The area of Amalthea, better known as Central College, was platted by Timothy Lee in 1816. Situated three miles southeast of Westerville, Central College was built along Big Walnut Creek. A college known as the Blendon Institute was formed in 1832. In 1842, the institute was given to the Presbyterian church to form the Central College of Ohio. However, due to financial struggles, the school--later known as Central College Academy--closed in 1894. The Ohio School for the Deaf Alumni Association purchased the defunct school property and created the Ohio Home for the Aged and Infirm Deaf; it was the first home of its kind in the state. The village of Central College filled with excitement when the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon and Delaware Railroad was slated to pass though town in 1873. However, the railroad announced that it would instead pass though Westerville, and because of the lack of public transportation though Central College, the town failed to grow.

Founded in 1796, Youngstown, Ohio, was for many years a small community hugging the banks of the Mahoning River. Although the area was an iron-producing region beginning in the early 19th century, it was steel that gave the Mahoning Valley and its largest city its signature identity. The images in this volume reflect the overwhelming presence of the steel industry and its enormous impact on the lives of the city's people. From the built environment to the neighborhoods, public buildings, and its very workplaces, steel was the lifeblood of this city. At its peak, Youngstown was the second-largest steel-producing region in the United States, and the mills lining the Mahoning River gave the area its sobriquet: "America's Ruhr Valley." Youngstown was indeed "built on steel."

East Carolina University was founded by the State of North Carolina in 1907 as a teacher training school meant to provide professionally trained faculty for schools in the eastern part of the state. Within two decades, the school matured into a teacher's college. Although coeducational from the start, the vast majority of the student body early on was female. Following World War II and the gender transformation of higher education resulting from successive GI Bills, East Carolina emerged with increasing balance as the male student body grew to match the female population on campus. In subsequent decades, East Carolina continued to expand academically, emerging as a research university with a medical school and a dental school. Today, ECU is a leading producer of K-12 teachers in the Southeast as well as a leader nationwide in training practitioners of family medicine. The impressive development of East Carolina has flowed from its embodiment of the school's ethic of service to the local community and, in the broadest context, the best interests of humanity.

Columbus, Indiana, is a vibrant small city known for its modern architecture and for housing the world headquarters of Cummins, Inc., a global manufacturer of engines and engine components. Since its founding in 1821, Columbus transformed from a mostly agricultural town into a center of manufacturing and commerce, unusual for a town its size. Along the way, many colorful individuals played significant roles in the city's history. Names of early settlers--including Irwin, Perry, Marr, Glick, and Crump--formed the backbone of a growing community. As industry expanded throughout the county in the 19th century, names of enterprising individuals included Mooney, Lincoln, Brown, and Reeves. After the turn of the 20th century, some businesses faded away as new ones appeared and new names such as Cummins, Noblitt, and Hamilton emerged. Over the years, the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller family played a large role in Columbus's development as a livable city. Numerous others also left their marks in big and small ways creating a unique place that has been labeled by various national publications as safe, playful, beautiful, historic, and architecturally significant.

East Peoria is unique with its hills and valleys, scenic bluffs, and views of the Illinois River. Native Americans and early settlers were drawn here, but taming the land did not come without its hardships; the area was prone to floods. Joseph Schertz first platted what was known as Bluetown in 1864. The area's resources attracted industry, and the town thrived. The city of East Peoria was established in 1919. This collection of photographs provides a glimpse into the past lives of those who lived, worked, and played in the community. Much like today, the East Peoria residents of yesteryear included business owners, firefighters, musicians, teachers, churchgoers, laborers, and more. Other photographs illustrate the hardships people endured to pave the way for generations to come. Many locals will recognize names such as Davis, Sommerfield, and Spinder, as well as the city's former landmarks.

As a northeast Florida seaside resort, Jacksonville Beach began as the dream of some businessmen in nearby Jacksonville in the 1880s. From the beginning, it was a place people came to have fun. The earliest visitors arrived by ferry and train and even by plane, landing on the beach. The first narrow-gauge railroad ran from Jacksonville to what is now the foot of Beach Boulevard in the heart of town, originally named Ruby and then Pablo Beach. In the 1920s, when Florida was experiencing a land boom, some local businessmen pushed to change the name to Jacksonville Beach to attract more tourists, investors, and full-time residents. For many decades, Jacksonville Beach was known as "the world's finest beach." People came to enjoy its boardwalk and roller coasters, as well as the ability to drive on the beach, dance on the pier, swim, fish, and later surf. From the beginning, they took pictures of their grand adventures, which can be seen in the pages of this book.

