Books published by Arcadia Publishing Library Editions

The influential and adventurous Chicago socialite Mrs. Potter Palmer (Bertha) struck out for Florida in 1910, eventually buying thousands of acres of land across the state. In 1914, after setting up residence in Sarasota, she established Riverhills, a hunting preserve on 19,000 acres in the area now known as Temple Terrace. Local historians believe it was Palmer's vision to create one of America's first planned golf course communities, where every Mediterranean Revival villa sold would include its own grove. Intended to provide a hobby and part-time income for the wealthy Northerners lured to the Sunshine State, 5,000 acres were planted with the exotic hybrid Temple orange--making up the largest citrus grove in the world at the time. The new city was named after the orange and for the sloping terrain of the land along the Hillsborough River.

T-Bar-V Ranch went off the air in 1970, but ask any Louisville baby boomer to sing the theme song and you'll instantly hear, "Brush your teeth each morning / Get lots of sleep at night / Mind your mom and daddy / Cause they know what is right." Such is the power of homegrown television. This book is a look at Louisville television history over the last 50 years, from T-Bar-V to Tom Wills's retirement. Along the way, you will catch a glimpse of Diane Sawyer (as the WLKY "weather girl") and dozens of images of locally produced musical shows, game shows, talk shows, children's shows, and newscasts--not to mention all the lyrics to the T-Bar-V Ranch opening and closing theme song.

Lake Wales, "Crown Jewel of the Scenic Highlands," is nestled among rolling hills and sparkling lakes in the geographic center of Florida. Before the 1900s, this area of the Lake Wales Ridge was considered spectacularly beautiful but uninhabitable because the virgin forests did not have road or railroad access. Only Native Americans and a few white hunters had camped there. G. V. Tillman explored the untamed area in 1902 and fell in love with the beauty. He knew that the land was ideal for citrus, the old-growth pines could provide profits from turpentine, and the natural beauty would attract quality settlers to build a quality town. He shared his vision with three other businessmen, and together they formed the Lake Wales Land Company in 1911. Their timing was perfect. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad reached Lake Wales that year and brought on the boom time.

The story of Bridgewater is one of survival. Since its founding in 1835, this community has endured six major floods, economic crises, and a war that took place on its own soil. Despite the adversity it faced, the town has not only prevailed but has grown into one of the strongest and most progressive towns in Virginia.

South Charleston was named for its location on the south bank of the Kanawha River near Charleston. Kanawha Land Company formed the city by combining three farms and securing titles to approximately 2,000 acres in 1906. The area, consisting of hill and bottom land, was used to establish an industrial town. Free land and cheap fuel were offered to plants to locate in South Charleston. By 1907, the town site had been surveyed, and stone from the South Charleston Crusher Company's quarry at Spring Hill was used to pave the sidewalks and some streets. Banner and Dunkirk Glass companies were the town's first businesses, followed by the Ordnance Center and chemical companies.

Cleburne County is strategically located between the two major cities of Birmingham and Atlanta. Once a part of Benton County, Cleburne County was officially created in 1866 by the Alabama legislature and named in honor of Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne, who served the Confederacy during the Civil War. The Talladega National Forest covers the western half of the county and includes Mount Cheaha, the highest point in the state. Cleburne County gained national notoriety in the 1840s when gold was discovered around Arbacoochee, which became one of the largest mining towns in the state. Over $5 million in gold was mined there. In the early 1900s, the area's mild climate and rich soil drew several hundred settlers from northern states who came to Cleburne County and established a wine-producing colony, Fruithurst, which produced as much as 23,000 gallons per year.

Before the arrival of Spanish and French explorers, Green Cove Springs was inhabited by various groups of the Timucua Indians. When Spain relinquished Florida at the end of the French and Indian War, British aristocrats established several large rice and indigo plantations. During the 1850s, Magnolia Springs become a popular winter resort when Dr. Nathan Benedict of New York established the first hotel around 1853. After the Civil War, the area become popular with northern citizens, and Magnolia Springs boasted of having the largest and most opulent hotel, while Green Cove Springs contained eight hotels and the famous spring from which the town drew its name. Since 1871, Green Cove Springs has been the county seat of Clay County. Over time, the town saw itself become a large winter resort and home to one the navy's largest mothball fleets after World War II. Today the hotels and navy are gone, but it remains the county seat with a thriving community and small-town charm.

