Illinois

Name: Rockford
Brand: Eric Johnson
SKU: 9780738523415
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Illinois history exceeds the capacity of the Sears Catalog for categorization and the World’s Fair for spectacle. And no matter what the self-appointed tour guide at the local diner might say, the heritage of the land of Lincoln doesn’t end with Capone’s demise. Like the Chicago Loop, the Prairie State’s past seems to defy straightforward chronology—Cahokia offered a version of urban sprawl more than a thousand years before the first Windy City skyscraper. From Park Forest to Cave-in-Rock, scan our shelf of Illinois history books with the unflagging enthusiasm of a Wrigley Field hot dog vendor. [View all Illinois books]

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St. James Trade School and Brother James Court

$24.99

Italian-American Women of Chicagoland

Chicago and the State of Illinois:

Murder and Mayhem in Chicago's Vice Districts

$21.99

The Trout Valley Hertz Estate, and Curtiss Farm

$24.99

Boone County Originals:

$21.99

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Rockford

9780738523415

$24.99

During the early decades of the 20th century, communication by postcard was an inexpensive and popular means of exchanging travel stories, news, and gossip across the United States. For just a few cents each, postcards connected friends and family separated by hundreds of miles. Rockford: 1900-World War I, with a collection of nearly 240 vintage postcard images, captures the details of this dynamic era and documents the Forest City's coming of age.

Inside are views of Rockford's bustling downtown, including rare glimpses of long-gone landmarks like the Grand Opera House and Orpheum Theater. Witness history in the making with Rockford's first recorded airplane flights in 1911 and experience U.S. Army doughboy life at Rockford's Camp Grant. Be there for Teddy Roosevelt's historic visits to Rockford, and marvel at the intrepid companies that turned Rockford into a national manufacturing power.

Decatur

9780738533049

$24.99

Decatur, Illinois has long had a proud tradition of workers and craftsmen who produced coal, water pumps, gloves, automobiles, clothing, corn meal, and many other products.

Though it is home to Caterpillar's second largest plant and serves as world headquarters for Archer Daniels Midland, a global processor of corn and soybeans, Decatur is much more than jobs and factories. If Illinois is the Heartland, then Decatur is the Heart of the Heartland. Decatur is the site of Abraham Lincoln's first Illinois residence, in 1830, and it is where he was nominated for the presidency on May 10, 1860. Decatur is also home to a symphony orchestra, homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, a community college, and Millikin University.

Ottawa

9780738588575

$24.99

Ottawa is a city rich in history going back to the 1820s. It was the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate, and even a famous Civil War general was from Ottawa. The city has an enormous heritage in its churches, schools, and neighborhoods and has created impressive strength in its business and industry over the years. Ottawa also has contributed more than its share of service in the defense of the nation. The I&M Canal, Reddick Mansion, the appellate court, the LaSalle County Courthouse, the Tent Colony, the nearby shipyard and glass factories, the rivers, and the area state parks all have been important and unique parts that comprise Ottawa.

Oak Park

9781609490706

$24.99

Journey to the past with historian David M. Sokol as he reveals the city that nurtured and inspired the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Ray Kroc and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Though it is a handsome village, with stately trees and often-generous lawns, Oak Park has neither major waterways nor dramatic vistas. But it is rich in figures of historical importance such as Ernest Hemingway, Doris Humphrey, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Percy Julian, Ray Kroc, and William Barton. It is also blessed with the world's largest concentration of Prairie School buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his followers. The Oak Park community has nurtured such innovation with one hand while fiercely holding on to its own identity with the other, negotiating its relationship with Chicago and facing down a century and a half of constantly-shifting challenges.

Nick Blase:

9781609495497

$23.99

Nick Blase ruled the Chicago suburb of Niles for almost half a century, defeating every challenger and even facing down legendary Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley on occasion. Ultimately, Blase, the longest-sitting mayor in the country, resigned from office following an arrest on federal corruption charges the morning of his seventy-eighth birthday. He pled guilty and was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. Despite the cloud over his tenure, there is no doubt Blase made a huge impact on the sleepy suburb, turning the postwar bedroom community into an economic powerhouse that ranked with the largest cities in the state. After exhaustive research and hours of personal interviews, Andrew Schneider has put together a fascinating portrait of Blase's political career.

Zion

9780738561578

$24.99

Zion did not spring up by chance along a rolling river or upon a hilltop. The land in which Zion City planted its roots was sought out by a surveying team and then purchased by Dr. John Alexander Dowie for the sole purpose of building a religious utopia. Before the first spade of soil was turned, attention was given to every detail, from utilities to commercial areas and educational institutions and (most importantly) the temple. In less than a decade, Dowie and his followers built a self-sufficient theocracy that sheltered its inhabitants from the outside world. Indeed, Zion boasts a unique history and is a most intriguing study in the successes and failures of a planned city of God.

