Little Mexico was Dallas's earliest Mexican barrio. "Mexicanos" had lived in Dallas since the mid-19th century. The social displacement created by the Mexican Revolution of 1910, however, caused the emergence of a distinct and vibrant neighborhood on the edge of the city's downtown. This neighborhood consisted of modest homes, small businesses, churches, and schools, and further immigration from Mexico in the 1920s caused its population to boom. By the 1930s, Little Mexico's population had grown to over 15,000 people. The expanding city's construction projects, urban renewal plans, and land speculation by developers gradually began to dismantle Little Mexico. By the end of the 20th century, Little Mexico had all but disappeared, giving way to upscale high-rise residences and hotels, office towers of steel and glass, and the city's newest entertainment district. This book looks at Little Mexico's growth, zenith, demise, and its remarkable renaissance as a neighborhood.

New England is rich in history and mystery. Numerous sleepy little towns and farming communities distinguish the region's scenic tranquility. But not long ago, New Englanders lived in fear of spectral ghouls believed to rise from their graves and visit family members in the night to suck their lives away. Although the word "vampire" was never spoken, scores of families disinterred loved ones during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries searching for telltale signs that one of them might be what is now referred to as the New England vampire.

With nicknames such as Mob Town and Syphilis City no one would deny that Baltimore has its dark side. Before shows such as The Wire and Homicide: Life on the Streets brought the city's crime rate to national attention, locals entertained themselves with rumors surrounding the mysterious death of writer Edgar Allan Poe and stories Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald, who spent time in a Baltimore area sanitarium in the 1930s. Tourists make the Inner Harbor one of the most traveled areas in the country, but if they would venture a few streets north to The Block on Baltimore Street they would see an area once famous for its burlesque shows. It is only the locals who would know to continue north on St. Paul to the Owl Bar, a former speakeasy that still proudly displays some of its Prohibition era paraphernalia.

Wicked Baltimore: The Seedy Side of Charm City, details the salacious history of Baltimore and its denizens from the city's earliest history up to through Pro

"Washington seems the eternal and unchanging Federal City with its grand avenues and stately monuments. Yet the city that locals once knew lavish window displays at Woodies, supper at the grand Raleigh Hotel and a Friday night game at Griffith Stadium is gone. Author John DeFerrari investigates the bygone institutions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with an engaging collection of new vignettes and reader favorites from his blog "The Streets of Washington." From the raucous age of burlesque at the Gayety Theater and the once bustling Center Market to the mystery of Suter's Tavern and the disappearance of the Key Mansion in Georgetown, DeFerrari recalls the lost Washington, D.C., of yesteryear.

"

Wall Street and the surrounding blocks in Antebellum Richmond, Virginia were home to several dozen slave dealers and auction houses where tens of millions of dollars changed hands before and during the war, providing the fuel that drove the Southern economy. This wealth was central to the economics of the pre-war South, as well as to the fledgling Confederate States of America after secession. The influence of slavery in the economy is evidenced by GNP statistics, which show that the South's portion of the national GNP fell from 30% in 1860 to a mere 10% in 1870. This was due in large part to the abolition of slavery, which essentially wiped out millions of dollars in capital instantly.

Today, Portland, Oregon, is a city of majestic bridges crisscrossing the deep swath of the Willamette River. A century ago, riverboat pilots would have witnessed a flurry of stevedores and longshoremen hurrying along the wharves. Situated as the terminus of sea lanes and railroads, with easy access to the wheat fields, sawmills and dairies of the Willamette Valley, Portland quickly became a rich and powerful seaport. As the city changed, so too did the role of the sailor--once bartered by shanghai masters, later elevated to well-paid and respected mariner. Drawing on primary source material, previously unpublished photographs and thirty-three years of waterfront work, local author Barney Blalock recalls the city's vanished waterfront in these tales of sea dogs, salty days and the river's tides.

Baton Rouge is known for its rich history, food, politics, music and universities. Perhaps overlooked are the stories of how this large port city's close-knit neighborhoods have adapted to changes over the years. Annabelle Armstrong deftly navigates the evolution of these historic communities, showcasing southern charm and romanticism through firsthand accounts of people who call these places home. Journey back to the beginnings of Hundred Oaks, Capital Heights, University Acres, Wimbledon, Tara, Inniswold, Glenwood, Walnut Hills, Stratford, Steele Place, Broussard, Southdowns and many more popular places to settle down.

The Salton Sea was an accident of man created when heavy rainfall caused the Rio Colorado to swell and breach an Imperial Valley dike in 1905. For two years, water flowed into the Salton Sink and ancient Lake Cahuilla. Today, the sea is 227 feet below sea level, covers approximately 376 square miles, and is California's largest lake. During the early 1900s, it became an important bird and waterfowl refuge. When many species of fish were introduced, the Salton Sea also became popular for boating, fishing, hunting, and camping activities. Motels, yacht clubs, and marinas developed around Salton City and North Shore. During recent decades, the sea has become polluted from agricultural runoff, creating a doubtful future for the Salton Sea. However, it remains a sanctuary for anyone who enjoys bird watching, desert landscapes, or beautiful farmlands.

Large, wooden-hulled schooners graced the seas of coastal Maine for more than a century as vessels of trade and commerce. With the advent of steam-powered craft, however, these elegant four-, five- or six-masted wooden ships became obsolete and vanished from the harbors and horizons. The Edward Lawrence, the last of the six-masters, became her own funeral pyre in Portland Harbor, burning to ash before everyone's eyes. The Carroll A. Deering washed ashore with no trace of her crew, empty as a ghost ship except for three cats and a pot of pea soup still cooking on the stove. In this testament to the beauty of the Maine coastal region, maritime history enthusiast Ingrid Grenon tells the story of these magnificent relics of the bygone Age of Sail and celebrates the people who devoted their lives to the sea.