The story of Takoma Park begins in 1883 when B. F. Gilbert purchased 90 acres of hilly woodlands straddling the District of Columbia-Maryland border and laid out Washington's first railroad suburb, ideally situated for the families of federal workers. Envisioning a healthful and forward-looking community, Gilbert also arranged for leaders of the health-minded Seventh-day Adventist Church to move to Takoma Park. By the early 20th century, the town was well established, and residents were creating traditions to pass on to those who followed, including an Independence Day celebration that is one of the oldest in the state. Community activism has been a hallmark of Takoma Park since a 1965 plan to build a freeway through the heart of the town. This sparked a citizen-led protest that stopped construction and led to the creation of historic districts on both sides of the D.C.-Maryland boundary line. The city's reputation as a feisty and culturally diverse community continues to be a source of pride, attracting artists, activists, and new residents from countries around the world.

Overcoming its tumultuous beginnings, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston has matured into a distinguished and active voice for West Virginians. One of the most unique aspects of the diocese's 160-year history is the diversity of the landscape, culture, ethnicity, and dialect that characterizes the state's identity. From Wheeling to Beckley and Martinsburg to Parkersburg, the story of our diocese comes from the individuals who established and nurtured the Catholic faith in their local communities. Without generations of the dedicated faithful, the diocese would not have thrived. Through a variety of images, this book tells the story of the generations that continued striving to give a voice to this unique Catholic community. In addition, professional researchers and local readers alike will find this volume's rare perspective of history through the lived experience of the subjects refreshing.

Before it was a colonial village, Reister's Town was home to tribes of the Susquehanna who lived and hunted plentiful wildlife amidst the dense primeval woods. Travelers journeyed on narrow Native American trails from remote areas through what is now Reisterstown while on their way to the nearby bustling harbor in Baltimore Town. Dirt roads afforded a tiresome trip, and a man's throat would easily become parched from the dust. John Reister, an enterprising German immigrant, was one of these early travelers. Reister recognized that the area, only a day's travel from Baltimore, would make an ideal site for an inn where weary travelers could rest and recoup. In 1758, Reister founded the town on 20 acres that the Calverts had granted him. Soon after, in 1768, Daniel Bower, a Revolutionary War colonel, settled on nearby land and built a tavern reputed to have accommodated George Washington. By 1800, Reister's Town was a busy community boasting shops, a tannery, blacksmith, inn, and taverns, which were all vital to the growth of the town and nearby communities.

In December 1910, Indian traders John and Louisa Wetherill opened their trading post--with a tent for supplies (and sleeping) and a store counter of boards laid across two barrels. From that modest beginning, Kayenta became the center of Navajo gatherings and exploring expeditions to Rainbow Bridge, Monument Valley, and the grand cliff dwellings in Tsegi Canyon. Soon came a parade of visitors, including authors, painters, and archaeologists, as well as cowboys, miners, traders, and tourists. The Kayenta Township today is home to descendants of the early inhabitants and the hub for thousands of annual visitors from around the world who come to see the magnificent region known as Monument Valley.

Decades before Walt Disney's dream took root in central Florida, tourists flocked to a place on the banks of the St. Johns River known simply as South Jacksonville. Although small and rural, it played a large part in the history of Florida, helping establish a premier tourist destination. South Jacksonville evolved into San Marco, whose unique history rivals anything found in a best-selling novel. That history includes steamships and bridges, ostriches and alligators, sharpshooters and daredevils, train wrecks, haunted theaters, sprawling plantations, Oriental gardens, "The Coney Island of the South," Creature from the Black Lagoon, Babe Ruth, John Phillip Sousa, Tom Mix, and an elephant named Toddles. All played a part in the rich and varied history that is San Marco.

