Name: Chicago's Soldier Field
Brand: Paul Michael Peterson
SKU: 9780738551500
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Chicago's Soldier Field

9780738551500

$24.99

Located on scenic Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Soldier Field was designed in 1919 and opened on October 9, 1924, as Municipal Grant Park Stadium. The stadium--modeled in the Greco-Roman architectural tradition with classic Doric colonnades--was designed by the Chicago architecture firm Holabird and Roche as a memorial to American soldiers who died in World War I and previous wars. Soldier Field has been the home of the Chicago Bears team since 1971; it served equally as a civic and athletic venue throughout the early and middle 20th century. It played host to the Army-Navy game in 1926, the second heavyweight boxing championship between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney in 1927, speeches by Charles Lindbergh and Franklin D. Roosevelt, rodeos, circuses, the first Special Olympics in 1968, the 1994 World Cup, and the final concert by the Grateful Dead. In 2001, the Chicago Park District faced criticism when it announced plans to renovate the stadium, which had been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1987. An extensive remodeling plan was initiated and the "new" Soldier Field drew mixed reviews when it reopened in 2003. After being rebuilt, the modern stands dwarfed the historic Doric columns, and seating was reduced by approximately 5,000, to 61,500.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®

9781467117197

$24.99

From its humble beginning in 1972 when 13 hot-air balloons ascended from an Albuquerque shopping center parking lot to a stunning annual gathering of 500-plus aeronauts, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta lives on as the most-photographed air show on the planet. As you page through this book, imagine yourself going along for the ride and soaring to new heights. Or if you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, imagine yourself strolling among hundreds of swaying giants, seemingly lost in a dizzying kaleidoscope of color. Join in the camaraderie that draws pilots and fans to Albuquerque from all over the world. You will find yourself mesmerized by the Balloon Fiesta's signature events and its spirited competition among hot-air balloon pilots. As an added attraction, step back in time to when hydrogen-gas balloons once graced Albuquerque skies and enjoy the fascinating world of silent flight, the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®

Christmas in Cincinnati

9781467148313

$24.99

Believe in the Magic

The most wonderful time of the year has its own special meaning for those who grew up in the Queen City. The elves at Shillito's and Pogie and Patter the talking reindeer were as integral to holiday merriment as caroling and eggnog. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden really knows how to throw a Christmas party for people andanimals, and WinterFest at Kings Island provides much-needed warmth in the winter chill. Many city squares display Christmas trees bathed in lights and offer horse-drawn carriages or a skating rink. But only Cincinnati offers Santa rappelling down the face of a building and an ice skating rink with bumper cars.

Join local author Wendy Hart Beckman for a merry jaunt through Yuletide years gone by.

Indio's Date Festival

9781467134255

$24.99

Since the turn of the 20th century, Southern California's Coachella Valley has embraced a unique crop: the date. As success with the fruit grew, so too did regional celebrations of it. Beginning in 1921, the City of Indio hosted a Festival of Dates, an event that became the annual National Date Festival in 1947. The area linked itself to the date's birthplace, the Greater Middle East, in multiple ways, but the festival drew national attention to Indio's use of these Arabian fantasies. Attendees celebrated the fair's camel races, Arabian Nights musical pageant, Middle Eastern architecture, Queen Scheherazade pageant, and the costumes worn by boosters and visitors alike. While the United States' political and pop-cultural relationship to the region changed over time, the Eastern Coachella Valley continued to embrace fantasies of the Middle East at its fair.

Michigan State Fair

9780738577890

$24.99

First held in 1849 in Detroit, the location of the Michigan State Fair rotated in the early years between Detroit, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Adrian, Jackson, Grand Rapids, East Saginaw, Lansing, and Pontiac before settling permanently in Detroit. When Detroit department store magnate Joseph L. Hudson sold 135 acres of Woodward Avenue farmland to the Michigan State Agricultural Society in 1905 for $1, the permanent home of the Michigan State Fair was established. On February 12, 2009, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm signed an executive order effectively ending a 160-year tradition--the Michigan State Fair.

The Folies Bergere in Las Vegas

9781467127592

$24.99

Debuting at the Tropicana Hotel on Christmas Eve, 1959, at a reported cost of one quarter-million dollars (over two million in today's dollars), the Folies Bergere stage show featured a cast of "eighty stars" and promised an elegant evening of sensual entertainment complete with sensational song and dance numbers, curious novelty acts, and exquisite leggy showgirls. Imported directly from Paris, the iconic French production, famed for its elegant and chic legacy, was a mainstay on the Las Vegas Strip for nearly half a century. A 1959 Las Vegas Sun newspaper article portends the significant role that the Folies Bergere would play in the city's history: "From beginning to end this is the most dazzling entertainment which any city has been privileged to see. It's saucy, piquant and racy in the splendidly provocative French way. Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, is now no idle boast."

Spokane's Expo '74

9781467124638

$24.99

In the late 1960s, Spokane's civic leaders were desperately looking for a way to revitalize a large section of downtown, especially a motley collection of little-used railroad lines and polluted industrial sites along the Spokane River. Their solution was to use the area for Expo '74, which was billed as the first ecologically themed world's fair. Critics predicted the project was sure to fail, as Spokane was the smallest city to ever host a world's fair, but history proved them wrong. From the minute the gates opened on May 4, 1974, the crowds loved the fair. Hosting 5.4 million visitors, with participation from several major companies and countries, Expo '74 was a success. As planned, it launched a rebirth along the river that left a permanent legacy, the popular Riverfront Park.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Feast

9780738557335

$24.99

By 1890, Italian immigrants began settling in Bridgeport to work in the mills and factories along the Schuylkill River. With more than 5,000 residents by 1923, the need for an Italian parish was evident. Rev. John Colantonio was sent to establish the parish, and in 1924, construction began on the lower church. Shortly thereafter, Bridgeport's oldest and longest-running event was created in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast. Since its beginning the feast has continued to be a family tradition. The vintage images in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Feast feature that tradition and the thousands of visitors who have made a pilgrimage to Bridgeport each year to celebrate the feast.

