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Vintage photographs document the fascinating histories of Fort Washington and Upper Dublin.

Upper Dublin and Fort Washington, located to the northwest of Philadelphia, were part of William Penn's original land grant of 1681. The villages of Fitzwatertown, Jarrettown, Three Tuns, and Dreshertown developed to serve early settlers who worked as farmers and lime burners. Through vintage photographs collected by the Historical Society of Fort Washington from local sources, Fort Washington and Upper Dublin illustrates the area's transformation as new roads and railroads brought industry, grand country homes, and vacation retreats. Included are photographs of Dr. Richard Mattison's grand Lindenwold estate, homes built for his employees, and the water-tower house with its five twenty-thousand-gallon tanks perched above four apartments. The collection also includes photographs of several country inns and the now vanished community of Hoopeston.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia started thanks to a heroic doctor's inspiration, was the first of its kind and still impacts children's lives today.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia opened its doors in 1855 amidst a turbulent time in the city. Dr. Francis West Lewis, a prominent Philadelphia physician, was deeply disturbed by the appallingly high mortality rate among infants and children in his city, a result of the poor sanitary conditions in the urban slums that arose in great numbers during the Industrial Revolution. After visiting London for the opening of Great Ormond Street Hospital, Dr. Lewis was inspired to open the first children's hospital in the United States in Philadelphia and advertised in the Public Ledger, "Reception of children suffering from acute diseases and accidents will be received free of charge." The Children's Hospital continued to prosper and lead the advancement of children's health by creating many of the nation's first pediatric training programs and leading in the discovery of vaccines, lifesaving medical equipment, and pioneering treatments. Today, the hospital enjoys international recognition and continues to contribute to the advancement of children's health through a three-part mission of patient care, education, and research.

The Bryn Athyn Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, is home to some of the most remarkable architecture in the Philadelphia area.

Bryn Athyn was founded in the late 19th century by members of a Christian denomination known as the New Church, and the buildings in the historic district reflect the religious faith and vision of some of the community's earliest residents. Cairnwood, an 1895 country house in the Beaux-Arts style, was built for industrialist John Pitcairn. Cairncrest was the residence of Harold Pitcairn, one of the foremost pioneers of early American aviation. Glencairn, a magnificent castle-like mansion, was designed by Raymond Pitcairn as a home for his family and art collections and built throughout the Great Depression. Bryn Athyn Cathedral was dedicated in 1919 and dubbed a masterpiece of architectural art.

African Americans of Harrisburg documents the history of the African American community in this town.

Harrisburg served as a refuge and passageway for many African Americans fleeing the South via the Underground Railroad and moving north in search of freedom and a better way of life. African Americans of Harrisburg opens the door to this culturally diverse city of the wealthy, middle class, and poor with every possible race, religion, ethnicity, and lifestyle, which makes the fabric of the community so rich.

Minersville documents the history of this Pennsylvania coal mining hub.

Minersville, aptly named for those who toiled in the coal fields of east-central Pennsylvania, embodies the very essence of the coal region. This town and surrounding areas, however, are much more than abandoned breakers and row after row of coal company houses. Although coal is no longer king, the people of Minersville still take pride in their heritage. The gridiron battles of the Pottsville Maroons, the much-disputed 1925 NFL champions, and the failed political campaign of Lewis Cass against Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore proved that more than coal could come from this region. Minersville provides a glimpse of the early days of coal, as well as the people of the area and their accomplishments of spirit.

The picturesque community of Conneaut Lake formed around the lake of the same name, Pennsylvania's largest natural lake.

Founded by Abner Evans in 1793, the town was originally called Evansburg in 1858, but was renamed Conneaut Lake in 1892. As alien as it may seem to us today, ice was not always readily available at a moment's notice, and Conneaut Lake found success harvesting ice from the lake, wrapping the blocks in sawdust, and storing them in mammoth ice houses until it was time to ship the ice to large cities. Today, the large ship structure protruding from Oakland Beach is still a familiar sight to visitors, but the lake is used mainly for recreational purposes, such as skiing, boating, swimming, and fishing. The largest Muskie ever caught in the state of Pennsylvania was from the waters of Conneaut Lake!

Ambler, a working-class town located fifteen miles north of Philadelphia, boasts some of the grandest homes in Montgomery County.

Ambler's evolution is rooted in the mills that sprang up along the Wissahickon Creekin the 1680s. The town entered the industrial age when the North Penn Railwaypushed through in the 1850s. In 1856, a catastrophic head-on train collision killing fifty-nine created the heroine Mary Ambler, whose generous ministrations to the wounded caused the railroad in 1869 to rename its Wissahickon Stationin her honor. But it was Philadelphia manufacturers Henry G. Keasbey and Richard V. Mattison who changed Ambler's character forever. When they relocated their business to Ambler in 1881, it became the asbestos capital of the world.

Frank D. Quattrone, an editor at Montgomery Newspapers, has written extensively on the history of Montgomery County.Amblercaptures the lasting legacy of Mattison's thriving company town, with its array of fanciful and simple homes, churches, shops, and cultural institutions.

Pittsburgh's Bridges takes a comprehensive look at the design, construction, and, sometimes, demolition of the bridges that shaped Pittsburgh, ranging from the covered bridges of yesterday to those that define the skyline today.

Pittsburgh is the "City of Bridges," and what remarkable bridges they are! The area's challenging topography of deep ravines and mighty rivers - the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio - set the stage for engineers, architects, and contractors to conquer the terrain with a variety of distinctive spans. Many were designed to be beautiful as well as functional. While other cities may have one signature bridge, Pittsburgh has such a wide variety that no single bridge can represent it.

Gettysburg College is the oldest Lutheran affiliated college in the United States. At its founding in 1832, college leaders emphasized a liberal arts mission

Pennsylvania College, as it was known until 1919, numbered among its graduates many clergy, lawyers, and physicians, as well as politicians, social advocates, scientists, business executives, and university presidents. Although the college has grown considerably since World War II, its mission has remained consistent: devotion to the pursuit of truth and active citizenship. Through historic photographs, Gettysburg Collegedocuments significant themes in the college's history-- an expanding campus, the emergence and influence of athletic teams and fraternities, curricular changes, and key national events that affected the college, none of the latter more important than the Battle of Gettysburg and two world wars. Always respected for its academic program, Gettysburg College has in the past generation diversified its faculty and student body, expanded its interdisciplinary programs, and gained in reputation as a leading national liberal arts college.

Bootlegging, bombs, murder, and more... all for the price of a drink. This is the history of Prohibition in Pittsburgh.

When you work hard, you play hard, and Pittsburgh is a hardworking city. So, when Prohibition hit the Steel City, it created a level of violence and corruption residents had never witnessed. Illegal producers ran stills in kitchens, basements, bathroom tubs, warehouses and even abandoned distilleries. War between gangs of bootleggers resulted in a number of murders and bombings that placed Pittsburgh on the same level as New York City and Chicago in criminal activity. John Bazzano ordered the killing of the Volpe brothers but did so without the permission of Mafia bosses; his battered body was later found on the street in Brooklyn. Author Richard Gazarik details the shady side of the Steel City during a tumultuous era.