It started with a cartoon--"Forgotten," by Tom May--in which a poor child, too young and innocent to understand why she had not received a Christmas present from Santa, weeps over an empty stocking. It ran on Christmas Day in 1908 in the Detroit Journal, where it caught the attention of key Detroit businessmen. Deeply moved, they entered into a solemn pact to do all within their power to prevent any Detroit child from being "forgotten." In 1914, under the leadership of James J. Brady, himself a former newsboy, the Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit was formed. This year, the fund celebrates 100 years of making sure there is "no kiddie without a Christmas." One such fortunate kiddie was retired Detroit News columnist Pete Waldmeir, a longtime Goodfellow who generously agreed to write the introduction to this book, Old Newsboys' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit: 100 Years.

The Arctic is a place of great challenges and great rewards. A century ago, it was whale oil; today, it is motor oil. The increasing open water in the warmer months is attracting cruise ships to tour the Arctic. Significant offshore oil and natural gas deposits are of great interest to an oil-dependent economy. But the history of the Arctic is full of surprises for the unwary and the unprepared, despite native peoples having managed to live there for thousands of years. Oil spills or maritime emergencies can--and do--arise a long way off from assistance. Legendary Arctic storms are, if anything, becoming more intense and dangerous. All this is in an area inaccessible by roads or by sea except for icebreakers the majority of the year. It is of extreme interest to the US Coast Guard, charged with protecting seafarers, enforcing laws, and facilitating commerce.

Hillsboro, Oregon, always seemed destined to be an important railroad town. When the first trains arrived in Hillsboro in 1871 under the banner of the Oregon & California Railroad, the town began to develop into a key railroad junction point. Hillsboro was strategically located just 20 miles from the booming Portland metropolis, a regional center of manufacturing and trade, and by 1911, Hillsboro was where several rail lines branched off. One line headed west toward Tillamook, where the railroad tapped rich timber resources along the Oregon coast. Another line cut south into the fertile Willamette Valley, accessing prime agricultural lands that produced a bounty of wheat and other commodities. A third route carried passengers and goods to and from Portland and the neighboring communities of Cornelius and Forest Grove. As these routes developed, heavy volumes of freight began rolling into Hillsboro. At the same time, travelers moved through Hillsboro on passenger trains, including the Southern Pacific Railroad's famed "Red Electrics" and the Oregon Electric Railway's interurbans, which advertised passenger service with "no soot and no cinders."

Pricketts Fort was built on the land of Jacob Prickett in 1774, during what is known as Lord Dunmore's War. It provided sanctuary for local settlers before and during the American Revolution and was a safe haven from the attacks of American Indians until the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. Constructed by local militia on a small rise near the confluence of Pricketts Creek and the Monongahela River, Pricketts Fort provided refuge for approximately 80 families. The fort itself was large by 18th-century standards. It had blockhouses at each corner, with walls 12 feet high and 110 feet long. Although the fort was never attacked, many outlying homes were, and a number of settlers lost their lives. Today, Pricketts Fort hosts visitors looking to learn more about day-to-day life on the western Virginian frontier.

At the turn of the 20th century, Sharon's very existence was threatened by the collapse of the local iron industry as the town's economy and population began to decline. However, the popularity of automobile transportation and Sharon's accessible distance from New York attracted a class of wealthy visitors who fell in love with the rolling hills and quiet valleys. This new weekend population purchased land and built stately country homes, reigniting interest in the area. Steady growth in construction provided much-needed work, and commerce began to thrive again. Early businesses expanded, and new operations opened. Local residents could shop at stores run by the Gillette brothers and A.R. Woodward, fill their tanks at Herman Middlebrook's gas station, and have their health care needs attended to by doctors at the state-of-the-art Sharon Hospital, built in 1916. Eastern Europeans became the town's newest residents, taking advantage of the affordable, cleared land to fuel a large number of highly successful farms. Sharon's residents thrived as they reshaped their town, welcoming newcomers and nurturing a community of inclusion that lasts to the present day.

Garland began as an amalgamation of a number of rural communities in northeastern Dallas County. A compromise solution to the rivalry of two railroad towns, Duck Creek and Embree, it is now the 12th largest city in Texas and the 87th most populous city in the United States. Evolving from its origins as a farming community, by the 1950s, Garland had become an industrious suburb of the Dallas metro area. The can-do spirit of the community has enabled its stalwart pioneer settlers to overcome natural disasters and make necessary improvements that contributed to its growth and position in the county. Surrounded by interstates, toll roads, and connecting rail lines, Garland links the Dallas Metro with Northeast Texas. Its future continues to diversify and adapt to the growing environments of Texas.

