Name: Early Chicago Hotels
Brand: William R. Host
SKU: 9780738540412
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Early Chicago Hotels

9780738540412

$24.99

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.

Chowan Beach

9781596291645

$14.99

In 1928, Eli Reid purchased 400 acres of picturesque property on the banks of the Chowan River in Hertford County, North Carolina. Soon after he acquired the land, Reid began turning the area into a Segregation-era resort for African Americans, and Chowan Beach was born.

As the resort began to take shape in the late 1920s, it was clear that something special had been started. Wide sandy beaches were built, and construction was immediately started on guest cottages, bathhouses, a dance hall, photo studio, restaurant, picnic area and magnificent German-made carousel. Chowan Beach was an immediate success, and throngs of African Americans began to stream in from across North Carolina and the East Coast to relax and enjoy the atmosphere and spectacular views--an oasis of fun in a social desert of limited opportunities and unfair treatment. The water was cool and refreshing, the crowds were friendly, and the music was hot, as the beach was a popular stop for musicians touring on the "Chitlin Circuit," including B.B. King, James Brown, Sam Cooke and The Drifters.

In this nostalgic new book, author Frank Stephenson brings back the glory days of Chowan Beach with an array of vintage photographs and a brief history of the area. Come along as Stephenson revisits the past of this beloved beach and offers a reminder of what it meant to generations of African American visitors.

Buckingham Army Air Field

9780738586762

$24.99

For most people in Southwest Florida, the name Buckingham is just one more dot on a map--a rural area east of U.S. Interstate 75. But for a few years, it was so much more. Starting in 1942, it was the site of the Buckingham Army Air Field--home to some 16,000 men and women supporting the United States' World War II efforts. Airplanes roared in the skies over Lee County and reflected off the azure waters of the Gulf of Mexico as tens of thousands of young men trained as aerial gunners. Learning to target and bring down enemy aircraft with their guns was critical to America's success in both the European and Pacific theaters. On the ground, trucks rumbled across the mammoth base, soldiers marched in review under the hot Florida sun, and an entire town sprang up on what was once swampland. Barracks were built, along with stores, nightclubs, churches, and even a hospital with its own baby ward. Today the memories of Buckingham Army Air Field can be found hiding in plain sight, including a working airport that was once the heart of the base.

The Yorktown Victory Monument

9781467150514

$21.99

In October 1781, American independence was achieved on the battlefields of Yorktown, Virginia--a glorious event that the Continental Congress determined was worthy of a monument. Moving at the speed of government, it took one hundred years to act on this resolution. In that time, Yorktown had to come to terms with its role as a site of preservation rather than a center of industry or commerce. The story of the development and preservation of The Monument to Alliance and Victory at Yorktown is a tangle of government, military, artists, historians and forces of nature. Local author Maria Hepner explores the story of this monument and the town that surrounds it.

See Rock City

9781596295773

$19.99

Around two hundred million years ago, geological forces produced an expansive grove of rocky caverns and outcroppings atop Lookout Mountain. It was not until the twentieth century, however, that this awe-inspiring citadel evolved into a nationally recognized tourist attraction when Garnet Carter and his wife, Frieda, developed the natural marvel into the Rock City Gardens we know today, an enchanted tribute to fairytales and a breathtaking homage to nature. Join Rock City expert Tim Hollis as he guides you through the origins of the site's most fascinating spots, including Fairyland Caverns, See Seven States and Lover's Leap. Also learn the story behind the world-famous 'See Rock City' marketing campaign, as well as the steep challenges the landmark has faced in an often volatile tourism industry. Perhaps the only aspect of Rock City more enchanting than its physical beauty is the fairytale story that surrounds it.

St. Pete Beach's Corey Avenue

9780738566139

$24.99

Originally just a thoroughfare connecting St. Petersburg with Pass-a-Grille, the area on St. Petersburg Beach immediately south of the Corey Causeway would, in time, become a destination of its own. As Florida recovered from the Great Depression, real estate developers the Upham Company carefully turned a swampy and mosquito-infested property into a successful commercial district, eventually to be called St. Pete Beach's Downtown. Over the years, many businesses would come and go, but several of the earliest continue into the 21st century, and the offices of the largest municipality on Pinellas County's barrier islands are now located there.

