In 1539, explorer Hernando de Soto landed near Sarasota, Florida, but centuries passed before the Sarasota-Manatee area saw many settlers. By the late 1840s, a few pioneers had arrived, but it was not until 1913 that the first Jewish person settled here. Other Jewish families followed, but no organization connected them until the Jewish Community Center of Sarasota was established in 1925. For early Jewish settlers, the biggest problem was isolation rather than discrimination. By the 1950s, when the region was experiencing a post-war population boom, some of Sarasota's most prominent citizens were Jewish. They played an enormous role in creating Sarasota's businesses, charitable organizations, and cultural assets, including the David Cohen Hall and the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The Jewish Community Council, a precursor of the Jewish Federation, formed in 1959. Sarasota-Manatee now has 13 Jewish congregations and a thriving Jewish population. While the Jewish people of the area cannot be thanked for the sunny weather, they can be thanked for helping the community shine.

Locomotive steam whistles echo no more in the forests of the north California coast. A century ago, Humboldt and Mendocino Counties had more than 40 railroads bringing logs out of the forest to mills at the water's edge. Only one single railroad ever connected to the outside world, and it too is gone. One railroad survives as the Skunk Train in Mendocino County, and it carries tourists today instead of lumber. Redwood and tan oak bark were the two products moved by rail, and very little else was hauled other than lumberjacks and an occasional picnic excursion for loggers' families. Economic depressions and the advent of trucking saw railroads vanish like a puff of steam from the landscape.

In 1850, the New Jersey Legislature created Ocean County and Brick Township, naming it for Joseph W. Brick, the industrious owner of Bergen Iron Works. At the beginning of the 20th century, Brick Township was a rural community. Up until the 1920s, postcards of the township were primarily architectural images. Brick Township contains updated images of familiar names and places: Emma Havens Young, for whom an elementary school has been named; the very popular Red Lion Tavern, later called the Red Lion Inn; the progression of four bridges crossing Barnegat Bay to the peninsula area of Brick Township; and Traders Cove Marina as it looked in the 1950s when it was called Pleasure Cove Marina. There are postcards from summer camps, such as Camp NEJECHO and Metedeconk Summer Camp, and from summer resorts, such as Breton Woods, Riviera Beach, and Normandy Beach.

Located on the banks of the Delaware River, Fort Mott was once part of a three-fort system that protected the ports and industry of New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. When completed in 1896, Fort Mott was one of the most technologically advanced fortifications of the period. Originally called the Battery at Finns Point, in 1897 it was renamed in honor of Maj. Gen. Gershom Mott, a New Jersey native who commanded with distinction during the Civil War and later served as state treasurer and commander of New Jersey's National Guard. When fully garrisoned with troops, the Army post was its own little town, complete with a hospital, bakery, stores, and sport fields. Coast Artillery Corps soldiers manned the fort until 1944, when the Army decided to abandon the site. In 1947, the state purchased the property, and in 1951, Fort Mott State Park opened to the public. Today, many of the buildings and fortifications are open for tours, and ongoing preservation and rehabilitation efforts are preserving the site for future generations.

When European settlers first came to Cuming County, they saw only what the Omaha, Pawnee, Otoe, and Ponca, and a few early trappers and traders had always seen: grass. They found acres of big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, and sideoats grama. With slough grass growing as tall as a man on horseback, landmarks--a lone tree or a bend in the river--helped them find their way home to families burrowed into their dugouts like gophers on a mound-dotted prairie. Beginning in the 1860s, railroad tracks crisscrossed the state, bringing Germans, Bohemians, Scandinavians, Irish, and more. Eventually, a network of dirt roads, graveled county roads, and paved highways replaced the deer paths and Indian trails. So has run the winding path of Cuming County's continual transformation into a patchwork quilt of farm fields, cattle yards, homes, and businesses, stitched together with the firm threads that make a county strong.

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year

Twenty-five years ago, after Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, Gerald Ford promised a return to normalcy. "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over," President Ford declared.

But it was not. The Watergate scandal, and the remedies against future abuses of power, would have an enduring impact on presidents and the country. In Shadow, Bob Woodward takes us deep into the administrations of Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton to describe how each discovered that the presidency was forever altered. With special emphasis on the human toll, Woodward shows the consequences of the new ethics laws, and the emboldened Congress and media. Powerful investigations increasingly stripped away the privacy and protections once expected by the nation's chief executive.

Shadow is an authoritative, unsettling narrative of the modern, beleaguered presidency.

Eagle may be the only city in the arid American West that was first settled on an island. Four young miners left Idaho's gold fields in 1863 to farm what is today called Eagle Island, between the Boise River's north and south channels. Not easily accessed by Indian raiding parties, the island also allowed ready irrigation of the first croplands. It was an island farming couple, Tom and Mary Aiken, that founded the village of Eagle on the north "mainland" starting in 1895. An interurban trolley in 1907 greatly stimulated the growth of the township, which became a service and food processing center for a large, rural hinterland. Nevertheless, Eagle was still a small farming town when it finally incorporated in 1971. During subsequent decades, though, it was transformed by explosive growth and upscale development into one of the wealthiest communities in the Pacific Northwest. Golf courses, hobby farms, a preoccupation with the arts, and foothill vineyards all attest to Eagle's modern affluence. However, this history largely focuses on Eagle's modest agricultural yesteryear.

