Named in honor Gen. Philip Sheridan of Civil War fame, Sheridan County was carved out of the much larger Valley County in 1913. Originally the hunting grounds for Assiniboine, Sioux, and members of other Native American tribes, the county boomed during the homesteading era from 1900 to 1920. Sheridan County's storied past includes being a hideout for horse thieves and outlaws and, later, home to a renowned Communist movement that reached its apex in the 1920s. Since that bygone era, Sheridan County has enjoyed an often-thriving agricultural economy, oil booms, and the type of community spirit that knits people together, whether they are newcomers or the descendants of its first inhabitants.

The rich history of Pittsford began in 1789, when Revolutionary War veterans Simon and Israel Stone purchased 13,298 acres of land in Western New York. Early settlers Stephen Lusk and Caleb Hopkins, a War of 1812 hero, established prosperous farms in Pittsford that have flourished for 200 years. These men created a bustling community that enticed other families to settle here. While agriculture has been a mainstay of many area families who have resided and farmed in Pittsford for generations, others have made their marks in business and industry. Many of the photographs contained within Pittsford were shared by descendants of these early families. Through the years, the town and village of Pittsford have grown due to the desirable rolling topography, the fertile farmland, the excellence of its school system, and the quaint charm of this historic community.

The Adirondacks have been written about since they were first spied by Europeans more than five hundred years ago. Yet for most of the intervening centuries, few of those writers lived in the region of which they wrote--they were not part of the landscape. That has changed in recent years as writers have moved to the Adirondacks and formed a literary community. Perhaps inspired by these writers, longtime residents have discovered that they, too, could be part of such a community. From scratching out a living in the harsh landscape to the wonders of a moonlit cross-country ski, these writers celebrate life in the Adirondacks. In this remarkable collection of essays, the experiences of Adirondack natives are interwoven with the land in a part of America that is both demanding and rewarding.

In 1821, Fran ois Chouteau set up a fur-trading outpost along the Missouri River, bringing the first settlement of Europeans to what would become Kansas City, named after the Kansa tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the area. At the center of a growing nation, the "City on the Bluff" would build and thrive as a river town, a gateway to the West, and a railroad hub, absorbing the influences of pioneers and immigrants traveling through or making it their home. Striving to become "A City Beautiful," its parks and boulevards drew attention from around the world. These are the beginnings of a town carved out of a hillside in the wilderness, transformed into an exciting metropolis that would eventually be called home by Walt Disney, Ernest Hemingway, Jesse James, and many others who left a lasting mark on history.

The people of Arlington have always had a can-do spirit. There's Carrie Rogers, the society matron who became marshal; Tillie Burgin, who changed the face of social services in Arlington; and Tom Vandergriff, the boy mayor who stayed on the job for 26 years. When educational opportunities were deemed inadequate, Edward E. Rankin and other leading citizens founded and supported a school that grew into the University of Texas at Arlington. Before there was the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, Jim Hayes opened the eyes of Arlington leaders to the difficulties of navigating the University of Texas at Arlington and the city in a wheelchair. Never willing to be overshadowed by Dallas or Fort Worth, their larger neighbors to the east and west, Arlington residents embraced industry and progress, and their enterprising spirit attracted the notice of the nation. Today, the city boasts major businesses and attractions--General Motors, Six Flags, the Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Cowboys--and continues to grow thanks to the aspirations of its people.

In the early 1920s, when T.W. House Jr., A.C. Guthrie, and Thomas Ball came to the conclusion that Houston needed a new country club, complete with an 18-hole golf course, they formed Country Club Estates. They chose to build on land called the House tract just west of downtown. Very quickly, 300 memberships were sold, with each including one share of stock in the company. Within a year, Will and Mike Hogg, along with Hugh Potter, recognized this as a perfect idea for the bustling city of Houston. They purchased 1,100 acres, eventually creating the River Oaks Corporation. Images of America: Houston's River Oaks takes the reader from 1923 to 1970 and tells the story of one of the most carefully planned subdivisions in America. Today, River Oaks is known as an enviable place to call home. The careful planning undertaken by these Houstonians 90 years ago produced results of unmatched beauty and a quality of life still enjoyed today.

