Lokale Geschichte

In the early 1890s, farmers Albert Maulhardt and John Edward Borchard discovered Ventura County s favorable conditions for a highly profitable new cash crop: the sugar beet. Not long after inviting sugar mogul Henry T. Oxnard to the area, construction began on a $2 million sugar factory capable of processing two thousand tons of beets daily. The facility brought jobs, wealth and the Southern Pacific rail line. It became one of the country s largest producers of sugar, and just like that, a town was born. Despite the industry s demise, the city of Oxnard still owes its name to the man who delivered prosperity. A fifth-generation descendant, local author and historian Jeffrey Wayne Maulhardt details the rise and fall of a powerful enterprise and the entrepreneurial laborers who helped create a city."

The area surrounding Savin Rock in West Haven followed a traditional New England path that began as farmland for colonists. After the Civil War, however, that path took a new turn when entrepreneur George Kelsey constructed seaside attractions. After nearly a century of being home to the Savin Rock Amusement Park, once a popular tourist destination, the site had seen better days. The buildings were blighted and business had slumped as automobiles gave people the opportunity to visit attractions farther away. In 1964, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson imagined a Great Society and declared a War on Poverty. West Haven took advantage of federal money to reclaim the Savin Rock, creating a mix of business, residences, and open, public space. This transition was not without growing pains as locally owned park concessions were eliminated, long-standing businesses were displaced, and residents were uprooted. When plans were proffered to reconstruct the area and line the shore with residential housing, this spurred a grassroots effort by local citizens who worked to keep the shore open to the public. Consequently, West Haven is home to Connecticut s largest stretch of free, public beach, which is used by thousands every summer."

If residents of the original c. 1900s mining town of Acton, Alabama, looked into the future, would they have imagined that the area would develop into the multimillion-dollar planned community it is today? In the late 1960s, John M. Harbert III (1921 1995), founder of Harbert Corporation, saw tremendous potential for land in Acton owned by the Chace brothers. In 1974, the Harbert Corporation partnered with Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States to form Harbert-Equitable Joint Venture, Riverchase. This plan was not a concrete jungle of homes and businesses. The venture called for a careful blending of new development with its surrounding natural landscape. This plan spoke to man s need to be part of nature, albeit in a new and responsible way. Today, Riverchase is a picturesque community steeped in land preservation, business development, and community pride. The story of Riverchase is conveyed through the memories of its residents in Images of Modern America: Riverchase."

River Oaks is a name that has rung out in Houston, Texas, since its founding in 1923. The neighborhood s uncertain geographical boundaries may be a point of controversy, but the impact River Oaks has had on the city is indisputable. River Oaks has been home to astronauts who have contributed to American space exploration; lawyers who are involved in the interworking of the United States legal system; oil tycoons who have helped Houston grow; and doctors who are responsible for inventing lifesaving medical procedures. The neighborhood is also home to one of the country s most exclusive country clubs, and River Oaks has been served by some of the same schools, churches, stores, and restaurants since its founding. This book explores how River Oaks not only celebrates, grieves, and lives life day-to-day, but also how it changes the world."

Over the past 75 years, gays and lesbians have experienced tremendous social change in America. Gay and lesbian culture, once considered a twilight world that could not be spoken of in daylight, has become today s rainbow families, marriage equality victories, and record-breaking pride celebrations. For a medium-size Rust Belt city with German Protestant roots, Milwaukee was an unlikely place for gay and lesbian culture to bloom before the Stonewall Riots. However, Milwaukee eventually had as many if not more known LGBT+ gathering places as Minneapolis or Chicago, ranging from the back rooms of the 1960s to the video bars of the 1980s to the guerrilla gay bars of today."

