The History Press

At the end of the nineteenth century, the U.S. Armory opened in Springfield, spurring rapid growth. With that golden age of progress came iconic buildings and landmarks that are now lost to time.

Railroads brought workers eager to fill Springfield's factories and enterprises like Smith & Wesson, Merriam Webster and Indian Motorcycles. The Massasoit House Hotel, the Church of the Unity and the Daniel B. Wesson mansion once served as symbols of the city's grandeur. Forest Park grew into an upscale residential neighborhood of Victorian mansions. Join local historian Derek Strahan as he returns Springfield to its former glory, examining the people, events and - most importantly - places that helped shape the City of Firsts.

Jacksonville has hundreds of buildings that have withstood the test of time. Enhanced with stunning color photography, Reclaiming Jacksonville is a must-have for every resident.

Jacksonville's lasting landmarks tell only a portion of its history. Dozens of other buildings have been abandoned and left to wither, turning into shadows of their former grandeur. Each place has a rich and storied history that belies modern appearances, like the Annie Lytle Elementary School, now known as the most haunted landmark in the city, and the Jacksonville Brewing Company, which had to come up with a creative way to stay afloat (think ice cream) when Prohibition hit. Join local writers Ennis Davis and Robert Mann as they go behind the scenes of fourteen crumbling but ethereally beautiful structures to reveal their true pasts.

Journey along with the king of nostalgia, Tim Hollis, for a tour of lost attractions of northern, central and southern Alabama.

Alabama has had an enviable success rate when it comes to tourist attractions, with some that date back to the 1930s still drawing crowds today. But many others have come and gone, sometimes leaving little evidence of their existence. Join Alabama native Tim Hollis as he revisits iconic attractions such as Canyon Land Park and Sequoyah Caverns, the floral clock at Birmingham's Botanical Gardens and the traffic safety torch held aloft by Vulcan, the iron man. Many Gulf Coast attractions are gone, including Styx River Water World and Spooky Golf, but the memories remain.

Since the end of the American Revolution, Native Americans, pioneer farmers, industrialists and factory workers settled across the county in hamlets, villages and towns of all sizes.

Nearly one hundred distinct settlements existed in what we now call Delaware County. Some of these communities survived the ebb and flow of history to prosper, while others disappeared, becoming lost in the collective memory. Today, many residents would only recognize the city of Muncie and the towns of Albany, Daleville, Eaton, Gaston, Selma and Yorktown. A few might know of villages such as Desoto, New Burlington, Smithfield and Wheeling. Most have probably never heard of Dogtown, Gate's Corner, Granville and Soccum. Drawing on years of research, local historian Chris Flook uncovers the stories of these lost towns.

From ancient bayous to beloved old businesses, Metairie has changed dramatically over generations.

Many of those landmarks are lost to time; the lake, railroads and a beach resort were popular features in the early days. A streetcar ran through the short-lived City of Metairie Ridge, where gambling houses and dog tracks contributed more tax dollars than did the few residents. Old Bucktown was famous for its seafood. Fat City, once notorious for its nightlife, has seen better days. Author Catherine Campanella takes a look back at the schools, shops, bars, restaurants, alligator farms, bowling alleys, drive-ins and movie theaters from a bygone era.

Miami's architecture is world renowned, but many historic treasures have been forgotten to time.

A Cold War missile base lies covered in graffiti. The Richmond Naval Air Station: a former blimp base, destroyed by hurricane in 1945. Homestead's old Aerojet complex: originally used in the testing and construction of experimental rockets, slowly demolished as part of a project to revitalize the Everglades. The Miami Marine Stadium: declared unsafe after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and stands abandoned today. Author David Bulit, creator of the blog "Abandoned Florida," revives the history and secrets of the Magic City's vanishing gems.

The past lies just under the surface in Lake County.

Interurban trains once carried wealthy Clevelanders to idyllic summer homes and resorts along the shoreline and up to Little Mountain. Stories abound of rum-running during Prohibition, enslaved people who were carried to freedom through the Underground Railroad, and stolen gold bars believed to be buried along a riverbank. Lake County was also once the site of a booming ship-building industry and a secret plant that created chemical warfare during World War I. Many residents fondly recall long-gone drive-in theaters and beloved drug store soda fountains and bakeries of the mid to late twentieth century.

