and 19 patrolmen. All officers were issued star-shaped tin badges, but they had to supply their own uniforms and guns. This first published history of the Alexandria Police Department follows the growth of the force from the days of foot patrols, when drunks and thieves menaced the seaport town, to 20th-century law enforcement pioneers who once used watches to catch speeders and trained a canine to respond to radio commands. Images recall Alexandria's downtown before it became Old Town and capture the city's expansion to Del Ray and the West End. The officers themselves are highlighted as they caught criminals, investigated traffic accidents, reached out to children in the community, and, in some cases, sacrificed their own lives while protecting the people of Alexandria.

For nearly a century and a half, police in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have displayed tremendous courage and sacrifice in the execution of their duty, adapted to social and cultural changes within the American South, and increasingly embraced sophisticated methods and revolutionary advances in technology to meet the challenges posed by criminals and a violent culture. Images of America: Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Police highlights the rich history of two departments that consolidated in 1993 as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

As Tennessee grew into a modern state, it found itself increasingly beset by crime. In 1831, the legislature approved the construction of the first penitentiary. The pen world was violent and dark, with several major riots, fires, and escape attempts throughout the years. However, the prison also gave birth to a culture of creativity born from despair, with entertainment shows often featuring the biggest names in country music sharing the stage with inmate bands. The best-known pen, "the Castle," has become a familiar icon to filmgoers, being used in productions like The Last Castle and The Green Mile. Today, the building sits abandoned, facing an uncertain future.