Montgomery and Berks Counties have been central to the car industry for decades, employing residents of the cities and surrounding small towns. Pottstown first came to be known as the cruising capital of the East Coast in the 1950s and held on to the title for many years. In the 1960s, hundreds would line the sidewalks to watch the hot rods and classic cars cruise down High Street. Among the circuit favorites were the Tropical Treat, Hilltop Drive-In, and Dempsey Diner. Lansdale also attracted automobile enthusiasts who enjoyed cruising the Dale. In 1962, the Maple Grove Raceway, a quarter-mile strip in Mohnton, opened and became home to the popular Super Chevy Weekend, hosting great drivers like Fred Spezio, Ken Hall, and John Johnson. The Grandview Speedway and the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway also emerged, attracting even more auto racing enthusiasts from around the area. Today, longtime residents enjoy reminiscing their beloved cruising pastime, with many belonging to historical automotive clubs. "

Old Cowtown Museum originally started as a shrine to the pioneers and founders of Wichita. It later reinvented itself according to Hollywood s version of the Old West. After the peak of Western films, the museum once again updated its theme to reflect Wichita s agricultural history. In recent years, Old Cowtown Museum has become a nationally recognized and accredited living history museum. A product of 1950s Old West nostalgia, it has become one of the most beloved of all of Wichita s museums and institutions. Inside this book is the story of how Old Cowtown Museum became the regional and cultural attraction it is today, along with images of the museum throughout its 66-year history, including people, events, and stories, many of which have never been published before."

Historic Homes and Inns of Carmel-by-the-Sea showcases the creativity, talent, and originality of the town s residents, designers, and builders over a span of 80 years, from the pioneering days of the 1880s through the more contemporary ones of the 1960s. One-of-a-kind creations by top-name architects Frank Lloyd Wright, Julia Morgan, Charles Greene, Albert Farr, Gardner Dailey, Henry Hill, and Mark Mills are featured. The designs by the three most influential people who shaped Carmel-by-the-Sea architecturally in its first half-century are well-represented: M.J. Murphy, who literally built the town, with hundreds of homes and buildings to his credit; Hugh Comstock, who defined it with his storybook cottages that gave the village its fairy-tale charm; and Jon Konigshofer, who modernized it through his trademarked, postwar Hillside House. Throughout its history, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, has attracted unique, spirited, and sometimes eclectic individuals, and this is reflected in its architecture. In combination with the breathtaking beauty, remarkable scenery, and coastal setting, these historic homes and inns give the village its distinct look and make it unlike any place else."

The first hospital hospitality house in the nation, Kevin Guest House, has served thousands of critically ill individuals and their families for over 40 years. Quietly nestled within the expanding Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus of Buffalo, New York, the demand for the facility continues to increase. This is a pictorial history of Kevin Guest House.

Maine was once a national leader in the temperance movement to outlaw alcohol. In the last 30 years, however, the Pine Tree State has been equally influential in the craft beer movement. Since 1986, when David and Karen Geary opened New England s first microbrewery, more than 50 breweries have opened in Maine. The state not only ranks among the top 10 for breweries per capita, it also boasts two of the 50 largest craft breweries in the country. The personalities and visions of the brewers are as diverse as the beers they create. Some have opened their breweries in the hulking mill complexes of Lewiston and Biddeford or the former factories of Portland. Others have brewed at the scenic mountain resorts of Sugarloaf and Sunday River or on the quaint, historic wharves of Belfast and Kennebunk, and even on distant Monhegan Island. Farmstead breweries have sprung up from Skowhegan to Lyman, while the state s industrial parks are no less fertile."

The community of Oak Cliff is one of progress and transformation, experiencing a rebirth over the last few decades. Covering approximately one fourth of Dallas County, Oak Cliff has become one of the most ethnically diverse and culturally opulent neighborhoods in the state of Texas. From the events surrounding the death of Pres. John F. Kennedy to the demographic shifts over the last 40 to 50 years, Oak Cliff has become a symbol of inimitability, re-establishing its image as one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the United States."

Six Flags Great Adventure has been the premier destination for family fun in the Northeast for over 40 years. Created by Hollywood scion Warner LeRoy, the park s mission from the very start was to be the biggest and best theme park with record-breaking thrills, spectacular shows, and unique experiences that could only be found at Great Adventure. As a part of the Six Flags family of theme parks, Great Adventure combines the world s largest safari park outside of Africa, a world-class theme park, and one of the biggest and best water parks in the United States to create an experience like no other."