Located in the easternmost pocket of Mercer County, New Jersey, Hightstown traces its beginnings to 1747, when John Hight bought an 80-acre parcel alongside Rocky Brook. He built a gristmill there, abutting the road that became Main Street. The mill attracted other small enterprises, including a dry goods store, two taverns, a blacksmith shop, and sawmill. With the rise of the steam engine, the town grew to become a thriving transportation hub. As this community evolved into a contemporary downtown corridor, the farms and homes spread across what is today both the borough and East Windsor Township. The advent of the automobile, retirement of the rail line, and construction of the New Jersey Turnpike challenged Hightstown's role as a destination. With a recently established historic district and strong downtown association, the town is enjoying a rebirth as a treasure of America's past and present.

Rush County, at the south end of Post Rock Country, was organized on December 5, 1874, and named in honor of Capt. Alexander Rush, Company H, of the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry. The first settlers arrived in 1869 and established homesteads along Walnut Creek near the Fort Hays-Fort Dodge Trail. With few trees on the vast, dry prairie, settlers searched for alternative building materials. Post Rock, a unique limestone bed that sat within inches of the surface, was so well used and became such a curiosity that it gave rise to the Post Rock Museum in 1963.

Located midway between Yakima to the northwest and the Tri-Cities of Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland to the east, Grandview is central to the Northwest's large urban centers of Seattle, Portland, and Spokane. The townsite was chosen in 1905 as the final stop on the Sunnyside branch of the local rail line. Early farmers were met with blowing sand and jackrabbits, but with the addition of irrigation, lush fruit orchards and champion corn soon replaced native sagebrush. In 1910, one year after incorporation, 320 people called Grandview home. In the 1920s, dairies, poultry farms, and a winery marked a further transformation to the landscape. By 1940, the acreage given over to grape vineyards had greatly increased, asparagus was becoming a major crop, and more than 400 acres of hops were harvested. To this day, Grandview remains a small town where farming and related industries are major employers.

The Swannanoa Valley lies to the east of Asheville, North Carolina, and is surrounded by some of the highest mountains in the eastern United States. The eastern boundary of the valley follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and travelers entering through the Swannanoa Gap emerge into the beautiful "Land of the Sky." In the 1900s, multiple large religious assemblies were founded here. Montreat, Ridgecrest, the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, and Christmount have preserved thousands of acres of forested mountain slopes for more than a century. The valley is drained by the Swannanoa River, which meanders 18 miles westward, finally merging with the French Broad River near Biltmore. Swannanoa Valley showcases the rich recreational and cultural history of this scenic mountain area.

Siler City is located in the piedmont region of North Carolina, on the western side of Chatham County. The railroad first ran through the area in 1884, and the community was officially established in 1887. Blacksmith shops, livery stables, cotton gins, and sawmills were early resources that attracted trade. Lumber mills, furniture manufacturers, and a yarn plant came to town and supported its early industrialization. In 1972, Frances Bavier, better known as "Aunt Bee" from The Andy Griffith Show, retired from acting and bought a house in Siler City, where she lived the remainder of her days. Today, Siler City is a unique town that offers local residents and visitors a variety of activities, including an active artist community, Mount Vernon Springs, parks, and local sporting events at area high schools. Through this collection of historical photographs, Siler City showcases the rich industrial, commercial, and communal history of this small Southern town.

The Providence Police Department has served New England's second-largest city from its beginnings in 1651 with the appointment of a town sergeant to today's force of nearly 500 men and women. Officially established in 1864, policing in Providence has changed considerably from the days of night watchmen armed with handheld rattle alarms and nightsticks. Whether quelling the violent street riots of 1914, enforcing Prohibition, or fighting the New England mob, the PPD has evolved to meet the complex challenges posed by the city. It also boasts a history of leadership among the nation's law enforcement agencies, being among the first to incorporate women into the department's ranks, create innovative campaigns to reduce traffic fatalities, and pioneer the use of trained canines to aid in police work. Today, cutting-edge telecommunications and forensic analysis in crime fighting continue to protect the city of nearly 178,000.