Along the Bucktail Highway

9780738555232

$24.99

The Bucktail Highway, Pennsylvania Route 120, traverses over 100 miles of the commonwealth's historic northern tier, linking Ridgway in the west with Lock Haven in the east. The Bucktail Highway crosses the eastern continental divide east of St. Marys and closely follows the picturesque, deep valleys carved by Sinnemahoning Creek and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Originally a Native American path and later a road that carried settlers west beyond the Allegheny Front, today's Bucktail Highway is a centerpiece of the Pennsylvania Wilds, a public-private initiative to promote and conserve the unique natural and historic resources of the region. Along the Bucktail Highway showcases over 200 vintage postcards profiling the cultural and natural history of the towns, forests, and waters linked by this scenic route from its beginnings as a westward trail, its growth as a commercial and industrial corridor in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and its recent emergence as a premier Pennsylvania scenic byway.

Becoming Portsmouth

9781467137607

$21.99

At midcentury, two federal urban renewal projects in the gritty, blue-collar navy town of Portsmouth decimated two neighborhoods. But in the 1970s and '80s--thanks to an influx of artisans, chefs and entrepreneurs--the Port City emerged as a beacon of arts, culinary excellence and preservation. Iconoclast Jay Smith opened the Press Room, the celebrated music club. A group of concerned citizens saved the Music Hall, the last of Portsmouth's vaudeville theaters. And a Dutch family opened the Euro-style Café Petronella next to a biker bar. Author and historian Laura Pope edits a collection of essays detailing the changes in the last half of the past century that made Portsmouth a lauded arts- and food-lovers' hub and, finally, a diverse tourist destination.

National Hard Crab Derby

9780738542539

$24.99

In 1947, The Crisfield Times published an editorial prompting an annual crab derby, a sort of Kentucky Derby spotlighting one of Crisfield's greatest natural resources: the Chesapeake Bay blue crab. The next year, the National Hard Crab Derby began. Since that brief crab race in front of the Crisfield Post Office in 1948, the annual Labor Day weekend event has grown into one of the most recognized festivals in the United States. The entire country participates each year through the Governor's Cup crab race, and all eyes are on contestants as they attempt to break world records in crab picking and boat docking. Champion chefs from throughout the Eastern Seaboard hone their skills during the annual crab cooking contest. Skiff races recall days of the past when work boats sped in from Tangier Sound to sell their day's catch to the area's seafood packers. And Crisfield may be the only city in America where little girls grow up with the dream of someday being called Miss Crustacean!

Ghosts of Leavenworth and the Cascade Foothills

9781625858542

$21.99

The spirits of the early pioneers still roam the streets of Leavenworth and lurk in the lengthening shadows of the surrounding hills. Chas Gordon's murder sits unsolved after a century of mystery, as does the location of the lost Ingalls gold. Muffled sobs mark out the Thorp Cemetery, while a ghostly hand coaxes a soft tune from the piano in the lobby of the Tumwater Inn. Saloon shootings and railroad tragedies left their own legacy of restless souls. Author Deborah Cuyle reveals the fascinating history behind the ghost stories from this corner of the Cascade Mountains.

Ghosts of Leavenworth and the Cascade Foothills

Grand Traverse Lighthouse

9780738552231

$24.99

An interesting collection of images traces the history of the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.

The Grand Traverse Lighthouse sits majestically at the entrance of Grand Traverse Bay, guiding vessels between Chicago and the Straits of Mackinac. For over 150 years, it has been an important beacon for all who have plied the waters of Lake Michigan. The original 1852 lighthouse was used for six years before being torn down. In 1858, a larger lighthouse with an attached nine-sided tower was erected on a site farther west. Over the course of its history, 66 lighthouse keepers, assistant keepers, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel have maintained the light. Today visitors tour the restored lighthouse, which is now a living museum filled with displays and exhibits depicting a simpler way of life. A climb to the tower where keepers once stood watch now provides an inspiring panorama.

Fort Dodge

9780738591919

$24.99

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.

Historic Inns of Southern West Virginia

9780738552859

$24.99

Southern West Virginia possesses great natural beauty and a rich history in which lodging has played a significant role. This book traces the evolution of lodging in the area from the late 1700s to the present. The various types of accommodations included log cabins; lodging in rail, coal, and lumber communities; picturesque stagecoach stops; state parks; bed-and-breakfasts; and opulent mineral springs hotels. During the Civil War, many of the springs hotels and stagecoach stops were used for army hospitals and headquarters. This volume provides glimpses of quaint towns such as Bramwell, Fayetteville, Union, and Lewisburg, as well as the more commercial towns of Princeton, Bluefield, Hinton, Beckley, Glen Jean, Gary, Cass, Ronceverte, Marlinton, Coalwood, Rainelle, and Glen Rogers.