Hampton Beach is a gem tucked away on New Hampshire s 18-mile coastline, but its unique qualities and picturesque views have made it one of New England s most beloved vacation destinations. At the center of beach activity is the Seashell Complex and the Hampton Beach Casino. The Seashell has been on the coast since 1962, and the Casino Ballroom has occupied Ocean Boulevard for over 110 years. The community boasts a seamless combination of old and new, from the recent Hampton Beach Redevelopment Project to the long-standing Ashworth by the Sea Hotel. Its small-town values, annual parades and festivals, and weekly fireworks continue as they have for decades."

The picturesque Gettysburg Battlefield has long been memorialized as an iconic landscape of America s national identity. The tumultuous Civil War battle and Abraham Lincoln s subsequent address transformed the country in profound ways that continue to echo throughout the ages. In the aftermath of the struggle, Gettysburg National Military Park was embraced by citizens not only as a shrine of commemoration but also as a public space utilized for leisure, education, politics, and discovery. This compelling photographic history documents the park from the post World War II era onward, chronicling the dramatic evolutions the battlefield has undergone in the wake of modern tourism. Exploring the fascinating issues of historical memory, preservation, and popular culture, the book paints a vivid picture of a national park at work for the benefit of the people. "

Milwaukee was home to the Great Circus Parade for almost 30 years. Beginning in 1963 and continuing until 1972, the parade became an annual tradition, except in 1967 when the event was cancelled because of civil unrest. Revived on a smaller scale in 1980, the parade traveled between Baraboo and Chicago until it returned to Milwaukee in 1985. Each year, it grew in size and scope, gaining national prominence. The old-fashioned circus parade became an event of mammoth proportions, requiring an army of volunteers working behind the scenes.

Since Mystic, Connecticut, celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1954, it has evolved from a working-class village into a tourist-driven community while embracing its quaint New England charm and keeping its rich history alive. The shoreline village of two townships (Stonington to the east; Groton to the west) is divided by the Mystic River, which passes through the downtown center where the iconic bascule bridge unites the community. Many establishments occupy buildings preserved from Mystic's deeply anchored shipbuilding past. Towering wooden ships, beluga whales, creative arts, shops, restaurants, and events overflowing with Mystic's heart and soul attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Davis has undergone a major transformation from the mid-20th century to today, growing from a small college town of about 3,000 residents and 1,500 students to a world-class university city of 80,000 area residents and 35,000 students. Major features of this revolution include the creation of a vibrant downtown, environmentally sensitive politics, diverse and innovative neighborhoods, and a citywide system of bike lanes. A thriving University of California at Davis campus was the economic dynamo that attracted talented students and faculty. Their environmentalist values spurred innovations in solar energy, waste recycling, bicycle infrastructure, subsidized public transit, energy-saving construction, and farm-to-fork localization of food supplies, among other new civic directions that remain an essential part of the city s culture today."

In 1987, the hungry Atlantic Ocean broke the barrier beach protecting Chatham, swallowing a handful of shorefront houses. But in the last half century, most of the change that has come to this town on the elbow of Cape Cod has been more subtle. Historic houses gave way to hotels when Chatham became an attractive vacation destination for motorists, and then the hotels became homes again as summer visitors sought to have a place of their own for retirement. Amid real estate booms, Chathamites struggled to keep the town s history and natural beauty from being erased. Treasures like the Godfrey gristmill, the Marconi wireless station, and even the Main Street School fell into disrepair but were later preserved. Chatham continues its wrestle with nature, confronting old challenges like erosion and new ones like water quality and now great white sharks."

