Books published by Arcadia Publishing Library Editions

Overlooking Washington, DC, Fort Myer holds a commanding view of America's capital. Built in 1863 from the Custis-Lee estate, one of 70 defensive Civil War fortifications of the capital, this historic US Army post was known as Fort Whipple. As the war ended and reconciliation began, only this fort remained and was later renamed to honor the US Army's first signal officer, Brig. Gen. Albert J. Myer. These acres of Arlington Heights are distinguished by unique events, including the beginnings of military aviation, the Army Cavalry showcase, "The Three Sisters," and the National Weather Bureau. During World War I, Army officers trained here to fight "Over there," and today two units call Fort Myer home: the Army Band ("Pershing's Own," since 1942) and the 3rd Infantry ("The Old Guard," since 1948). Photographs and text present the evolution of this national landmark in its first 100 years, including its buildings, people, and events.

Bland County is one of the smallest counties of the Old Dominion, yet it is filled with spectacular, unspoiled, scenic vistas that rival any rural area on the North American continent. Bland County is a tree-covered paradise with no incorporated towns, and about one-third of the county's 369 square miles are included in the Jefferson National Forest. The history of Bland County after the arrival of European settlers includes stories of patriotism, independence, as well as struggles against incredible odds. The Virginia General Assembly formed Bland County on March 30, 1861. The county has always been for progress, with lumber companies arriving in the late 19th century to harvest the county's vast timber resources and the railroad following at the start of the 20th century. Bland County was also home to a huge Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930s. From communities like Ceres to No Business and Hicksville to Bland, the entire county has a great story to tell.

The first Bentonville town map was drawn with a quill pen and ink on a sheepskin document about 1836. From the beginning, Bentonville was the center of county government, attracting an ever-increasing population of prosperous-minded merchants, attorneys, real estate speculators, and their families. They served as town and county officials and built Bentonville's first homes, offices, commercial establishments, churches, and schools. After suffering through the Civil War, several experienced merchants rebuilt, and once again, the businesses of the Bentonville Square flourished. Even though none of the early businesses came close to the success of present-day Walmart, a group of retail vendors, nicknamed "The Hungry Eight," aggressively competed at the very same site where the Walmart Visitor Center is located today. Images of America: Bentonville includes many other interesting stories and photographs of historic places in Bentonville.

Located in northwestern Louisiana, DeSoto Parish exemplifies the evolution of the Southern frontier. The parish was an early Louisiana meeting ground of Frenchmen from Natchitoches, who settled along Bayou Pierre and traded with the native Caddo Indians. In the 1840s, subsistence agriculture, cattle, and moderate trade were joined by the agriculture of the cotton kingdom with its flood of new settlers, who built small farms and sizable plantations. In the late 19th century, the economy diversified as the whistle of the railroad echoed against the roar of the lumber mills. Inhabiting new station-stop towns, DeSoto Parish residents built schools, filled churches, and settled their disputes in a fine new courthouse in the parish seat of Mansfield. Comings and goings, frozen by the flash of a camera, are presented in Images of America: DeSoto Parish.

Shortly after European colonists landed at Jamestown in 1607, they established a settlement in Northampton County. Settlers caught fish and shellfish in the shallow bays and creeks along the seaside and bayside and distilled salt from seawater to help preserve this bounty through the winter. Since 1608, Northampton has provided food for Virginia and the world. Fishing, crabbing, and clam aquaculture today are still an important part of the economic backbone of Northampton, but Northampton has been best known in recent years for land-based food production. The sandy soils of Northampton have always been productive, but when the railroad was built in 1884, it gave growers a method of getting produce to markets in a timely manner. So Northampton's history and culture have centered around food--gathering it, producing it, and shipping it--and the photographs in Images of America: Northampton County document this legacy.

Like other slave-holding border states, Tennessee initially elected not to join the newly formed Confederates States of America. However, with the attack on Fort Sumter and the call for troops to put down the rebellion, Tennessee governor Isham Harris telegrammed President Lincoln, "Tennessee will not furnish a single man for the purpose of coercion, but 50,000 if necessary for the defense of our rights and those of our Southern brothers." In early June 1861, the state voted to secede from the Union and soon joined the Confederacy. Ultimately, Tennessee provided nearly 187,000 men to the Confederate cause serving in 110 regiments and 33 battalions. Images of America: Tennessee's Confederates draws upon photographs, many previously unpublished, from the collections of the Tennessee State Museum, the Tennessee State Library and Archives, the Tennessee Historical Society, and private collections to tell the stories of these soldiers from the Volunteer State.