Gideon Morris, for whom the town is named, was granted a tract of land by North Carolina in 1787. The settlement flourished because important early travel routes intersected here, and in 1855 Morristown was officially incorporated. The city's continued growth coincided with the coming of the railroad to east Tennessee. Over the next 50 years, Morristown blossomed into a retail center for surrounding communities. Influences of war heroes, entrepreneurs, musicians, early aviators, and other big-time personalities have stemmed from the town's humble beginnings. Civil War battles such as the Battle of Morristown and Gilliam's Stampede were fought here. In the 1940s, during the height of World War II, the Tennessee Valley Authority created Cherokee Reservoir in order to help meet its emergency energy demands. Today, the downtown SkyMart system is world famous for its unique design of second-level sidewalks.

Fort Sam Houston has been San Antonio's Army post since 1845. Originally located in the city, elements of the post began moving to Government Hill in 1876. Fort Sam Houston became one of America's most important military installations, witnessing the end of the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, the birth of military aviation, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. "Fort Sam" contributed more than one million soldiers and airmen to the defense of the United States, including many of its most distinguished leaders. Its contributions to the nation merited its designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1974. More than 800 historic buildings are within its boundaries--more than at Colonial Williamsburg and the largest collection on any installation within the Department of Defense. Images of America: Fort Sam Houston portrays the fort during its first hundred years on Government Hill.

Settlers came to the North Fork Valley after the Ute Indians departed from the area in September 1881. The fertile valley was surrounded by rugged mountains to the east, the majestic Grand Mesa to the north, the bleak "dobie" desert, and the meandering North Fork River. Arriving with just enough provisions to get by, the new settlers brought fruit trees, developed their water sources, and discovered coal, and soon, the arrival of the train made the possibilities of the valley a reality. Working together, the settlers founded the main communities of Hotchkiss, Paonia, and Crawford. Today, coal is the number one industry, wineries are abundant, artists love to display their talents, and it is a great place to live.

In 1833, a New Hampshire industrialist named Daniel Pratt moved south. Pratt established the largest cotton gin factory in the world and, with it, a town known fittingly as Prattville. Soon this humble hamlet outside Montgomery became an industrial hub, fueling Alabama's antebellum cotton production. Prattville weathered the Civil War and recovered faster than any other Alabama town, as Pratt collected on debts owed from his Northern accounts. Since then, Prattville has continued to grow in important ways, gradually shifting from an industrial epicenter to a forward-looking city and a beloved hometown. Through floods, tornadoes, damaging fires and shifting economic conditions, Prattville and its townspeople endured. Now, authors Marc and Melissa Parker ensure that Prattville's history will also endure by recounting the Fountain City's proud heritage.

When Crandal Mackey was elected commonwealth's attorney in 1903, he set his sights on the illegal bars, bordellos and casinos of Alexandria County. The Virginia county--now Arlington County and parts of Alexandria--was plagued by crime in the streets and corruption at City Hall. Armed with a shotgun and accompanied by an axe-wielding posse, Mackey embarked on a crusade, busting up saloons and conducting raids throughout the county. When the dust settled, Mackey had shut down an infamous racetrack in Del Ray and politicians on the take in Alexandria County's political machine. Yet, in 1915 he mysteriously withdrew his bid for another term. Author Michael Lee Pope uncovers the little-known story of one man's battle to rid Alexandria and Arlington of sinister vice and violent crime.

Newsman Chet Huntley and his consortium developed Big Sky Resort in the early 1970s. Since then, it has grown to become a year-round, world-class recreation area with "the Biggest Skiing in America," four ski resorts, and a vibrant community around them. Located on the meadows of the West Fork in the Gallatin Canyon, this area was, early on, a microcosm of pioneer hardiness and activity characteristic of the Northern Rocky Mountains. Throughout its early history, one finds Native Americans, trappers, miners, loggers, cowboys, and ranchers. Some of their ventures failed and some succeeded as the land and weather allowed. The most successful ventures were the dude ranches that introduced the pleasures that remain today--hunting, fishing, trail rides, touring Yellowstone Park, and even skiing. Outdoor adventure in an authentic American Western setting was, and is, Big Sky.

Although Delaware is a small state, it has a rich history of horse-related activities, one of them being horse racing. From the early 1900s, horses have been used for various reasons, including farm work, means of transportation, pasture ornament, pleasure riding, and the popular sport of horse racing. Delaware Horse Racing takes the reader back decades to the good old days of popular tracks, such as Brandywine Raceway, Georgetown Raceway, Delaware Park Raceway, Dover Downs Raceway, and Harrington Raceway, where Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds raced hard and fast on half-mile and five-eighths-mile dirt tracks. Gathered from the collections of horsemen and horsewomen, previously unpublished historical photographs show legendary owners, trainers, drivers, and racehorses.