Nestled in the foothills of Golden, Colorado, construction began on Magic Mountain just two years after Disneyland s opening season. Through never-before-seen photographs, Magic Mountain tells the exciting story of the first attempt in America to spread the Disneyland model. The dream of a theme park in Colorado was conceived by Walter F. Cobb and designed by Marco Engineering of Los Angeles. The park saw tens of thousands of visitors, even during the construction period. They witnessed live gunfights and playhouse melodramas and took a ride on the Magic Mountain railroad. Unfortunately, the park closed at the end of its premier season in 1960, but it would eventually evolve into Heritage Square. For over 40 years, this venue brought fun and entertainment to the young and young at heart, following Cobb s vision of a clean, entertaining, and educational park for the whole family."

For centuries, the ocean waters of the Atlantic have impacted the daily lives of those on the South Carolina coast. Beginning in the 1960s, those waves caught the imagination of young beachgoers who studied magazines and Super 8 films and refined their moves on rent-a-floats until the first surfboards became available in the area. The buildup to the Vietnam War brought GIs and their families from the West Coast and Hawaii to South Carolina, and their surfboards came along with them. Unbeknownst to each other, local surfers concentrated in the beach and military base areas of Beaufort/Hilton Head, Charleston, and Pawley's Island/Grand Strand began to conquer nearby surf breaks. When contests finally brought these groups together, a statewide sport was born.

The story of Waco's modern era starts with a disaster and ends with rebirth. In 1953, a record-setting tornado swept through the city's downtown, killing 114 people and destroying a century's worth of original buildings. From the devastation came an ambitious urban renewal project, an explosion in suburban developments, and several cycles of waning and revitalization in the downtown area. Baylor University's steady growth in academic excellence and national exposure kept the city on the map. The images in this book detail the milestones and memories of a proud city founded in the 1840s, and they highlight achievements both personal and civic.

Key West has a colorful history. It was the beachhead that protected the United States from the Soviet Union and Cuba in the 1960s, its literary and music scenes attracted and developed writers, artists, and musicians in the 1970s, and it seceded from the Union and created a new nation, the Conch Republic, in the 1980s. Through the rest of the decades to the present, festivals, celebrations, and revelries have drawn tourists here year-round and supported the Conchs, the key's residents. The vibrant community, people and places, military presence, and significant historic sites make Key West one of the most interesting places in the United States.

Elmwood Park Zoo was established in 1924 when roughly 16 acres of land and a small group of animals were donated to the borough of Norristown. Although the early years of the zoo were more akin to a small farm, it has gone through an extensive expansion during the past few decades. This expansion and the continued revitalization of Elmwood Park Zoo include some notable residents, such as the zoo's owl, who has become the mascot of Temple University, and its bald eagle, a sideline regular for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. The zoo today, with new features including a zip line and a giraffe exhibit, looks to the future, with plans for even more exhibits, a new restaurant, and an additional 20 acres yet to be developed.

The nationally recognized Roosevelt Row Artists' District in downtown Phoenix originated during the platting of the Churchill Addition in 1888, when fewer than 4,000 people called the city home. The Evans and Churchill Additions enjoyed vibrant, walkable mixed-use growth until the suburban sprawl of the 1950s pulled people and resources away from the downtown city core. Significant decline fell upon the area for decades, until artists began to imagine new possibilities in the 1990s. Few urban areas in the United States have undergone such rapid and dramatic revitalization as Roosevelt Row. In 2000, the area's affordability attracted artists who began to transform underutilized structures and vacant lots into a vibrant, diverse, welcoming community. Iconic events, live music, unique performances, and temporary public art have made it one of the largest monthly art walks in the county, and USA Today recently named Roosevelt Row "one of the ten best city arts districts" in the country.

Virginia's Hampton Roads region has long attracted diverse and mobile people, some of whom embraced same-sex love or fluid gender identities long before lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities identified as such. By the mid-1900s, Hampton Roads would lead the state in its development of LGBT institutions and infrastructure. Our Own Press would chronicle the extraordinary burst of creativity and activism that seemed to place LGBT developments in the region on a national stage. In the late 1980s and 1990s, however, military crackdowns and the HIV/AIDS epidemic devastated the leadership of local LGBT communities. Only in the new century would there be a renaissance of networking and engagement to bring the annual Pride Festival to center stage at Town Point Park in Norfolk.