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Route 20 was named a federal highway in 1926, and for the first half of the 20th century it was the most important east-west road across northern Ohio. Extending from the Pennsylvania border east of Conneaut to its western terminus with Indiana, it made Ohio the connecting link between Northeastern and Midwestern states. Fortunately, Route 20 has remained virtually intact and can be traveled much as people did in years past. Postcard History Series: Along Ohio's Historic Route 20 celebrates such a trip, illustrated by more than 200 vintage postcards depicting views along the way. Town and city scenes, rural vistas, and historic sites that drew early motorists to the highway are featured. Not to be forgotten are the tourist courts, hotels, diners, and gas stations that made automobile journeys possible.

From their rise in the early 19th century, Chicago's hotels were bustling centers of city life. The Great Fire in October 1871 destroyed all of that. But it also gave the city an opportunity to begin again with a fresh palette of architectural ideas. By the World's Columbian Exposition
of 1893, Chicago had built over 1,400 hotels and lodging houses, establishing it as the nation's prime destination for business, conventions, and tourism. Early Chicago Hotels presents more than 200 postcards, inviting the reader to tour the stunning exterior and dazzling interior designs of Chicago's architects. The city's fi rst-class hotels, resorts, and lesser-known second-class hotels--many of which are long gone--are featured. These early hotels set the stage for the great palace hotels of the 1920s.

In November 1850, at the juncture of the Des Moines River and the Lizard River, the US Territorial Army established a post named Fort Clarke. The following year, it was renamed Fort Dodge in honor of US senator Henry Dodge of Wisconsin. After the troops were disbanded in 1854, Maj. William Williams purchased the existing buildings and infrastructure from the US government and platted the city. Over the course of the 19th century, Fort Dodge developed into a booming city known as the leading industrial and cultural center of northern Iowa. The images in this book illustrate the world of 19th and 20th century Fort Dodge, presenting the strange and astonishing beauty of a bygone era and the incredible progress we have inherited.