Sandwich

9780738561554

$24.99

Come take a look at the history of Sandwich from its beginnings in the mid-1850s to today. First known as Newark Station, the town's name was changed to Sandwich in 1856 by Congressman John Wentworth, after his hometown in New Hampshire. Wentworth was instrumental in getting the railroad to stop here. Sandwich, surrounded by the fairest and most fertile country, was advertised in 1892 as one of the most beautiful and prosperous cities in northern Illinois. Its agricultural implements, made by the Sandwich Manufacturing Company and Enterprise Company, were shipped worldwide. Sandwich is now known for its annual county fair, antique shows, and shopping.

Rochelle

9780738541341

$24.99

The Lincoln Highway through Rochelle was originally a Potawatomi Indian trail. In 1853, Robert P. Lane purchased land from Charlotte Bartholomew, Sheldon Bartholomew's widow, near the settlement known as Hickory Grove, and the community became officially known as Lane. After a hanging scandal, the citizens renamed their village Rochelle. From then, the town grew to the largest city in Ogle County. Rochelle's famous railroad park and the diamond (crossing of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad) attract visitors throughout the year. The park's tourist center is located in a refurbished Standard Oil gas station. The Flagg Township Historical Museum offers times gone by in many forms in the 1884 city hall, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Rochelle offers suburban amenities with the healthy atmosphere of the small town where actress Joan Allen grew up.

St. James Trade School and Brother James Court

9780738578118

$24.99

Helping orphaned and disadvantaged boys get a chance at a better life was the mission of Brother James, founder of the Franciscan Brothers of the Holy Cross, a German Catholic Order that sent Brothers to the United States in 1924. To that end, St. James Trade School was established in Springfield, Illinois, in 1928. Two years later, the first group of apprentices was admitted; they and hundreds who followed them through 1972 went on to become certified mechanics, carpenters, and electricians among other valuable trades. High school diplomas were earned beginning in 1948. In 1975, Brother James Court (BJC) opened with a brand new building specifically designed as a residential intermediate care facility. BJC provides both residency and advocacy for developmentally disabled men. Providing the highest quality care, consistent with the spirit and principles of the Franciscan Brothers of the Holy Cross, programs at BJC meet residents' needs and allow them to live happily at BJC for as long as they need.

Effingham County:

9781596299658

$21.99

Those who have halted their treks down the National Road in Effingham County form a diverse band of characters, from Joseph Boleyjack, known as the "parched corn, summer preacher," to polished orators like William Jennings Bryan, who continued exhorting enthusiastic Effingham crowds as his train pulled away. Donaldson traces this story back to before this land was known as Effingham, to the burial mounds of the Kickapoo. He presses on through the challenges the county's determined inhabitants faced in the twentieth century, from the horrors witnessed abroad in the world wars to those faced at home during the Great Depression and in the tragic St. Anthony's Hospital fire. His obvious passion for the county's past is sure to strike a spark with lifelong residents and new arrivals alike.

Puerto Rican Chicago

9780738533681

$24.99

Puerto Ricans have a long history in Chicago. Beginning in the 1920s, a handful of middle-class Puerto Rican families sent their daughters and sons to study at prestigious universities in the city. While most returned to Puerto Rico, migration to Chicago peaked during the 1950s and 1960s. Enticed by the prospect of a better life for their families and future generations, thousands of Puerto Ricans came to Chicago in search of a brighter tomorrow. They came to Chicago as American citizens, yet still faced rampant discrimination and prejudice. In 1950, there were only 255 Puerto Ricans in Chicago; today, there are over 113,000. Chicago is home to a thriving Puerto Rican community, and its members continue to make important contributions to the political, educational, social, and cultural institutions of Chicago.

Bloomingdale

9780738551982

$24.99

This photographic journal traces Bloomingdale's development chronologically from its earliest days through its sesquicentennial celebration. The area claimed in 1833 by the Meacham brothers, who traveled from the east in search of land and opportunities, encompassed parts of present-day Roselle, Medinah, and Cloverdale. The Meacham brothers and those who followed formed an agricultural community that thrived in its location on a major thoroughfare, the Chicago Galena Highway. Retail was an important part of Bloomingdale by the time the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad came through the northern part of Bloomingdale Township in 1873. Largely "Smalltown, USA" for a number of years, Bloomingdale came into its own in the mid-1970s with an explosion of population, business, and prosperity.

Virginia Marmaduke

9780738519661

$24.99

Nicknamed "The Duchess" by a tongue-tied editor early in her career, Virginia Marmaduke is the First Lady of Chicago print journalism. She was the first woman to: cover both crime and sports for Windy City newspapers; be named (by Mayor Daley Sr.) to the Chicago Board of Health; be named Press Veteran of the Year by the Chicago Press Veterans Association; and to be inducted into Chicago's Journalism Hall of Fame.