Generations of women have traveled to Martha's Vineyard to find solace in its calming waves and varied shoreline. Many prominent and capable women set down roots, contributing to the fabric of the community on the island. Learn of the brilliant poet Nancy Luce, who lived in isolation with her chickens. Emily Post, whose name is synonymous with good manners, sought respite from her personal struggles on the Vineyard. Famed horticulturalist Polly Hill left a perennial legacy for islanders with her tranquil arboretum. In the twentieth century, novelist Dorothy West captured the beauty of Martha's Vineyard with her work. Historian Thomas Dresser provides a series of biographical sketches of these extraordinary women who were bound by their love of the island.

Metairie is often considered the dull stepchild of New Orleans--a concrete "Anywhere, USA" lined with shopping malls frequented by fast-food eating, drive-up-daiquiri-drinking, cultureless suburbanites. Despite stereotypical misconceptions, sons and daughters of New Orleans who call Metairie home are every bit as colorful, talented, devious, and gracious as their relatives in the city. Johnny Wiggs kept New Orleans jazz alive. Verne Tripp invented
"perma-press" and pioneered use of the electron microscope. On Atherton Drive, David Ferrie plotted a Cuban coup. Peter Gennaro left his father's bar to become a Broadway star. Shirley Ann Grau raised her children here while writing novels. Al Scramuzza built a crawfish empire and coached Metairie children. Ellen Degeneres found national fame, while Becky Allen won our hearts at home. Those who may not be widely known but have impacted lives in the community and afar are also included in this book, which is a tribute to the people of Metairie.

In 1897, a stranger named Reverend Prescott Jernegan arrived in Lubec and made a bold claim: he could extract gold from seawater. To do so, he used so-called accumulators of electrically charged rods in iron pots. Fooling many, he actually hid the gold beneath a wharf in the Bay of Fundy during the night. He and his accomplice, Charles Fisher, preached with fervent enthusiasm as they built their factory and encouraged inspections, which reversed doubters to greedy high-stakes investors. Hundreds of laborers accelerated factory expansion until July 1897, when Jernegan and Fisher fled. Although residents of Lubec attempted civil and criminal action, both men relocated, and fantasies of gold wealth flowed away. Relive the excitement, disappointment and anger of turn-of-the-century Mainers in this collection of accounts about the Lubec gold hoax.

In 1639, Barnstable was established by the Plymouth Plantation Colony as the third town on Cape Cod. Over time, Barnstable was divided into seven distinct villages: Barnstable, Centerville, Cotuit, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, Osterville, and West Barnstable. Each of these communities grew and developed their own libraries, schools, churches, and general stores. Local industry was abundant, and residents were employed as blacksmiths, cobblers, copper smiths, and farmers. Saltworks, cranberry bogs, shipbuilding, and light industry also supported the area. Barnstable documents the evolution of the town between the 1839 centennial celebration and the 1939 tercentenary and shows how the advent of both the railroad and steam-powered ships spurred great change in the town's communities. Today, economic life revolves around Hyannis while the other villages have become more residential in nature.

As the country sought healing and peace after the Civil War, Wisconsin citizens took up Pres. Abraham Lincoln's challenge "to care for him who shall have borne the battle." Their efforts paved the way for the establishment in Milwaukee of one of the original three branches of the National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. In May 1867, the first 60 veterans, including a musician from the War of 1812, moved to a single building on 400 rolling acres west of Milwaukee. By the end of the 19th century, the bustling campus boasted its own hospital, chapel, library, theater, and recreation hall, in addition to the grand main building. Subsequent wars and military conflicts created a need for additional buildings and services. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011, the campus continues to offer a healing environment for today's patients and stands as a testimony to advances in veteran health care.

