Postcard History Series

Discover the history of these beautiful islands on the Gulf Coast and how they became the eminent destination for shell seekers worldwide.

Sanibel Island was opened to homesteading in 1888, four years after the Sanibel Island Light Station was completed, and boats ranging from steamers to schooners were drawn to the islands. The islands' prairie-like savannahs, where the threat of freeze was rare, were perfect for farming. Inns and hotels appeared to service newcomers who came to stake a homesteading claim, fish for silver king tarpon, or explore the tropical frontier. Others came seeking seashells, as Sanibel and Captiva Islands were legendary among shell collectors everywhere.

This visual history containing over 200 vintage postcards relives major events in Asheville's past--from the coming of the railroad to America's entry into World War I.

In this time of unprecedented growth, the coming of the railroad in 1850 made Asheville accessible to those searching for clean air and the peaceful beauty of the mountains. Combined with an emphasis on cultural and social life, the area's fresh mountain living proved to be a healer of body, mind, and soul. Soon after the railroad arrived, Asheville became the home of the first world-renowned resort hotel in the South. Within these pages unfolds a little-known anecdote concerning Col. Frank Coxe and the amazing sweep of real estate owned by his ancestors. We learn how a simple thing such as a misplaced reservation became the catalyst for the building of the fabulous Battery Park Hotel. Readers also see the impact of George W. Vanderbilt, E. W. Grove, and other entrepreneurs who carved their imprint on this city.

The history of West Virginia is the story of coal and the people whose lives are forever changed by it.

Coal was mined in Southern West Virginia even before the state's birth in 1863 but was mostly consumed within a few miles of where it was dug. When the railroads arrived on the scene, they not only provided a means of getting that coal to market, they also brought in trainloads of workers to the sparsely populated region. With the mines generally located in remote, out-of-the-way spots, operators were forced to build housing for those workers and their families, as well as company stores, schools, and churches- everything needed in a small community. Overnight, the nation's demand for coal turned sleepy, little places in Southern West Virginia into boomtowns and helped cities such as Charleston and Huntington grow and prosper as gateways to and from the coalfields.

The 1920s was a time of unprecedented growth in the nation's oldest city.

Fueled by a land boom that began in South Florida, St. Augustine was inundated with land speculators and new subdivisions, many only supported by a wing and a prayer. The city floated a million-dollar bond issue to construct the Bridge of Lions, and D.P. Davis filled in an entire marshland to build his magnificent subdivision of Davis Shores. When a new coastal highway linked the town with beached to the north and south and opened up St. Augustine's beautiful shoreline for development, tourists began flocking to the city in droves. All of this activity halted, however, when the land boom collapsed in the late 1920s, along with rest of the U.S. economy at that time.St. Augustine in the Roaring Twentiesdetails the roller-coaster events of the city in this exciting decade.

Revealed in vintage postcards, this new book features a history of Fredericksburg, VA from 1728 to the present.

The city of Fredericksburg, situated on the Rappahannock River, was established in 1728 and was named for Prince Frederick of England. Today it is home to the University of Mary Washington, where civil rights leader James L. Farmer Jr. was a faculty member and Claudia Emerson, 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry, continues to be on the faculty. Though very much a modern urban city, Fredericksburg still has a historic downtown district and surrounding military parks that remind locals and visitors alike of its humble beginnings as a Colonial port town more than a century before it was ravaged during the Civil War.

Though little more than an afterthought these days, from the 1890s through the 1920s, postcards were by far the most popular means of communication.

Many of the postcards produced during this "golden age'? can be considered works of art, when postcard photographers traveled the nation coast to coast snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and taking photographic portraits of locals only too happy to pose for the camera. This fascinating history of Northeast Georgia showcases more than 200 of the best vintage postcards available; these images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, can teach us important aspects of yesteryear that we may not find in history books.

For centuries, the majesty and mystery of the Great Smoky Mountains have lured mankind.

The Cherokee were among the first to build thriving communities here, and backcountry frontiersmen were next to put down roots. In time, visitors arrived, eager to take in the cool mountain air, and returned home with stories of ""hillbillies."" Then came those who used the mountains for their own advantages, such as lumber barons, armed with steam shovels and skidders. Eventually, civic boosters from western North Carolina and east Tennessee took note and began advocating for the protection of the Great Smoky Mountains. Before a national park could be established, though, there were competing interests to be sorted and a consideration of the lives affected.

Nestled between the St. Johns Riverand the Atlantic Ocean, Deland, Florida has a history all its own. Perfect for fans of Florida history.

When Henry A. DeLand sat down to plan a town in the summer of 1876, he envisioned a place that would become a religious, educational, business, and social center--the Athens of Florida.

Deland made his dream a reality by investing his livelihood in the town that would be named for him. He donated the land for the first municipal building that doubled as a church and school and funded the school that would become Stetson University. Ever since, the city of DeLand has had an interesting and rich history. Much of this unique history has been captured and preserved in postcards published throughout the past hundred-plus years.

Author L. Thomas "Tom'? Roberts is a past president and historian of the year of the West Volusia Historical Society. The majority of the imagery used for this book comes courtesy of Jim Cara, owner of the most complete collection of DeLand postcards in existence.

View images from the picturesque history of Augusta.