Join author Jennifer Boresz Engelking as she reveals the history behind some of the county’s most intriguing people, places, and industries.

Cleveland shrines, now gone save for League Park's crumbling remnants, hosted American sports heroes and icons, rock legends and hockey stars.

Babe Ruth launched his 500th home run at League Park, where Indians great Bob Feller, all cleft chin and leg kick, debuted. A young and seemingly weightless Michael Jordan sunk the Cavs and Craig Ehlo at Richfield. Jim Brown broke the will of opponents at Municipal, where both Larry Doby--the first black American Leaguer--and Frank Robinson--baseball's first black manager--shattered color barriers. Morris Eckhouse and Greg Crouse delve into the city's lost sports sanctuaries, where Clevelanders rejoiced and wept, experiencing moments of jubilation and ineffable sadness that remain glowing and raw.

Join author and historian Amy Waters Yarsinske as she takes one final stroll through a Virginia Beach lost to time.

The Oceanfront's Cottage Line, the music halls of Seaside Park and dunes so large they dwarfed the old Cape Henry lighthouse are a memory. Gone, too, are many of the city's iconic landmarks and open spaces, lost to storm, fire and the relentless onslaught of post-World War II development. With a deft hand and rare vintage images, historian Amy Waters Yarsinske recalls a time when the likes of Chuck Berry and Ray Charles played beneath the sizzling lights of the Dome and locals shagged the night away at the Peppermint Beach Club.

""America's Playground"" has seen many changes over the years. From architectural to botanical, Lost Miami Beach covers these changes and the development of the current preservation strategy.

Miami Beach has been ""America's Playground"" for a century. Still one of the world's most popular resorts, its 1930s Art Deco architecture placed this picturesque city on the National Register of Historic Places. Yet a whole generation of earlier buildings was erased from the landscape and mostly forgotten: the house of refuge for shipwrecked sailors, the oceanfront mansions of Millionaires' Row, entrepreneur Carl Fisher's five grand hotels, the Community Theatre, the Miami Beach Garden and more. Join historian Carolyn Klepser as she rediscovers through words and pictures the lost treasures of Miami Beach and recounts the changes that sparked a renowned preservation movement.

Ski historian Jeremy Davis chronicles the history of vanished ski areas of the Adirondacks.

The Adirondack region has long been a favorite of skiers, as its beautiful mountains and deep snow cover provide it with the perfect landscape. Downhill ski areas developed during the Great Depression, when New Yorkers looked for an affordable escape to beat the winter blues. Over the coming decades, ski areas expanded with new lifts, lodges and trails. Despite the popularity of the sport, many ski areas have disappeared, yet countless people still hold fond memories of them. Ski historian Jeremy Davis chronicles the history of these vanished ski areas with photographs and memories from those who enjoyed them, while also paying homage to restored and classic skiing opportunities still available in the Adirondacks.

Jeremy Davis of the New England Lost Ski Areas Project brings lost locations back to life, chronicling their rich histories and contributions to the ski industry.

Hidden amongst the hills and mountains of southern Vermont are the remnants of sixty former ski areas, their slopes returning to forest and their lifts decaying. Today, only fourteen remain open and active in southern Vermont. Though they offer some incredible skiing, most lack the intimate, local feel of these lost ski trails. Jeremy Davis, creator of the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, looks into the over-investment, local competition, weather variation, changing skier habits, insurance costs and just plain bad luck that caused these ski areas to succumb and melt back into the landscape. From the family-operated Hogback in Windham County to Clinton Gilbert's farm in Woodstock, where the very first rope tow began operation in the winter of 1934, these once popular ski areas left an indelible trace on the hearts of their ski communities and the history of southern Vermont.

Some of Birmingham Alabama's history has been lost. This book takes a look at this lost history and brings it back to life.

Birmingham has many notable historic landmarks today, but so many more are all but forgotten. The Bangor Cave Casino was once a world-renowned speakeasy. The Thomas Jefferson Hotel featured a zeppelin mooring station, drawing lots of attention from tourists. Other significant sites from the past, such as Hillman Hospital and the buildings on the ""Heaviest Corner on Earth,"" are unknown even to natives now. Local author Beverly Crider presents an intriguing and educational tour through these and more hidden treasures.