Fort Lawton

9780738558110

$24.99

Fort Lawton was established to provide protection for the navy yard built at Bremerton in 1891 as well the cities along Puget Sound and the commerce generated by them. The development of Fort Lawton was encouraged by civic leaders in Seattle for economic reasons and to curb lawlessness. Although intended primarily as an infantry post, the first soldiers to arrive on July 26, 1901, were artillerymen. One year later, this artillery installation, the Puget Sound Harbor Defense Command, was moved to Fort Warden and the first infantry soldiers arrived in Fort Lawton. It remained an infantry post throughout most of its years, and Seattle's hopes for a major military installation were not to be realized.

Portland Rose Festival

9780738596143

$24.99

At the end of the Lewis and Clark Exposition in 1905, the president of the Portland Street Fair and Carnival Association, E.W. Rowe, presented the idea of an annual festival to Portland mayor Harry Lane. From that idea came the first Rose Festival, called the Rose Carnival and Fiesta, held June 20-22, 1907. It was hailed as a huge success. "There is no reason in the world why Portland should not hold a rose festival every year," remarked the Oregonian on June 21. "Everyone will be happier and better all the rest of the year for the festival of roses." And indeed, that has been the case. From just a three-day event, the Rose Festival has expanded over the years to include many activities covering several months every spring and summer.

Sea Bright

9780738557625

$24.99

In the mid-1800s, a quaint fishing village, called Nauvoo at the time, was the largest fishery on the New Jersey seacoast. By the end of the 19th century, this fishing village had grown into the flourishing seaside resort of Sea Bright. Luxurious hotels like the Normandie-by-the-Sea, Sea Bright Inn, and the Octagon House were built, transforming the town into a haven for the wealthy, who built elegant cottages along its coast. The famous Pannaci Hotel and Restaurant became known as the "Delmonico of Sea Bright." Today Sea Bright continues to draw vacationers and residents alike with its glistening water and beautiful sandy beaches.

The McKinley Monument

9781596291072

$21.99

This fascinating new book chronicles the design and construction of the McKinley National Memorial in Canton, Ohio. This magnificent structure is the final resting place for William McKinley, 25th President of the United States, his wife Ida and their two young daughters. Constructed from 1905 to 1907, the McKinley National Memorial marks the 100th anniversary of its dedication in 2007.

The McKinley Monument not only presents the construction of the memorial, it also provides a look at President McKinley's life and tragic death, a biographical sketch of architect Harold Van Buren Magonigle and the poignant dedication ceremony with keynote speaker President Theodore Roosevelt. It includes many never-before-seen photographs, including the designs that were not chosen and rare shots of some of the workers.

As the community celebrates the century mark of a spectacular national landmark, author Christopher Kenney has brought the story into the modern age, recording the extensive renovation work and conservation measures that will preserve the McKinley National Memorial for at least another 100 years.

The Oregon State Fair

9780738548777

$24.99

Since the first Oregon State Fair was held on four acres along the Clackamas River in the Gladstone/Oregon City area in 1861, the fair has been the focal point of Oregon culture--a place to see and be seen and to compete against the best in the state. It has been a place of victory and a place of discovery for nearly 150 years. For many generations of Oregonians, the fair was a chance for families and friends to reunite and share the excitement of this grand, uniquely Oregon event. Today the fair's popularity continues and, for 12 days each year, transforms the fairgrounds in Salem into the fifth largest city in the state.

Nebraska State Fair

9780738583273

$24.99

The Nebraska State Fair commenced in Nebraska City in 1859, long before Nebraska became a state. Agriculture was recognized as the prime industry in the region, and the promotion of land and products was a driving influence for developing an exposition to put Nebraska on display. In 1901, the state legislature passed a bill declaring Lincoln as the official permanent site for the annual event. In the fair's 140-year history, Lincoln held 108 Nebraska State Fairs. The event was cancelled twice--in deference to the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, a world's fair held in Omaha in 1898, and when the government suspended all fair events in 1945 due to World War II. The fair offers food, entertainment, exhibits, and competitions for visitors of all ages and interests. Each year, there are bigger and better shows, midways, and performers to entice new crowds and to draw those who attend year after year. The history is preserved in precious photographs and memorabilia. Though the fair bids a sad farewell to Lincoln, new memories await as it moves to the centrally located community of Grand Island for its grand opening in late August 2010.

