Bøger udgivet af Arcadia Publishing (SC)

After an extremely hot and dry summer, Chicago got a spark that grew into something unimiginable and unforgettable on Oct. 8, 1871.On Oct. 8, 1871, what became known as "the Great Chicago Fire" was a massive firestorm that moved faster than most men could run, fueled by southwest winds of at least 30 miles per hour. The heat was so intense it melted stone and brick buildings in minutes and turned sand on the lakeshore into glass. A total of 18,000 buildings were destroyed. About 100,000 were left homeless, and over 300 lost their lives. The very same day, and nearly the same hour, both the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and Peshtigo, Wisconsin, suffered similar firestorms. Peshtigo's was even worse, creating an event that came to be known as "the Peshtigo Paradigm." Many people believe the three fires forming a huge triangle of destruction were related as one with cosmic causes, and it remains a mystery to this day. Authors and native Chicagoans John Boda and Ray Johnson take you inside this historic happening.

An illustrated history of the first Amendment to the Constitution, which allows us to believe and say what we want.

A reproduction of an authentic coastal Maine traveler's souvenir from the 1940s.

A reproduction of an authentic New Hampshire traveler's souvenir from the late 1930s.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, northern Arizona played a critical role in fulfilling President Kennedy's bold challenge of sending humans to the moon. From the rocky depths of the Grand Canyon to lofty cosmic views from Flagstaff's dark skies, northern Arizona was ideal for activities ranging from moon buggy testing and geology training to lunar mapping and mission simulation. Every astronaut who walked on the moon, from Neil Armstrong to Gene Cernan, prepared for his journey in northern Arizona, and all used maps created by Flagstaff artists to navigate their way around the lunar surface. This book captures the spirit of these pioneers with stunning images from NASA, the US Geological Survey, and others.

"Seabright, located atop towering sandstone cliffs and bordered by the Santa Cruz Small Craft harbor and San Lorenzo Point, overlooks the famous Santa Cruz Boardwalk and a state beach where locals and lifeguards have performed many valiant acts of ocean rescue. Originally a Victorian-era campground, the neighborhood features special amenities, including a natural history museum, thanks to a long tradition of community activism. The creation of the Santa Cruz harbor in the 1960s completed Seabright's transition from a summer resort to a year-round neighborhood. The beach doubled in size due to the littoral drift of sand blocked by the harbor seawall, protecting the vulnerable cliffs from the assault of winter waves." -- From cover.

New York native Dr. Obed Harvey came to California to seek his fortune in the Gold Rush. Like so many others, he turned to farming the great Central Valley. With the help of the Central Pacific Railroad, Dr. Harvey established a town around the railroad that ran through his property. His friend John McFarland, a rancher, chose the name Galt after his boyhood home in Canada. Over the years, unique businesses like the Sego Milk Plant and the Galt Winery came and went. The citizens celebrated the Fourth of July with parades and attended the Sacramento County Fair, held in town. Still a farming community with a small-town atmosphere, Galt is noted for Spaans Cookie Co., McFarland Living History Ranch, and the Rae House Museum.

The Springs area of Sonoma Valley has a fascinating history going back to Spanish colonization of California, continuing through the Mexican period with Vallejo and the mid-19th-century sojourns of Hooker and Leavenworth, and moving into the flowering of the geothermal resort era in the 1880s. Eventually, the unincorporated towns of Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs, Agua Caliente, and El Verano became collectively known as The Springs, which were thriving resort communities from the 1880s through the 1960s. Sharing an illustrious history with the adjacent city of Sonoma, they continue to thrive in new ways into the 21st century. In this volume, the story of the valley is well documented in postcards, snapshots, and newspaper photographs and articles.

Sacramento has enjoyed baseball since the Gold Rush. As early as 1869, the first professional baseball team in America, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, came to Sacramento and played against a locally organized team. A few years later, the Sacramento team joined the California League to compete against those from San Francisco and Oakland, becoming a charter member of the newly formed Pacific Coast League in 1903. All the while, children and adults alike were picking up the sport in the many parks, sandlots, and schoolyards throughout the city. In the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, amateur and sponsored teams competed against each other for trophies and bragging rights. Then, in the 1950s, Little League, Babe Ruth League, and American Legion Baseball flourished.

Scotty's Castle is a study in contrasts, much like its setting in Death Valley. While the castle is known worldwide and has been visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists, many myths persist. It is not a castle, nor was it owned by Walter E. Scott, known as "Death Valley Scotty." But the Spanish-style hacienda, also known as Death Valley Ranch, has always been linked to Scott. This book explores the fascinating history of Death Valley Scotty, Albert and Bessie Johnson (the true owners and builders of the castle), and the castle itself from construction to private living quarters to a tourist facility owned and operated by the National Park Service.

"The brave pioneers who arrived throughout the late 1800s in covered wagons or on trains to the desolate San Jacinto Plains, as it was called at that time, saw beauty in the picturesque mountain ranges and blue skies and were beholden to their new home in what was to become the Perris Valley. Ready to start their new lives, many came for the health benefits provided by the dry climate. The Perris Valley has come a long way from its rural farming roots. It is now highly diversified and urbanized. Several exciting venues are part of Perris Valley today, including the Orange Empire Railway Museum, which is the largest rail museum inn the western United States, and the internationally renowned Skydive Perris." -- From cover.