Jamestown Exposition

9780738501673

$24.99

The fascinating story of the Jamestown Exposition of 1907, a tricentennial celebration of America's first settlement in 1607, continues to unfold in this companion volume, which explores the exposition's parades, exhibitions, and the people who worked and participated in the days' events. Not only important as a statewide event, the exposition provided the United States government and many other states a stage to display their history and culture for the whole world to see and enjoy. In this second volume, you will continue your visual journey on the exposition grounds, viewing the new wonders of the time--flying machines--and the architecturally diverse State Buildings, such as Kentucky's frontierera fort, Virginia's replica colonial planter's mansion, and Vermont's country cottage. As you thumb through these pages, you will learn the incredible stories of some of the most famous people of the day who attended the exposition, such as William Jennings Bryan and Mark Twain, and the captivating history of the Black Jamestown Exposition Company, a group that
held a separate exhibit along with the festivities of the larger exposition. Also, the exposition served as the starting point for the around-the-world voyage of President Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, a bold demonstration of America's naval superiority and new role as a leading world power.

Elwood

9781467103404

$24.99

Discover the vibrant history of Elwood, Indiana, endearingly termed "the Heart of Hoosierland." Elwood is a resourceful town and a vibrant example of Midwestern values.

In 1852, Elwood, Indiana, was a tiny settlement located in Pipe Creek Township of Madison County. Its residents sustained their meager lifestyle as farmers, lumberers, and merchants, but the nation's westward migration was on its way, bringing railroads, people, opportunities, and growth. Nothing bolstered the city's expansion like the 1886 discovery of a seemingly endless reserve of natural gas throughout East Central Indiana. The cheap and plentiful fuel ushered in a new industrial-based economy that prospered greatly. Unfortunately, the gas supply was not infinite, and by the early 1900s, many towns, such as Elwood, were struggling to survive. Elwood, however, reinvented itself and bloomed again.

Cover image for Elwood, isbn: 9781467103404

New Haven's St. Patrick's Day Parade

9780738544823

$24.99

The revival of the St. Patrick's Day parade in New Haven is a fantastic story. The parade was organized in 1842 as the captivating centerpiece of the city's St. Patrick's Day observance, yet it passed from the urban scene in the early 20th century. For 50 years, it faded from memory; however, New Haven's Irish community retained a strong determination to honor its patron saint and celebrate its heritage. In 1956, they breathed new life into the venerable tradition. Within New Haven's St. Patrick's Day Parade, readers will discover the inception of this joyful event and how, over the last half century, it has grown and thrived.

St. Louis Casa Loma Ballroom

9780738533780

$21.99

In 1927, on the northeast corner of Cherokee and Iowa Streets in south St. Louis, a multistory, multipurpose building was erected. Retail shops and a bowling alley occupied the first floor, while upstairs was a place that defied the imagination of someone driving by in their brand new Model T Ford. Today, that upstairs space, with its lofty ceiling, huge maple tongue-in-groove dance floor, and wraparound balcony, is the Casa Loma Ballroom--St. Louis' last grand ballroom. Today, one gets the feeling that the ghosts of the big bands and the vocalists still linger there--and with good reason. Just about everybody who was anybody played there at one time or another. Ol' Blue Eyes himself, before he was the idol of millions, received just a meager "Featured Singer, Frank Sinatra" note at the bottom of the Casa Loma bill the night he played with the Harry James Orchestra.

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!

Christmas in Birmingham

9781626197022

$24.99

For decades, the Christmas season in Birmingham was not complete without the sights and sounds of the retail district. During the season, the Magic City made magic with elaborate light displays and the Living Christmas Tree in Woodrow Wilson Park. Many remember the battling Santas of Loveman's and Pizitz, each vying for the hearts of the community. The elaborate Enchanted Forest dazzled shoppers on the sixth floor at Pizitz. In the 1940s, more than 200,000 people lined the streets each year to make merry for the Christmas Carnival parade. Author and local historian Tim Hollis celebrates the happy history of Birmingham's holiday season, reviving the traditions and festivities, the food and shopping of days gone by.

From Christmas to Twelfth Night in Southern Illinois

9781596299139

$24.99

Journey to a region where all the perennials are said to bloom at midnight on Christmas Eve and where a family's luck is determined by the first person to walk through their door on New Year's Day. Spend a literary Christmas in Herrin, listen to the twelve bells of Belleville ring out the coming year and greet the Three Kings of Germantown at Epiphany. Whether you are a newcomer to southern Illinois or whether you feel like you have been singing La Guiannee" since the tradition started in Prairie du Rocher in 1720, join John J. Dunphy for a season of sacred memories and merry recollections."

From Christmas to Twelfth Night in Southern Illinois

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Plymouth Rotary Club Chicken Barbeque

9781467161022

$24.99

The Rotary Club of Plymouth, Michigan, founded on March 7, 1924, developed a long-standing tradition of fundraising through its popular annual chicken barbeque. / This event began in 1956 to raise funds to purchase playground equipment. Beneficiaries of monies raised are as far reaching as student scholarships and exchange programs, community park improvements, targeted special projects, and international humanitarian aid.

Author Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens is executive director of the Plymouth Historical Museum, a retired US Marine major, and author of four other Arcadia publications. Author Ellen Elliott, a local historian, is executive director of Friends of the Penn, manager of the Penn Theatre in Plymouth, and author of one other Arcadia publication.