This visual history of the 20th centuryas middle decades in Santa Paula illustrates how a rural city settled into its middle age. As a sequel to Images of America: Santa Paula, which covered the pioneering and settlement years of 1870 to 1930, it continues this Ventura County cityas story through the Depression decade and the World War II and Korean War home front years that led up to the sixties. The time from 1930 to 1960 was prosperous for the two main industries in Santa Paula and its environs: citrus cultivation and oil production. The population increases reflected the job opportunities that these industries presented, bringing other families, businesses, and opportunities to the growing city.

This New England community has made national headlines for the notorious Sacco and Vanzetti trial; it has hosted Presidents Washington, Jackson and Lincoln, among other leaders; and it played a formative role in the establishment of the Animal Rescue League of Boston. In popular culture, "Dedham" made its mark as the setting for several notable films and works of fiction. Author James L. Parr gives a fresh take on "Dedham's" famous moments and also weaves in lesser-known stories of its heritage and traditions. This town has accumulated some eccentricities, from the legendary apparitions that haunted the cemetery for most of October 1887 to the still-active, two-centuries-old Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves. Explore the intricate microcosm of American history that belongs to this charming New England town.

William Penn, the might of Pittsburgh steel and the Revolutionary figures of Philadelphia dominate the scene of Pennsylvania history. Thomas White brings together a collection of tales that have been cast in the shadows by these giants of the Keystone State. From the 1869 storm that pelted Chester County with snails to the bloody end of the Cooley gang, White selects events with an eye for the humorous and strange. Mostly true accounts of cannibalistic feasts, goat-rescuing lawmen, heroic goldfish, the funeral of a gypsy queen and a Pittsburgh canine whose obituary was featured in the "New York Times" all leap from the lost pages of history.

Since its founding in 1751, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has been at the crossroads of history as the site of Washington's headquarters during the Whiskey Rebellion, a city shelled and occupied by Confederate forces and the home to Dickinson College and the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. With lively vignettes and firsthand accounts, Joseph David Cress recounts the remarkable history of the borough. Tales of the McClintock Slave Riot of 1847 and the courthouse fire of 1845 stand alongside the legendary figures of Molly Pitcher and all-American athlete Jim Thorpe. Cress chronicles Carlisle's evolution from an outpost on Pennsylvania's rough-and-tumble frontier to a vibrant and thriving hub of the Cumberland Valley.

Celebrated in literature and film as a playground for the rich and famous, Long Island's North Shore- its Gold Coast- has long had a firm hold on the imaginations of readers, vacationers and titans of industry. Glimpsed here are the palatial summer homes of the wealthy, historic old buildings and the dramatic landscape with its rolling hills, views of Connecticut and coves lined with boats. Offering 101 of the most iconic images of the people and places that have come to define the North Shore, local historian and author Richard Panchyk has created a volume sure to inspire the next generation of Eggers.

A book about Vermont's history will likely bring to mind such topics as Abenaki Indians, the Green Mountain Boys and the state's famed covered bridges, but "Forgotten Tales of Vermont" takes readers far beyond traditional histories to uncover littleknown stories from Vermont's quirky past. Who knew that students from Castleton Medical School moonlighted as grave robbers until they were caught hiding Mrs. Churchill's head in a haystack? Or that an Egyptian mummy once turned up in Middlebury and is now buried at the local cemetery alongside the town's founders? Stories such as the Willoughby Lake monster and Slipperyskin, the bear that terrorized Lemington, are sure to bemuse, baffle and surprise even Vermonters who think they've heard it all. Culled from newspapers, books and journals, William M. Alexander's fascinating tales will entertain and inform readers for generations to come!

Cincinnati's Northside neighborhood rests in the amphitheater created by the Mill Creek and West Fork Creek. Settled in 1790, incorporated in 1865, and annexed in 1873, it was Cincinnati's first commuter suburb. Its colorful history from Native American days to the present is evidenced by its many names-Ludlow Station, Helltown, Happy Valley, Tanyard, and Cumminsville. The abolitionist sentiment made it a hotbed for Underground Railroad activity. A large German presence birthed its many beer gardens and saloons. Wealthy estate owners of Clifton and Avondale came to Frogtown to buy perennials for formal gardens. The fashion-conscious came to seek the large number of merchant tailors and milliners for their high-quality and contemporary styles. Beer drinkers sought Bruckman's Beer, fermented on the canal. The famous Crosley brothers started their empire in Northside. This Cincinnati neighborhood still sparkles today with the diversity and creativity of its past. Step back in time to see the stories that still make Cincinnati's Northside neighborhood such a vibrant and exciting community.

The United States has never had an officially established church. Since the time of the first British colonists, it has instead developed a strong civil religion that melds national symbols to symbols of God. In a deft exploration of American civil religious symbols ranging from the Liberty Bell and Vietnam Memorial to Mount Rushmore and Disney World, Peter Gardella explains how the places, objects, and symbols that Americans hold sacred came into being and how they have changed over time. In addition to examining revered historical sites and structures, he analyzes such sacred texts as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, the Kennedy Inaugural, and the speeches of Martin Luther King, and shows how five patriotic songs-''The Star-Spangled Banner,'' ''The Battle Hymn of the Republic'' ''America the Beautiful,'' ''God Bless America,'' and ''This Land Is Your Land''-have been elevated into hymns. Arguing that certain values-personal freedom, political democracy, world peace, and cultural tolerance-have held American civil religion together, this book chronicles the numerous forms those values have taken, from Jamestown and Plymouth to the September 11, 2001, Memorial in New York.