From the arrival of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542 to the current world-class yachtsmen and women, San Diego's beautiful natural harbor hugs the peninsula of Point Loma and boasts a significant past. The strategic location of Point Loma has been home to both military defense and business genius. The fishing fleets of the Chinese and Portuguese communities earned the Roseville area of Point Loma the nickname "Tunaville." Today, Point Loma is one of San Diego's most historic neighborhoods; a destination for culture, fine dining, and sportfishing; and host to important military bases. Visitors from around the world enjoy spectacular vistas and waterfront views of the Pacific Ocean, harbor, city, and islands and mountains of Mexico from atop the peninsula at Cabrillo National Monument and Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

"Legendary Locals is an imprint of Arcadia Publishing"--Title page verso.

The story of Moorpark begins with a town that was built in the right place at the right time. In the 1890s, when the Southern Pacific Railroad announced plans to relocate its Coast Line through Chatsworth to Ventura, land speculation ensued. Robert W. Poindexter, secretary of the Simi Land and Water Company, owned the plot of land that became Moorpark and laid out the townsite in 1900. A depot was quickly built, and soon, trains were arriving daily. Shortly thereafter, an application for a post office was also approved. After the completion of the Santa Susana tunnels in 1904, Moorpark began to grow. Historically, Moorpark's main source of revenue has been agriculture. Initially, dry land farming, including apricots, was preferred. As irrigation techniques improved, walnuts and citrus became the major crops. Its extensive apricot production endowed Moorpark with the title "Apricot Capital of the World." After World War II, the poultry industry became big business, with turkey, chicken, and egg ranches dotting the landscape.

Mexican American Baseball in Ventura County pays tribute to the legendary teams and players from Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Santa Paula, and other surrounding neighborhoods. From the early 20th century through the 1950s, baseball in Ventura County safeguarded opportunities for nurturing athletic and educational skills, asserting ethnic identity, promoting political self-confidence, developing economic autonomy, and redefining gender roles for women. Outside the ball field, these players and their families helped create the multibillion-dollar agricultural wealth that relied heavily on their backbreaking labor. These extraordinary photographs and remarkable stories shed unparalleled light on the long and rich history of baseball and softball in this celebrated region of California.

The Chicago & Western Indiana Railroad was a short line running 16 miles. One line ran from downtown Chicago to Dolton, Illinois; the other running from Eighty-First Street to the Indiana state line. After World War II, changes in passenger travel and shipping meant that the need for rail access into downtown Chicago declined. The C&WI ended its service in 1994.

By 1885, Daniel Freeman owned a successful 25,000-acre ranch along the coastline in Southern California. That year, he sold parcels to J.S. Vosberg, and this became the site of the town of El Segundo. The Standard Oil Company of California purchased 840 acres of dunes in June 1911, and R.J. Hanna was hired to construct and manage the new refinery. His wife is credited with naming the town El Segundo ("the second"), as it was the location of the second Standard Oil plant. The city quickly expanded and was incorporated on January 18, 1917. From an early oil town to the "Aerospace Capital of the World" in the mid-1950s, El Segundo today includes a thriving residential community as well as several Fortune 500 corporations, an Air Force base, and the Chevron El Segundo Refinery.

Redwood Valley was named after the majestic redwood groves between Road M and Calpella. Prior to 1857, the Pomo Indians occupied the valley along with grizzly bears, mountain lions, and eagles. The valley became a melting pot of nationalities, with people coming into it from Italy, Germany, Scotland, and Finland. They plowed the land, herded their flocks, harvested their crops, and established unique industries. The early pioneers set the tone for the valley community with their ambitions and hard-work ethic. Together, they paid for and supported schools, churches, an improvement club, the grange, fire and water districts, post offices, agricultural improvements, and stores. The infamous People's Temple was located here. Redwood Valley's 150-plus years of recorded history is rich in what it takes to make a valley into a community.

On May 11, 1880, tensions between central California settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad culminated in a violent shoot-out that left seven people dead. This event, known as the Mussel Slough Tragedy, was a result of the attempted evictions of settlers from land they had already purchased and the high land prices imposed by the expanding railroad. Founded in 1890 by James Patterson and James Sibley, Dinuba was an effort for Mussel Slough farmers to peacefully resettle in the San Joaquin Valley and pursue their agricultural interests. The region's fertile soils and warm climate made the land ideal for farming and economic growth. With the development of a reliable water source and the importation of Thompson's Seedless grapes, raisins quickly became the cash crop, and Dinuba, nicknamed "The Raisin City," entered the 20th century as an established and rapidly growing community. Today, the city's unique history is preserved through the Depot Museum, maintained and operated by the Alta District Historical Society.

Kerman sits in the heart of California's great San Joaquin Valley. First established in 1891 as a train stop for the Southern Pacific Railroad, the town site was originally named Collis Station for the railroad's president, Collis P. Huntington. Even in its earliest days, agriculture was the driving force behind Kerman's economy. Advances in irrigation as well as Kerman's close proximity to two of the region's largest rivers--Kings and San Joaquin--resulted in abundant access to water, attracting farmers and land investors at the start of the 20th century. As the community grew, alfalfa hay, raisins, and dairy products became mainstays in Kerman's agricultural production. By 1910, Kerman had a volunteer fire department, a library, and new businesses. Images of America: Kerman explores the first 80 years of a town that continues to grow and diversify.