Lightships

9781596293502

$21.99

Light boats, light vessels, lightships--before radar, depth-finders and satellite-guided navigation, mariners relied on floating lighthouses that lingered offshore as warning beacons in perilous waters.

Moored near shifting shoals and treacherous reefs, lightships remained on station during all weather conditions and played a vital role in keeping America's waterways safe for navigation. From 1820 to 1985, light vessels warned of treacherous seas and pointed the way to safe harbors. In Lightships, author Wayne Kirklin chronicles the eighty-five ships that protected the mid-Atlantic coast and the heyday of these special craft. From New York Harbor to the southernmost edge of North Carolina's notorious Cape Fear, Kirklin details the unsung role this fleet played in keeping America's merchant marines safe. Read Lightships to discover a forgotten but vital element of American maritime history.

Escondido Grape Day Festivals

9780738559490

$24.99

Escondido is the lilting Spanish name meaning "hidden" and was given to an irregular-shaped inland Southern California valley where an investment group planted 100 acres of grapes in the early 1880s. The dry-farmed grapes grew unusually large and sweet, which prompted business leaders to envision an attraction similar to Pasadena's Tournament of Roses. The first Grape Day Festival in 1908 commemorated an auspicious occasion in Escondido's water history and celebrated the grape as a symbol of the agricultural abundance of the region. The event attracted thousands of guests who could view the valley, farm displays, a grand parade, and entertainment while eating their fill of free grapes. But by mid-century, Grape Day disappeared along with the grape in Escondido. With the memory of the grape remaining clear, the Escondido Historical Society began the revival of the celebration in the 1970s. The centennial Grape Day Festival took place September 6, 2008.

Camp Dodge

9780738560915

$24.99

The Camp Dodge military reservation, located northwest of Iowa's capital, Des Moines, has been a community presence in times of war and peace. During World War I, a city serving over 45,000 soldiers sprang up inside its boundaries. As quickly as the army's city was built, it was dismantled, no longer needed at the war's end. The land again became a training area for the Iowa National Guard. The community found a home here too, flocking to one of the world's largest outdoor swimming pools, built in the early 1920s. World War II saw the post processing new soldiers and training the Iowa State Guard, left behind to safeguard the state. Over the years, the camp has heard the pounding of horses' hooves turn to the roar of tanks. Hand-drawn strategy maps have given way to high-tech computer maneuver simulations. Camp Dodge has survived and grown.

Colorado's Historic Hotels

9781609493011

$23.99

Lured by the promise of land and opportunity, miners, cowhands, laborers, settlers and fortune-seekers poured into Colorado during the mid-to-late 19th Century and into the 20th. To accommodate the population boom, industrious Coloradoans built scores of hotels some elaborate, some modest, all a touchstone to this critical era in Centennial State history. Join Alexandra Walker Clark on this tour through Colorado's historic hotels. Discover how the Oxford and Brown Palace Hotels have managed to maintain their elegance, while others such as the Timberline Hotel of Holy Cross City and the California Hotel of Independence have vanished. With timeless recipes from hotel kitchens, learn how hotels have adapted to eras like the Native American desertion and the Roaring Twenties.

The Aurora Farmers Fair

9780738551685

$24.99

In 1908, the Aurora Business Mens Association decided to bring a celebration to its sleepy river town. Little did these men realize that the Aurora Farmers Fair would bring their community together for the next 100 years. During the 1909 fall festival, Second and Main Streets were blocked off and lined with farm exhibits and storefronts were decorated. There were over 700 entries and 12,000 people attended. Every year merchants and manufacturers parade, and contestants are selected from area schools to compete for a place in the royal court that presides over the festivities. Class reunions and family homecomings are held around the event, and schoolchildren are released early to participate in a bicycle and pet parade. In 1959, the Aurora Business Mens Association ceded management and sponsorship of the fair to the Aurora Lions Club, and in 1969, the Lions Club purchased a beautiful old building from the Aurora Casket Company to house exhibits. Sadly, in 1998, arson destroyed the fair building, and years' worth of fair history was lost. This book has been created, in part, in an effort to regain a portion of the collection that was lost.