Secluded between Laurel Mountain and Chestnut Ridge, the Ligonier Valley has been the mountain playground of western Pennsylvania since the nineteenth century. Yet this picturesque retreat was at the tumultuous center of history--during the French and Indian War, Fort Ligonier was key to the British strategy, and in the late nineteenth century, the Ligonier Valley Rail Road helped transform the industry of the region. Author Jennifer Sopko traces the story of the valley and its residents through a series of fascinating vignettes. From the earliest histories to nostalgic reminiscences of the Ligonier Opera House, socials at the Valley Dairy ice cream parlor and bygone days at Idlewild Park, Sopko captures the history and spirit of the Ligonier Valley and its communities.

Images of Baseball: Mexican American Baseball in Orange County celebrates the once-vibrant culture of baseball and softball teams from Placentia, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Westminster, San Juan Capistrano, and nearby towns. Baseball allowed men and women to showcase their athletic and leadership skills, engaged family members, and enabled community members to develop social and political networks. Players from the barrios and colonias of La Fabrica, Campo Colorado, La Jolla, Logan, Cypress Street, El Modena, and La Colonia Independencia, among others, affirmed their Mexican and American identities through their sport. Such legendary teams as the Placentia Merchants, the Juveniles of La Habra, the Lionettes de Orange, the Toreros of Westminster, and the Road Kings of Colonia 17th made weekends memorable. Players and their families helped create the economic backbone and wealth evident in Orange County today. This book sheds light on powerful images and stories of the Mexican American community.

Initially a milling village on the banks of the Baraboo River, Reedsburg has experienced growth and change. It was established in the pioneer era of the 1850s and is home to nearly 10,000 residents and various thriving industries. Throughout history, the people of Reedsburg have created conditions for economic success and overcoming setbacks. Today, visitors are drawn to the city's historic downtown, with its specialty shops and restaurants, as it has adapted to changing times. Once a railroad stop on the Chicago and Northwestern line, Reedsburg is now the trailhead for the 400 State Trail Bike Trail. Despite fires and floods, the community has always shown an ability to adapt for success.

Culver City has rivaled Hollywood for nearly a century as the "Heart of Screenland"--a center of the movie and television trades. Here, the giant Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer evolved into Sony Pictures, and the Ince and Selznick movie empires became today's Culver Studios. But the same lands along Ballona Creek had been a wilderness traversed by Native Americans and settled by hardy Spanish pioneers named Machado, Talamantes and Higuera. Union soldiers occupied the area's Civil War-era Camp Latham. By 1910, visionary Harry H. Culver saw possibilities for these ranchlands and led Culver City to incorporate in 1917. Join official city historian Julie Lugo Cerra, a descendant of early settlers, as she relates the fascinating stories of how and why Culver City grew and prospered.

Cutchogue and the neighboring waterfront hamlet of New Suffolk share a common history. Their remote location belies the fact that they witnessed events that shaped the nation's history. Among the notables who left their marks here were inventor-statesman Benjamin Franklin, whose granite mile markers have remained intact along the Kings Highway (Main Road) since 1755, and John Holland, father of the modern submarine, who used New Suffolk's harbor to test his
invention. American composer Douglas Moore resided in Cutchogue, and Alex and Louisa Hargrave, of Hargrave Vineyards fame, planted
their pioneering wine grapes here in 1973. Today, over 50 vineyards call Long Island's North Fork home. Along with rare views of residents at work and play, Cutchogue and New Suffolk shares memorable events and moments captured by photographers whose work is presented here for all to appreciate.

A gold rush in the 1790s brought people to an area in North Carolina known as White Plains. With the promise of prosperity from the gold rush and an abundance of land suitable for farming, the area was soon settled by Scotch-Irish and German pioneers. As the railroad was being built, officials asked the local postmistress to name the new railroad station. She chose Kings Mountain, after the Revolutionary War battle fought eight miles south. Over time, Kings Mountain has flourished with industries, churches, education, and cultural institutions while the friendly, hardworking residents have found success in the mines and textile mills. Kings Mountain looks back over 100 years of the city's residents as they work, study, worship, play, and celebrate their heritage.