Mount Pleasant lies atop a tree-covered hill in the midst of East Texas timber country. The native Caddo Indians referred to the hill as "pleasant," and so it was named. Though it hails from within the historic area known as "Devil's Triangle," the city has been dubbed "the sweetest town in Texas." This area has been alternately ignored, fought over, and claimed, proving the people of Mount Pleasant are resilient, adaptable, and consistently hardworking. It is the kind of stable community that showcases many of the strengths of America. The city's location as a byway along transportation routes, including roads, railroads, and an interstate highway, has contributed to its growth over the years as industrial businesses have come to town. Named one of the best small towns in America, it currently serves as the trailer manufacturing capital of the United States. This "bass capital of Texas" boasts more than 17,000 acres for fishing, swimming, and waterskiing, as well as bird watching along the Texas Bluebird Trail.

At the turn of the 20th century, the town of Hamden, Connecticut, "the Land of the Sleeping Giant," was a patchwork of small hamlets, largely rural and agricultural. During the next 100 years, it would undergo a dramatic transformation; as orchards and fields gave way to factories and subdivisions, Hamden's population grew from only a few thousand at the beginning of the century to over 60,000. In the time of war needs, local industries like the Web Shop factory and High Standard Manufacturing retooled to meet demands. The middle of the century saw the appearance of some of the first shopping malls in the state, including Hamden Plaza. Major universities attracted workers, families, intellects, and authors. Hamden was the childhood home of poet laureate Donald Hall, the residence of playwright Thornton Wilder, and the birthplace of Ernest Borgnine. As the town's diversity grew, the community faced the challenges and opportunities of each generation and, inevitably, its identity evolved.

Arizona's 20 national parks and monuments celebrate the natural wonders and rich heritage of Arizona, preserved through the efforts of countless citizens and the American Antiquities Act of 1906. Aggressively implemented by eight US presidents, this legislation permits the president to unilaterally proclaim sites as national monuments without congressional action. The Antiquities Act was applied in Arizona 23 times, more so than any other state in the union. Using more than 200 historical photographs, many of which have never been published, this book contains the stories of the creation of each of Arizona's national parks and monuments, emphasizing the importance of the landscape and cultural heritage to Arizona's identity.

When the Germans came to Atlantic County in 1855, they imagined a community with an urban center surrounded by a farm district. This would be a great industrial and agricultural community, served by direct railroad and maritime connections to Philadelphia and New York City. In 1858, the urban center these pioneers envisioned became Egg Harbor City. Eleven miles toward the coast is Pleasantville. Originally home to fishing and whaling settlers, it officially became a municipality in 1888. Its proximity to the increasingly popular Atlantic City helped Pleasantville to grow and prosper. Egg Harbor City and Pleasantville showcases the rich history of these two communities through a unique collection of historical images.

Evangeline Parish is located near the center of Louisiana, between the prairies and wetlands of the south and the hills and piney woods of the north. Culturally, too, it embraces both the French south and the English north. Evangeline is relatively young among the parishes of Louisiana, having been carved from the western portion of St. Landry in 1910. It is named for Evangeline, the heroine of Longfellow's epic poem about the exile of the Acadians, many of whose descendants reside in Louisiana. Today, the people of Evangeline Parish remain close to the land, earning their livelihood from agriculture and forestry or small businesses. From outdoor recreation at Chicot State Park to the Courir de Mardi Gras in Mamou and Basile, and all the festivals in between, they know how to pass a good time.

Lakewood was a vibrant community long before it incorporated in 1996, though cityhood helped give the area one name and identity. In the mid-19th century, Lakewood was the site of British farms and the first US military base in Washington Territory. Men who became famous in the Civil War, such as George Pickett, served there. Native American leader Leschi, the victim of "judicial lynching" by civilians, spent his last days there. As Lakewood became a retreat for Puget Sound's rich and famous, names such as Carman and Alexander--as famous in their day as the name Weyerhaeuser was and is--settled here, leaving behind reminders like Lakewold Gardens. One of Lakewood's most famous residents was Ivan, a captive gorilla who captured the hearts of animal lovers worldwide.

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, seeking to create a strategic outpost for New France, built Fort Toulouse in Creek territory. This area would eventually become Wetumpka, located on the banks of the Coosa River and standing at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. The fort became the headquarters for Gen. Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812, and later it was where Creek Indians ceded their lands to the federal government. Wetumpka's presence was also large outside of military endeavors. During the cotton boom, two years after the city's incorporation in 1834, a New York newspaper declared it and Chicago, Illinois, the "two most promising cities in the West." Although fire, floods, and the Civil War hindered growth, infrastructural transformations and cultural additions have helped mold modern Wetumpka into the "City of Natural Beauty" and propel it to occasional roles on the big screen.