History & Guide

Detroit's auto heritage is known worldwide, but this fascinating city's history runs much deeper.

Step inside the tiny recording studio where Berry Gordy, a young entrepreneur who faced tremendous prejudice, created a music empire that broke down racial barriers. Tour Art Deco masterpieces so spectacular they're called "cathedrals" to commerce and finance. Walk in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Cobo Hall, where he first delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. Join Karin Risko for an intimate tour of the city that put the world on wheels and discover an amazing history of innovation, philanthropy, social justice and culture.

The Buckeye Presidents

Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding. These seven Ohio-born presidents led the nation through some of the most pivotal periods in US history.

Learn how each of them became president and how their time in the White House shaped the future of the country. Travel the Buckeye State and visit the museums, monuments and historic homes that tell their stories. From Canton to Freemont and Mentor to North Bend, Heather S. Cole is a guide to the places the Ohio presidents called home.

A History Lover's Guide to Milwaukee offers something for visitors and lifelong residents alike.

Often described as a "big small town,'? Milwaukee's quirky character stems from its many neighborhoods--each with its own stories to tell. Early territorial disputes, for example, led to the horribly (or humorously) misaligned streets of downtown. The city's signature rectangular pizza was born in the Third Ward. In Kilbourntown, Teddy Roosevelt was saved from an assassin's bullet by the smallest of items. Not far from that spot, eight baseball team owners formed the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs. And no matter the neighborhood, a fantastic glass of suds is never far away in this renowned beer city.

Leading readers on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood tour, author and Milwaukee native Jim Nelsen pinpoints the fascinating historic locations of the Cream City.

Most know Detroit as the hometown of Motown legends like Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. And they’re all here! But beyond the well-known list of famous Detroiters awaits a veritable who’s who of pop culture, sports, TV, movies and more.

Christie Brinkley, Robin Williams, Sonny Bono, Lucille Ball, Charles Lindbergh, Robert Wagner, Lizzo, Tom Selleck, Ty Cobb, the creator of Gumby, the guy who portrayed Jaws in the James Bond films, and many more.

Compiling over 100 names and places, author Steve Platto leads a celebrity tour of the Motor City that readers can take with them on their own travels or explore from the comfort of home.

With over two hundred neighborhoods divided into seventy-seven community areas, Chicago offers a dazzling and daunting challenge to ambitious tourists and lifelong citizens.

Anyone who's never been to Chicago will be shocked to learn how big it really is. Did you know that Humboldt Park isn't even in Humboldt Park? Confused about the exact boundaries of West Elsdon or curious about the origins of the famous Second City Theater? In a handbook that is both an entertaining adventure and a methodical survey, Mary Zangs tackles all seventy-seven communities, providing maps, points of interest and local perspectives for the many places Chicagoans call home.

Discover the stories behind historic Columbus neighborhoods and their engaging landmarks.

The community centers that locals call home aren't just points of interest but places that have shaped history beyond their communities and even Ohio. This encyclopedia of Columbus neighborhoods gives voice to the rich heritage residing in the bell towers, parks and streetscapes of Franklinton, German Village, King-Lincoln, Olde Town East, Short North and the University District. Along with WOSU's award-winning Columbus Neighborhoods series, Tom Betti, Doreen Uhas Sauer and Ed Lentz curate the stories tracing the lines from your neighborhood to the Manhattan Project, the Underground Railroad, Abraham Lincoln and the Tuskegee Airmen.

< i>The Ohio Literary Trail: A Guide offers something unique for the armchair traveler and the road warrior alike.

The Ohio Literary Trail celebrates the Buckeye State's role in shaping culture and literature worldwide. Along the trail, developed by the Ohioana Library Association, lie historic homes, museums, library collections, and historical markers honoring great authors, poets, and influencers of the literary landscape. Following the state's five geographic regions for convenient self-guided tours, curious explorers can walk in the footsteps of Harriett Beecher Stowe and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. They can view renowned collections of comics, picture book art, and Nancy Drew-themed artifacts. Or they can tour the home and farm of Pulitzer Prize-winner and conservationist Louis Bromfield. Betty Weibel, one of the trail's creators, offers this guide to those looking for the literary treasures of Ohio.

Milwaukee loves the Oak Leaf Trail, a 125-mile path connecting the major Milwaukee County parks. But many don't know the history behind the trail.

Believing parks to be the "lungs of the people," long-range thinkers like Charles Whitnall advocated for the verdant spaces the trail would later snake through. To promote biking as an alternative to precious gasoline during wartime, Harold "Zip" Morgan designed a route that 1960s riders built on. Years later, bicycling enthusiasts worked overtime with local leadership to get a 76-mile route ready for the country's bicentennial, creating the beloved 76 Bike Trail. Join local author Jill Rothenbueler Maher as she uncovers the previously untold stories of a Milwaukee County treasure.

Welcome to Marietta, the elegant Ohio River city where this state's history begins. This informative guide will help you make the most of your time.

Explore ancient earthworks, stroll shady brick streets lined with glorious Victorian mansions, wander through museums and kick back in a wide variety of restaurants and taverns. Venture into nearby West Virginia and visit Fenton, America's oldest art glass company; Blennerhassett Island, where Aaron Burr hatched a plot against the U.S. government; and Henderson Hall, the majestic great house of a former slave plantation - all within fifteen miles of downtown Marietta. It includes an overview of the area's rich history, maps, dozens of vintage and modern photographs and descriptions of the best sites and attractions the region has to offer - including those that most visitors miss.