First with the Chicago Sun, then the Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune, the Duchess's newspaper career ran parallel to the 20th Century. She covered, as she called it, "blood, guts and sex," as well as presidents, natural disasters, women's issues, and-notably-humanitarian causes.

This volume, the first on the life and career of Virginia Marmaduke, reprints many of the famous articles from her Chicago heyday. Additionally, it documents her childhood in Carbondale, Illinois, her first newspaper job, and her return to Southern Illinois where she became a community booster, humanitarian, and beloved "all-Illinoisian."

Lewis University

9780738520223

$24.99

Now the twelfth largest among more than 50 private colleges and universities in the State of Illinois, Lewis University was established in 1932 as a small aeronautical school for boys and has developed into a dynamic, coeducational, and comprehensive Catholic university with a richly diverse student body. Founded by the Archdiocese of Chicago and now sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis is faithful to its Catholic and Lasallian heritage, offering a values-centered curriculum rich in the Mission values of knowledge, fidelity, wisdom, and justice and guided by the spirit of association, which fosters community in teaching, learning, and service. As Lewis celebrates its 70th anniversary, this volume provides a visual glimpse into the history of this unique institution. Included are photographs of its humble beginnings, its evolution during and after World War II, dynamic enrollment growth during the 1960s, the dramatic campus transformation through construction, its student activities, its athletic successes, and the campus today.

Willowbrook Ballroom

9780738583990

$24.99

The Willowbrook Ballroom was originally built as an outdoor dance pavilion named Oh Henry Park by Austrian immigrant John Verderbar. Wildly successful, it was enlarged and fully enclosed in 1923, and a 10¢-a-dance policy was implemented. Destroyed by fire in 1930, a determined Verderbar hired a crew of 200 carpenters, and a new facility was built to the tune of a then-staggering $100,000. In 1959, it was renamed the Willowbrook Ballroom, and dancers have since enjoyed the big band sounds of Count Basie, Teddy Lee, Harry James, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. As record crowds flocked to the 6,000-square-foot dance floor, the Willowbrook also became a favorite setting for weddings, proms, and other once-in-a-lifetime events. Today, at the height of its popularity, the Willowbrook is one of only five ballrooms of its magnitude in the United States and the only one remaining in the greater Chicagoland area.

Murder and Mayhem in Chicago's Vice Districts

9781596296923

$21.99

From the very beginning, Chicago thrived on its reputation as a wide-open town. After the Great Fire, no part of the city was rebuilt more quickly than the vice districts, where bribed cops and brutal force emboldened professional wickedness to celebrate itself with gala events like the First Ward Ball, begun in honor of a madam's pianist and often so crowded that passed-out drunks couldn't even fall to the floor. Randolph Street was nicknamed Gambler's Row because men gambled with their lives by visiting it. In Little Hell, guns and knives could be rented by the hour. In these seedy areas only put to sleep by Mickey Finn's knockout drinks or Gentle Annie's knockout punches, it is no wonder that Detective Woolridge kept seventy-five disguises, made twenty thousand arrests and was shot at forty-four times.

The Trout Valley Hertz Estate, and Curtiss Farm

9780738561608

$24.99

John D. Hertz, of rental car fame, discovered Trout Valley (then a part of unincorporated McHenry County) in the 1920s.

He built a mansion, barns, and polo grounds on the banks of the Fox River, calling his new country estate Leona Farms. Famous landscape architect Jens Jensen designed its scenic landscape, fishing streams, and ponds. Here Hertz raised racehorses, including two Kentucky Derby winners, and hosted Gatsby-like parties for the rich and famous, including Myrna Loy, Will Rogers, and Walt Disney. Eleanor Roosevelt was once a guest too. In 1943, Hertz sold his estate to Otto Schnering, of Baby Ruth and Butterfinger fame, who transformed the grounds from a lush playground to the headquarters of a 10,000-acre farming operation. Old-timers still remember Schnering's six-pony hitch carrying joy-filled passengers down Main Street, the state-of-the-art livestock arena, and the trophy-winning cattle raised at Curtiss Farm.

Boone County Originals:

9781596299382

$21.99

Daniel Boone may never have set foot in the Illinois county that bears his name, but his tradition of blazing new trails is certainly honored here. Boone County has been the home of Native American legends, a Major League Baseball player, a Miss America and a cross-dressing Civil War soldier. And don't forget Hairbreadth Harry, King of the Hobos, "? who wrote poetry, walked backward and bathed in gasoline. Enjoy the best of Mike Doyle's historical columns as he introduces the fascinating folk of this "garden on the prairie, "? where some of the tallest tales are true."