The area where Madras now stands was originally known as "The Basin." Sheep and cattle operators first utilized the site, where Willow Creek also flows, as a grazing zone. The Basin area was eventually settled by homesteaders in the late 1880s, and the location of present-day Madras is situated on the land of four early farmhouses. Madras was incorporated on March 2, 1910, and became a commercial center with the arrival of railroads in 1911, earning the nickname "Gateway to Central Oregon." With the arrival of irrigation water from the Deschutes River by means of the North Unit Project in 1946, intensive farming began in the surrounding areas, kicking off a new era in Madras.

Situated at the junction of the North Platte and South Platte rivers, North Platte has a long history as an important stopping point in the westward migration of from the days of the California gold rush to the building of the transcontinental railroad and beyond. The Oregon Trail to the gold rush followed the South Platte River, and the Mormon Trail followed the North Platte River. In 1866 the building of the Union Pacific railroad stopped at North Platte for the winter. The railroad brought the town of North Platte to life.

In 1869 the Union Pacific built a huge depot and hotel which stood until destroyed by fire in 1915. It entertained many famous visitors including William F. Cody, George Armstrong Custer, Bat Masterson, and Teddy Roosevelt. Since the 1920s North Platte has grown considerably, helped by the transcontinental Lincoln Highway which still runs through town. North Platte also had the first lighted runway in the United States, used for the air mail planes of the 1920s.

Although humble in their function, these carefully crafted barns have shaped the lives of Mainers for centuries. Built long before the days of plastic and plywood, the barns have survived for generations, each with a story to tell. In Bridgton, one barn offered comfort to a sixteen-year-old boy when his father was injured. Another New Gloucester barn was so important to one family that its likeness was engraved on their headstones. Some owners said they would rather see their houses burn than their barns, and others have dedicated their lives and livelihoods to restoring and preserving these buildings. From modest English to grand Victorian, Don Perkins examines the structures, origins and evolution of Maine's barns, demonstrating the vital and precious role they play in people's lives.

Winchester, a remote hilltop region of dense forests, rocky ledges, and fast-moving streams, was a wilderness when first organized in 1771. Cattle enjoyed the region's abundant grasses, and as a result, a large dairy industry emerged, evident from the tons of cheese shipped to distant markets by the 1850s. Winsted, a borough in the valley below Winchester, was incorporated in 1858 and developed into an industrial giant by the 1870s. Its strategic location on coursing streams and two extensive railroad lines enabled Winsted to manufacture and export a wide variety of goods, ranging from caskets to clocks and silk threads to wool socks. Breathtaking vistas beckoned tourists to Highland Lake, the area's recreational attraction, where they swam, sailed, and enjoyed Electric Park, referred to as "Little Coney Island." Through vintage images captured by professional photographers, Winsted and Winchester portrays the growth and transition of these communities from 1870 to 1920-- a time that was quickly lost to modernity.

Easternmost of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is bordered by both New York and Ontario. Upon its pristine surface, countless vessels have sailed, but its bottom depths are littered with the skeletons of shipwrecks, including Fleetwing, caught and destroyed in one of the sudden storms that often turn this sea-like lake deadly. Daring mariners, male and female, have seen their share of peril, and battles during wars between Britain and the US and Canada have also been waged here. From Huron canoes to today's "Sunday Sailors" who venture from shore only during warmer months, local author Susan Gateley tells some of the lake's most exciting stories.