In 1876 wealthy Bostonian Pierson Beebe chose a secluded hill in Falmouth, Massachusetts, as the spot to build his summer cottage, Highfield Hall. The following year, his brother James Arthur Beebe began construction next door on his own mansion, Tanglewood. The Beebe Woods and the surrounding buildings do not simply belong to the history of one wealthy Boston family. Rather, the land that they preserved, the architecture they created and the cultural activities they promoted are deeply rooted in Falmouth's history. Author Kathleen Brunelle's grandparents were the caretakers of the cottages, and she grew up exploring their many secrets. Join Brunelle as she narrates the remarkable history of these treasured Falmouth landmarks and once again wanders the historic rooms of Highfield Hall.

In 1820, abolitionist Quakers from North Carolina settled in Plainfield, Indiana. These early settlers provided the foundation for Plainfield's rich heritage, which has evolved into today's diverse blend of residents. In 1832, Levi Jessup and Elias Hadley platted the town of Plainfield with 64 lots straddling the National Road. The record of the first lot sold is dated May 2, 1833--much has happened since that day. Images of America: Plainfield presents a visual journey into Plainfield's past through nostalgic images of early downtown buildings, the Indiana Boys' School, the railroad, schools, churches, and much more.

Until the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, Buffalo was a sleepy town. Access to an abundant supply of fresh water led to a thriving farming industry, provided a means of transportation, and powered mills and factories. Adding to the hustle and bustle of the city's busy new harbor was Joseph Dart's local invention of the grain elevator. Buffalo's location on Lake Erie, and its growth during the second industrial revolution, helped the city become the eighth largest in America and established it as the Queen City. It has been home to future presidents and inventors who have influenced millions. The city's original radial street design, the layout of its parks, and its majestic architecture make Buffalo fascinating and unique.

Once known as the "Wanamaker of the South," Cohen Brothers department store captured the hearts of thousands of Jacksonville residents. Metro Jacksonville writers Ennis Davis and Sarah Gojekian take a wonderful trip through the store, from its beginnings as a dry goods enterprise in a small log cabin to its growth into a trend-setting retail institution and the final poignant closing of its doors. Davis and Gojekian brilliantly combine interviews with former employees, stories from the vibrant atmosphere the store created and memories from longtime residents to bring readers back to the bright glow and elegance of one of the South's most distinctive enterprises.

As Crescenta Valley residents gathered to ring in the 1934 New Year, a cloudburst broke over Southern California's San Gabriel Mountains, unleashing a deluge on mountainsides denuded by recent fires. A roaring wall of rocks, mud and water crashed down the canyons, uprooting trees, tossing boulders and automobiles like toys and carving a path of destruction. Using painstaking research and heart-rending firsthand accounts, historian Art Cobery paints a picture of survival and redemption in the face of natural disaster, including the heroic efforts of eleven-year-old Marcie Warfield to save her father and younger brother, the devastating debris flow that claimed the lives of refugees and aid workers at the American Legion Hall and the selfless acts of neighbors caught in the storm of events.

The snow-laden slopes of the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains have beckoned Southland skiers since the 1930s. Many once-cherished ski areas have disappeared, yet their history remains. A short drive from the sun and sand, places like Rebel Ridge and Kratka Ridge offered snowy escapes. Thrilling races were held at the First International Pine Needle Ski Tournament in North Hollywood, while the San Diego Ski Club boasted Dorothy McClung Wullich, the first female member of the National Ski Patrol. Ingrid Wicken, ski historian and founder of the California Ski Library, chronicles Southern California's lost mountain getaways and the vanished ski areas that introduced everything from rope tows to artificial snow.

In the late nineteenth century, many Italian immigrants settled in Newark. For these newcomers, the Church became a source of community and strength. Feasts of Patron Saints from their paese, or village in Italy, were a tradition that helped make the new country feel more like the old. At St. Lucy's Church, parishioners held the first Feast of St. Gerard Maiella--the unofficial patron of mothers, children and the unborn--in October 1899, and it has been held every year since. As the decades have passed, generation after generation of Italian Americans return annually to celebrate their heritage and Catholic faith and express their gratitude for St. Gerard's powerful intercession. In this way, the Feast of St. Gerard, the treasure of their grandparents, has become part of their descendants' heritage.

Louisiana was founded in 1818, and by 1866 it was the 12th largest city in Missouri. The city's proximity to the Mississippi River fostered lumber, tobacco, and agriculture industries and lured river captains and others whose commerce depended on the river. In 1873, another form of transit bolstered the city with the construction of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Bridge. The third bridge built across the Mississippi, it remains in use today. Pardee College, founded in Louisiana, became McCune College in 1881 and closed in 1895. Funded by Andrew Carnegie, the Louisiana Public Library opened in 1905. Louisiana has been home to famous people, silent movie stars, a governor, a senator, a Carpathia passenger, and many others. The natural beauty of the city's setting remains and Southern hospitality continues.