In the early 1900s, America was swept up in the postcard craze. All over the country, people seized on these charming snapshots of life as a means of keeping in touch with friends and family, as well as seeing strange and exciting parts of the world.

Over 200 fascinating postcard images show early coal mining in McDowell County and how it progressed throughout the years.

Coal was discovered in McDowell County, located in the Billion Dollar Coalfield of southern West Virginia, in 1748, but it was not explored or mined until the early 1800s. Mill Creek Coal & Coke Company shipped the first railroad car of coal in March 1883 via the Norfolk & Western Railway. By the early 1900s, hundreds of mining companies dotted the county's landscape. The coal from McDowell County fueled the nation's home heating and steelmaking businesses and both world wars. As the coal industry developed, the local population grew; by 1950, the county had grown from a few hundred people to more than 100,000. .

Authors Sue Greenberg and Jan Kahn once again delve into Asheville's rich past. This new companion to the acclaimed Asheville: Volume I resumes our look at this colorful city in the mountains.

In its early days, Asheville quickly developed into a resort getaway for those seeking fresh air and high society during the late 1800s. This intriguing book continues our journey, this time taking us from the end of World War I to the 1960s. The over 200 rare postcards presented here show how Asheville emerged from a period of hard times brought on by a great flood and a country at war. Once World War I ended, a feeling of newfound freedom overtook Asheville's citizens and the fast tempo of the earlier days soon resumed. Asheville once again became a destination for travelers--this time the automobile brought sightseers to the mountains and many new roadside motels and restaurants thrived.

St. Augustine was more than three centuries old when tourism awakened the sleepy Spanish village.

Soon after Standard Oil's Henry Flagler brought the railroad to town in the 1880s, well-heeled visitors began flocking to Flagler's luxury hotels as St. Augustine became known as the ""American Riviera."" Tourists walked the quaint, narrow streets and visited the historical attractions such as the old city gate, the long-abandoned Spanish fort, the alligator farm, the Fountain of Youth, and the four houses that all claim to be the oldest in the country.Postcard History Series: St. Augustine in the Gilded Agedepicts the oldest city in the United States from the golden age of postcards. The volume presents more than 200 images from the archives of the St. Augustine Historical Society and the author's personal collection.

Established in 1820 on the banks of the Tennessee River, Decatur, Alabama, has always had its destiny tied to the water. It is the city's lifeblood and obstacle.

A railroad, an "iron river" between Tuscumbia and Decatur, was built to overcome the natural obstacle so it could be used as an asset. This effort worked. War, pestilence, economic downturns, labor, and social unrest all imbued residents with a resilience of spirit. Residents knew it, and visitors sometimes described it in quick notes on cardstock. These postcards from Decatur, Alabama, traveled across the land and the world. Presented here for the first time are some of those cards, dating between 1874 and the latter 1970s.

View images of the early century in Daytona Beach.

From the 1890s through the 1920s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this ""golden age"" can today be considered works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of friends and neighbors only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history.

View the resort town of Hot Springs, Arkansas from 1900-1960 in postcard images.

From the 1890s to the 1920s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced during this golden age can today be considered works of art. Early in the century, Hot Springs was among the most noted resorts in the nation. Its Victorian wonders drew thousands of visitors to partake in the hot mineral waters that bubbled from the earth. In the words written on one card in 1910, Many people of wealth are here from Chicago and New York. Uncle Billy went to the horse show ball at the Eastman Hotel with an ex-wife of a millionaire. Andrew Carnegie and young Jay Gould were at the ball.  Showcased in this fascinating collection are over two hundred postcards from 1900 to 1960. The images are accompanied by the actual penned messages of visitors and extensively researched historical facts.

Explore the fascinating history of Owensboro, Kentucky through its rich postcard heritage.

Postcard History Series: Owensborois a window into our past, offering a fascinating pictorial view of this city and some surrounding areas in earlier, simpler times of Sunday afternoon picnics in Chautauqua Parkand May Dayparades down Main Street.

Refreshing the long forgotten and illustrating the legendary, this book reveals details about the rich social tapestry unique to this thriving rivertown community. Captured in these precious pages are the faces, places, buildings, and buggies of Owensboro's past. This is a place where much is the same but little remains of our grandparents' day.

Author Terry Blake shares a sample of his vast postcard collection, previously seen by only a very lucky few. With the help of David Edds Jr., Blake details the historical significance of each panel, providing entertainment and enlightenment to eager readers.

Though little more than an afterthought these days, from the 1890s through the 1920s, postcards were by far the most popular means of communication.

Many of the postcards produced during this "golden age'? can be considered works of art, when postcard photographers traveled the nation coast to coast snapping photographs of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and taking photographic portraits of locals only too happy to pose for the camera. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, helped drive the Florida land boom of the early 20th century, with people all over the country seeing the sandy beaches and palm trees in the sun, and these surviving postcards can teach us important aspects of yesteryear that we may not find in history books.

Tifton, Georgia in Vintage Postcards reveals the early beginnings of the town and its story to the present day, with picturesque street scenes; local schools, including Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; Georgia Coastal Plains Experiment Station; people and sports; and industry and agriculture. Also highlighted in this engaging volume is the nearby community of Ty Ty.