Arcadia Bestsellers

Discover the history of the Genessee River in this interesting pictorial journey.

One of the few rivers in the United States running south to north, the Genesee River was the result of the last great ice sheet that covered New York roughly 10,000 years ago. The Seneca Nation fished and hunted along the river, important to New York since the beginnings of time. In the early 1800s, it served as a source of waterpower for numerous industries. It provided water for early canals, and when the canals gave way to railroads, special sites along the river became popular destinations for entertainment. From the early 1800s, Ontario Beach Park was dubbed the ""Coney Island of the West,"" and in the late 1800s, trains brought scores of tourists to Letchworth for spectacular views of the canyon, falls, and wildlife. Today, a series of parks and hiking trails can be found up and down the river.

For a small, suburban town like Acton, it may seem surprising that it has a long and exciting history.

While from the outside, Acton may present the image of an unassuming suburb of Boston, but people have inhabited this area for over 7000 years, and the town has been an integral player in nearly every aspect of American history, from colonization in the 17th century to the second industrial revolution in the middle half of the 20th century. Included in this pictorial history of Acton, capturing the town's history from 1835 to 1985, are rare, engaging photographs from the comprehensive collections of the Acton Historical Society, the Iron Work Farm, and private collections. Vintage views of the homes, churches, schools, agricultural fairs, as well as the resort that once existed at Lake Nagog, the Morocco factory, and the great fire of West Acton are just some of the images that make Actona book that will enlighten all who explore its pages.

Explore the period between 1900 and 1950 when South Haven, Michigan transformed from a rough commercial port into a beautiful tourist attraction.

Although South Haven is now entirely a recreational harbor, this compilation of archival photographs provides a glimpse of an earlier time when shipments of coal, stone, pig iron, paper pulp, and clay came to port instead of pleasure boaters.

Showcasing the remarkable photography of Roy S. McCrimmon, Maritime South Haven: 1900-1950documents South Haven's nautical heritage with images of large foreign freighters, hardy fish tugs, bustling passenger steamers, carefree pleasure cruisers, and sprightly sailboats.

The earliest settlers arrived on the banks of the Whitewater River in 1806, quickly populating the area and transforming the wilderness into farmland. By the end of the century, the National Road, the rivers, and the railroads combined to make Richmond a manufacturing, commercial, architectural, and cultural center. The images found in this book document the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Richmond was at the height of its affluence and its buildings, parks, bridges, and homes were among the finest in the state. This is also the period when postcards became a common form of quick communication and publishers produced them in great numbers. Richmond provided unlimited source material for these cards.

At the turn of the 20th century, Long Island's North Shore, the so-called Gold Coast, was becoming the most desirable residential area in the United States.

Estates belonging to American captains of finance and industry lined the bluffs and bays from the city line to Eaton's Neck. Some of the nation's most renowned families--including the Astors, Bakers, Huttons, Morgans, Pratts, Sloans, Roosevelts, Whitneys, and Vanderbilts--used their yachts for racing, cruising, commuting, or epic voyages. These vessels regularly plied the waters of the North Shore and bolstered the development of yacht clubs like the New York and Seawanhaka Corinthian--city institutions that established stations at Glen Cove and Centre Island, respectively. These clubs served to provide many outlets for the social gatherings that accompanied this pastime. Although the Great Depression and then World War II would bring the era of the great yachts to an end, a wealth of images remain that can be marveled at a century later.

Louisiana is perhaps best known for its distinctive French heritage, a legacy visible in the street names and architecture around the state.

The truth is, Louisiana has one of the most culturally diverse populations in the nation, with not only French and Anglo-American settlers, but the Native Americans who lived there already, and the enslaved Africans the new colonists brought with them into Louisiana Territory. A chapter of Louisiana history that tends to be forgotten however, is when the area fell to Spanish control in the late 1700s. Coaxed by promises of new opportunity, thousands of Canary Islanders of Spanish descent relocated to Louisiana, where they established four settlements. Generations of Isleños, that is the ethnic group of descendants from the Canary Islands who have intermarried with other communities, have overcome the challenges of an evolving American society, as well as the devastation of storms that have ripped through their land. Through it all, the Isleños have preserved their unique heritage, traditions and culture for more than two centuries.

Read about Newport News' history as a vital early settlement in the nascent America and its center for commerce and more, until the start of WWII.

Settled in 1621, Newport News has the oldest English place name of any city in the New World. Its name is said to have come from ""Newport's news"" that supply ships were coming to save the starving Jamestown colonists in 1610. Farming and fishing were the primary occupations until Collis P. Huntington chose Newport News for the eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in the 1870s. In 1886, he founded the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, which has built some of the most famous ships in history. By 1900, a vital city had grown where there were previously only farms and forest. Through vivid images, maps, and reminiscences, Images of America: Downtown Newport News tells the story of the city's once popular and thriving downtown commercial, social, and entertainment area, which met its end from flight to the suburbs after World War II.

Patterson Park is an urban oasis, a sacred green space surrounded by red brick row homes and generations of diverse cultures and neighborhoods. This refuge is also an urban emerald with many facets.

For almost 180 years, Baltimoreans have picnicked under tall tulip poplars, strolled the deeply curved paths, and enjoyed the rich architectural design of this 137-acre East Baltimore park. Patterson Park is not simply beautiful landscapes, scenic vistas, and tree-lined pathways. Patterson Park has served as the defenses of Baltimore during the War of 1812, a Civil War surgical hospital, and a picturesque home to herons, wood ducks, and painted turtles. Patterson Park has a free outdoor gym with tennis courts, volleyball nets, and an ice rink, as well as paths for relaxing walks around the boat lake. Since its beginnings in 1827, Patterson Park has been a prime example of how urban open spaces can complete and unify diverse communities.

Roan Mountain's remarkable ecosystem has enchanted people for centuries, beginning with the first native inhabitants.

Then came pioneering settlers, celebrated naturalists like John Muir, hardworking miners and loggers eager to make a living from the land and ambitious businessmen such as John T. Wilder, whose Cloudland Hotel helped make Roan a tourist destination in the late 1870s. Today, conservationists, researchers and nature lovers of all kinds flock here to experience flora and fauna unique to this region of the Appalachians. Preserving Roan's ecological heritage has proven both a challenge and a triumph for the mountain's dedicated supporters. In this newly revised and expanded edition, featuring previously unpublished color photography, former Roan Mountain park interpretive specialist Jennifer A. Bauer recounts the fascinating natural and social history of this marvelous highland landscape.