Fairfax was settled in the early 18th century by farmers from the Piedmont region. The city is situated in the heart of Fairfax County, southwest of Washington, DC. For years, Fairfax served as an important agricultural, trade, and judicial hub in the suburbs of the nation's capital. The area was serviced by the Washington, Arlington & Falls Church Railway, one of Northern Virginia's two electric railways, which provided a direct line from Washington, DC, to Fairfax. Today, Fairfax has a vibrant downtown that helps support the over 20,000 residents who live in the city. Fairfax shares photographs of its rich historic landmarks, including the Ratcliffe-Allison House, Truro Rectory, Blenheim, and the long-standing court house.

On August 21, 1741, the area west of what is now the town of West Warwick was incorporated into the Township of Coventry. The railroad would traverse Coventry in the mid-1800s, providing the gristmills, sawmills, and farmers with a quicker way to send their goods to market and to receive supplies in return. Along with the railroad came the industry of harvesting wood to supply the locomotives with fuel. In the mid-1900s, the railroads disappeared and the mills began moving south where cotton was grown. The majority of Coventry has evolved into a service town with banks, retail stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, and the like. To travel to the western portion of Coventry today is like stepping back in time, where life moves at a slower pace and the post office is still in the local general store. The eastern portion of Washington, Quidnick, and Anthony has remained a busy area where businesses have replaced the mills.

In the early 1890s, Humphrey Barker Chamberlin installed a lifeline to his namesake suburb west of the city. A trolley connected to Arlington Heights Boulevard at the Trinity River's Clear Fork and chugged across prairie land to reach Chamberlin Arlington Heights. Camp Bowie, a soldiers' city, sprawled over both sides of the road from 1917 until 1919. At the Great War's end, the stretch west of present-day University Drive became the commemorative Camp Bowie Boulevard. The 1920s brought twin ribbons of cordovan-colored brick pavement, the prestige of inclusion in the Bankhead Highway network, and westering developers of another elite village: Ridglea. Midway through the Great Depression, the Will Rogers complex arose on a farm tract, visible from the thoroughfare, to host Texas Centennial celebrations and a special livestock exposition. Museums began claiming adjacent space in the 1950s. By the second decade of the 21st century, Camp Bowie Boulevard bisected a built environment both modern and historic.

Come along for the journey that is today's Tacoma Rail, from its humble beginning as a rickety trolley line to the economic engine that helps power the Port of Tacoma and surrounding communities. Once called the "Step Child Utility," today, Tacoma Rail moves more than 82,000 rail shipments on 204 miles of track annually and contributes more than $1.6 million in tax revenues to the city of Tacoma.

Nestled in the rough and tumble Osage Hills of northeast Oklahoma, Woolaroc is a place of magic. The sound the wind makes whistling through the blackjack oaks, the water lapping against the shores of Clyde Lake, and the thundering hooves of a herd of American bison create a symphony of nature on the more than 3,600 acres that make up Woolaroc. The woods, lakes, and rocks of this region inspired oil magnate Frank Phillips, the founder of Phillips Petroleum, to build a rustic lodge getaway for his family in 1925. Away from the boardrooms of New York City and the more refined atmosphere of his grand home in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Phillips could unwind and relax. Entertaining family, friends, business associates, and dignitaries at the lodge at Woolaroc was one of Phillips's favorite things to do when he was not working. Today, Woolaroc is home to one of the nation's finest collections of Western art and attracts visitors the world over. The spirit of the Oklahoma oilmen and pioneers that made the state great is alive and well in Woolaroc.

The Olympic Hot Springs served as a destination resort in the Olympic Mountains near Port Angeles, Washington, for 60 years. Andrew Jacobsen is considered the first to discover the springs, nestled 2,100 feet up in the Elwha River valley, in 1892. Today, individuals still hike up the Elwha trail to soak in the earthen pools of mineral water, unaware that years ago it was home to a legendary resort. While on a hunting trip in 1907, Billy Everett, "Slim" Farrell, and Charlie Anderson rediscovered the springs and began work developing the site of Olympic Hot Springs, hewing logs into wood baths and building a cabin and bathhouse along the hillside. Everett went on to become proprietor of the enterprise, which opened to the public in 1909. In the years to follow, cabins, pools, and lodges were constructed along the hillside above Boulder Creek, and the beloved resort thrived with visitors. In 1940, the resort was annexed into the Olympic National Park, and it was later closed in 1966.