Carefully pieced together by author Stephen E. Massengill, Around Southern Pines: A Sandhills Album provides a fascinating and unique insight into life in the Sandhills area of North Carolina from the arrival of postcard photographer E.C. Eddy in 1907 to his retirement in 1945. The work includes notonly portraits of such famous Americans as Lincoln Beachey, Gutzon Borglum, James Boyd, Annie Oakley, Donald Ross, and Walter J. Travis, but also views of ordinary citizens at work and play in Moore County. Chronicling such events as parades, fox hunts, golf tournaments, fairs and carnivals, slave reunions, and the first airplane flight in the county, Eddy's photographic collection presents a definitive account of life and expansion in the Sandhills during the first half of the twentieth century. From the resorts of Southern Pines and Pinehurst to thesurrounding towns of Aberdeen, Carthage, Lakeview, and Pine Bluff, Eddy's images beautifully illustrate a rich period in American history.

Dandridge, Tennessee, the second-oldest town in the state, was founded in 1783 by a group of Scotch-Irish settlers. It was 13 years before Tennessee became the 16th state. The town began as a small frontier settlement along the banks of the French Broad River in the short-lived state of Franklin. In 1793, Dandridge became the county seat for the newly formed Jefferson County. The county was named for then U.S. secretary of state Thomas Jefferson. Dandridge is the only town in the United States named for first lady Martha Dandridge Custis Washington. Davy Crockett married his first wife near Dandridge, and the courthouse still has his marriage bond in its archives. Over the years, it has played host to presidents Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson. During the Civil War, the Battle of Dandridge was fought there in winter 1864. In 1942, the town was saved when the Tennessee Valley Authority built a dike to protect it from the waters of Douglas Lake.

Allegany County's historical significance covers a broad range of topics and years. Established in 1789, the county rapidly developed in the 19th century due to transportation advantages, industrialization, natural resources, and the entrepreneurial spirit of its citizens. Allegany County's economy continued to expand in the 20th century, as additional industries made western Maryland their home. Industrial growth created towns and commercial opportunities that have shaped the county's character for more than two centuries.

Established in 1790, Elbert County was carved from adjacent Wilkes County and named in honor of American patriot and former governor Samuel Elbert. Located in Northeast Georgia on the Savannah and Broad Rivers, the territory witnessed Revolutionary War fighting and the creation of Fort James, Dartmouth, and Petersburg, occurring all before 1790. Later Ruckersville, Heardmont, Bowman, and Dewy Rose were established. Elberton, chosen as county seat by former governor Stephen Heard's committee, was incorporated in 1803 and dominated county history thereafter. Nancy Hart and Stephen Heard, among others, aided the revolution; merchants William and Beverly Allen forged a business path; and preachers, including Dozier Thornton, established many county churches. In later years, Corra Harris, born at Farmhill, attended Elberton Female Academy before becoming a noted writer. In the 20th century, cotton production was overshadowed by the growth of granite quarrying and finishing, leading to Elberton becoming the "Granite Capital of the World."

Wedged strategically between the Mason-Dixon Line and the Potomac River, Hagerstown was destined to play a significant role in the Civil War. A diverse community, most residents gravitated toward the blue while some sided with the gray. Slavery was not a major presence in western Maryland, yet some local residents owned slaves along this route on the Underground Railroad. The intriguing story of Hagerstown during the Civil War is captured in this volume of vintage photographs, portraits, drawings, and other illustrations. Learn the stories of participants, both local and from across the country, whose wartime experiences in Hagerstown forever affected them. From the secretive arrival of John Brown in June 1859, to recent efforts to commemorate this history, the reader will come to understand the rich heritage that can be found in Hagerstown.

A county named for the Revolutionary War general "Mad Anthony" Wayne and a county seat named in honor of the beautiful home of Thomas Jefferson is, without doubt, made up of citizens proud of their history! The town of Monticello has deep roots and a rich heritage that provide inspiration for all its citizens. It has produced musicians like "Blind" Dick Burnett, author of "Man of Constant Sorrow," and Shelby Moore Cullom, who supervised the construction of Abraham Lincoln's burial site in Springfield, Illinois. Years after Daniel Boone came through the Cumberland Gap and followed the Cumberland River into Wayne County, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed Wolf Creek Dam and created Lake Cumberland with over 1,200 miles of shoreline. Much of the lake lies in Wayne County, and enterprising citizens have made Monticello the "Houseboat Manufacturing Capital of the World."