Fort Atkinson

9780738583532

$24.99

Fort Atkinson has been called the "top historical spot in Nebraska," the "SAC of 1820," and "America's most important Western outpost." Once the country's largest fortress beyond the Missouri River, its garrison protected America's interests in the burgeoning fur trade, provided a base camp for explorations, played host to famous frontiersmen, and was the site where numerous treaties were signed. But by 1961, Fort Atkinson was endangered. The fort's buildings had vanished over 100 years before. Decades of farming on the land had nearly erased its footprint. A housing development threatened to obliterate the site forever. There was only a marker with a flagpole raised in 1927 by the Daughters of the American Revolution--a lonely object in the midst of an empty plain. This book tells the story of how that lost fortress was restored to become the major state historical park it is today.

Missions of Monterey

9780738596822

$24.99

The storm-tossed caravel ship San Salvador passed the coastline of Point Pinos in 1542 and propelled Portuguese shipwright and sailor Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo into history with the discovery of Alta California for the Spanish crown. An enduring legacy followed with Fr. Junipero Serra's landing in San Diego and the founding of his first mission in 1769. Into Alta California entered explorers, soldiers, and Franciscan missionaries bringing their culture, faith, and intent to colonize the New World. Father Serra's 1770 journey to Monterey, carefully planned in Mexico City, involved the arrival of a few hundred intrepid travelers over land and sea to secure Alta California's new capital. A small group consecrated Mission San Carlos de Borromeo in the pine-forested flat of New Spain's presidio. The momentum of the missions over the next 80 years resulted in California's statehood and in the raising of the American flag in Monterey by 1850.

Egmont Key

9781609497088

$21.99

Quirky, unique, and unexpected, the history of Ermony Key comes to life in rare historic images.

Egmont Key has been a sentinel for ships entering Tampa Bay from the Gulf of Mexico for hundreds of years. Early European explorers recognized the island's strategic location. Its story reflects major events in the history of the United States and Florida, as the island played a role in the Seminole Wars, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II. Its lighthouse, now automated, is still a beacon for ships. For many years, people have enjoyed the beaches of Egmont Key, walked the red brick ""roads to nowhere"" and explored the ruins of Fort Dade. Authors Don and Carol Thompson aim to foster an appreciation of the uniqueness and beauty of Egmont Key, as well as an understanding of its place in history.

The Charlottesville Dogwood Festival

9780738542102

$24.99

During the month of April, the residents of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, and Orange Counties converge on the city of Charlottesville to celebrate the beauty of Central Virginia and honor the state flower. Beginning in 1950 as the Apple Harvest Festival, the festival took on its current name, the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival, in 1958. Each year, Charlottesville comes alive not only with the blooms and blossoms of spring, but with fireworks, amusement rides, and a host of local royalty. The beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and fall foliage as well as breathtaking springs and some of the nation's oldest and most prestigious plantations make this area one of the most popular places to visit in the South. The Charlottesville Dogwood Festival takes pride in being a long-standing part of an area rich in tradition and heritage.

Missions of San Francisco Bay

9780738596846

$24.99

Legendary explorer Lt. Col. Juan Bautista de Anza completed a 1,000-mile journey from Sonora, Mexico, crossing the Mojave Desert with the first settlers, to San Francisco's pristine harbor. Fr. Francisco Palóu celebrated the dedication of Mission San Francisco de Asís on June 29, 1776. First established to protect Spain's interests in Alta California from foreign ships, California's landmark buildings are featured here with newly discovered photography depicting a romantic era of colorful Spanish conquistadors, Franciscan padres, and mission Indian neophytes from 1769 to 1823. Explore the heritage of California pioneers' first communities and the 21 California Spanish missions of adobe, stone, and tile that are considered architectural wonders that have captured the imagination of visitors and historians over centuries.

Fort DuPont

9780738588070

$24.99

Once a place of war, then a place of health, and finally, preservation, Fort DuPont has had a long and interesting history.

Fort DuPont is named in honor of Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont and located on the Reeden Point tract, land initially granted to Henry Ward in 1675. The first fortification built was the Ten Gun Battery during the Civil War, a heavily armed earthwork fortification dedicated to protecting the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal--as Sgt. Bishop Crumrine wrote in 1864, "These guns command the channel and could blow to atoms any vessel rash enough to attempt to pass.'? In the decades to follow, the battery at Delaware City was gradually modernized into a formidable military post that remained active through World War II. Declared surplus in post-war peacetime, the site reopened in 1948 as the Governor Bacon Health Center, and by 1996, over 300 acres were reestablished as Fort DuPont State Park.