Situated along the Pigeon River Valley near the Great Smoky Mountains, Canton offers a fascinating history rooted in hard work and community pride. The construction of roads, bridges, and railroad lines by the late 1800s resulted in a growing population and turned the sleepy hamlet known as Ford of Pigeon into the bustling town of Canton. Spruce and chestnut forests in the region lured Ohio industrialist Peter G. Thomson to build the Champion Fibre Company in the center of town. Today, it is known as Evergreen Packaging, and the town continues to celebrate its workforce with one of the longest-running Labor Day festivals in the nation. Canton showcases the rich industrial history of this North Carolina mountain town, while also highlighting contributions from schools, churches, community leaders, local businesses, and sports teams.

Since its inception in 1705, Newtown has been an agricultural community at heart. Small, self-sufficient, subsistence farms grew but not substantially enough to overcome competition from the South and Midwest. Men like Ezra Johnson continued to farm until the beginning of the 20th century; others turned to dairy farming, like Israel Nezvesky, or to wholesale nursery operations, like Charles Newman, or to viniculture, like Morgan McLaughlin. Industry made contributions to Newtown's economic landscape in the 19th century through the efforts of William Cole of the New York Belting and Packing Company and Samuel Curtis of Curtis Packaging. James Brunot, developer of Scrabble, and William Upham, inventor of the tea bag, continued to innovate and form Newtown's unique culture. Community commitment thrives today through people like Laurie McCollum, who continues her grandfather's tradition as manager of Lorenzo's Restaurant, and Diane Wardenburg, who carries on Ginny Lathrop's legacy by guiding the Lathrop School of Dance to serve a new generation of aspiring dancers.

Although best known for the cannonball in a column of its Greek Revival courthouse, Lexington was also an outfitting stop on the Santa Fe Trail. Merchants and freighters such as the Aull brothers and Russell, Majors, and Waddell contributed to its prominence, as did steamboats transporting large quantities of hemp and tobacco. Following the Battle of Lexington, Union occupation, and robberies by the James-Younger Gang, the railroads' need for coal led to the expansion of local mines and an influx of immigrants. New prosperity also led to the founding of four private schools, including Wentworth Military Academy. Providing entertainment for the miners was the notorious Block 42, which extended through Prohibition and the Depression. Since that time, Lexington has become a regional service center and a tourist destination.

Before the post-World War II construction boom, Bedford, Massachusetts, was considered little more than a sleepy farming community, yet it was host to a series of remarkable institutions. In the late 1800s, the Bedford Springs resort on Fawn Lake was a summertime haven for wealthy Bostonians. From 1902 to 1918, large crowds traveled by streetcar to Lexington Park in Bedford to enjoy its zoo, restaurant, and rustic outdoor theater. In 1900, Bedford's reputation as a rural "temperance town" attracted a hospital for the treatment of alcoholism. Ten years later, the Willard Hospital was succeeded by Llewsac Lodge, a rest home and country retreat for women from the city. Proximity to Boston and the needs of both military and civil aviation led to the construction of the Laurence G. Hanscom Airport in 1941. Today, Bedford is an integral part of the Boston area's high-technology industry while still retaining a small-town character that its residents cherish.

Today, Shepherd University is recognized for its outstanding programs in liberal arts, business administration, computer and natural sciences, and professional studies. In 1871, the school opened its doors to 42 students who were guided under the leadership of its first principal, Joseph McMurran. The West Virginia Legislature passed an act in February 1872 to establish a branch of the state normal school for teacher training at Shepherd. Teacher education remained the cornerstone of Shepherd University for more than a century. This pictorial history presents how academics, athletics, and student life transformed over the decades to educate a diverse student body in more than 60 undergraduate programs and five graduate programs.

The simple lifestyle once shared by many families on rural farmlands in Cordova is but a dream of yesteryear, as those days are long gone. Early settlers spread into the adjacent communities of Sanga, Bethany, Pisgah, Lenow, and Morning Sun, and children from these areas went to the original brick Cordova School. Families held social gatherings at the school and local churches. At one time, 92 percent of the fresh flowers sold in Memphis were grown in Cordova; thus the town's motto: "Farms, Flowers, Fellowship." Though it was eventually annexed by the City of Memphis, many historic homes and buildings still remain in the old town area in the heart of Cordova.