African Americans were present in Davidson County long before it was officially formed from Rowan County in 1822. The exact time or place of settlement remains in question. They served not only in the stereotypical roles of farm laborers and house slaves but also as skilled traders, blacksmiths, furniture makers, and artisans. From Petersville, Southmont, Thomasville, Midway, Lexington, Belltown, Reeds, Churchland, and tiny areas in between, great men and women found a sense of stability. They made a life out of the scraps that were left behind. This collection of historical photographs is a textured look at African Americans in Davidson County. Images of community notables like A. B. Bingham, Charles England, Rev. A. T. Evans, and Etta Michael White and iconic structures like St. Stephen United Methodist Church, Dunbar High School, and the Hut, these photographs weave together stories that outline the African American journey.

Hot Spring County was established in 1829, and its county seat, Malvern, was laid out as a station on the Cairo and Fulton Railroad in 1873. A remarkable diversity of agricultural, timber, and mineral products spurred the county's growth over the decades, especially the abundant clay deposits that made Malvern the "Brick Capitol of the World."

Decatur proudly proclaims itself a city of "homes, schools, and places of worship." While that motto might seem to describe any number of small towns, the words accurately capture the essence of Decatur, a place of fine and humble homes, well-regarded schools, and large, active churches. Founded by the Georgia legislature in 1823 to be the county seat of DeKalb County, Decatur took its name from Commodore Stephen Decatur, a U.S. naval hero of the early 1800s. In the years since, Decatur has grown into a busy suburb of neighboring Atlanta, produced Agnes Scott College, and attracted both the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital and Columbia Theological Seminary. Decatur has been home to fascinating Georgians, including Civil War memoirist Mary Gay and writer Rebecca Latimer Felton, the first woman to be seated as a U.S. senator (if only for a day).

Perched near the eastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Waynesville has long been an attractive destination with its stunning vistas, cool mountain air, and small town charm. For centuries, the Cherokee lived and hunted in what is now western North Carolina. After the Revolutionary War, white settlers moved into the area from all directions to farm and build a new life on the frontier. By the end of the 18th century, families had established a small community known as Mount Prospect. In 1810, the town was renamed Waynesville after the Revolutionary War general "Mad" Anthony Wayne. With the coming of the railroad in the 1880s, Waynesville blossomed as a summer retreat for guests who came to stay at numerous boardinghouses and hotels. By the early 1900s, Waynesville's neighboring town, Hazelwood, became a hotbed of industrial growth with lumber mills and assorted factories producing furniture, leather goods, and rubber products. Hazelwood later merged with Waynesville in 1995.

Pendleton County, carved from parts of Bracken and Campbell Counties in 1798, sits halfway between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lexington, Kentucky. The Pendleton name came from the early group of Virginia settlers who founded Falmouth, the county seat, at the confluence of the Licking Rivers. They selected this name to honor Edmund Pendleton, a Virginia statesman and surveyor of Kentucky. The landscape offered gently rolling hills, the two Licking Rivers, and their tributaries as a place to settle and prosper. Within the valleys and rich bottomlands of these hills, the communities of Falmouth, Butler, DeMossville, Catawba, Goforth, McKinneysburg, Boston Station, Morgan, Flour Creek, Mt. Auburn, and all the small business centers grew and prospered. Pendleton County has provided their community, state, and country with citizens who served as legislators, ministers, soldiers, education leaders, entertainers, business entrepreneurs, and a Nobel Prize-winning scientist.

Montgomery's first neighborhoods were nestled close to downtown for convenient shopping and working. In 1887, the electric trolley system made living beyond the city limits feasible. The first streetcar suburb, Highland Park, was developed the same year. Although Centennial Hill, Cottage Hill, the Garden District, and the Old Line Street neighborhoods existed before the trolley, it spurred their growth. Capitol Heights and Cloverdale incorporated as separate cities by 1908. Cloverdale Idlewild developed around the 1930s--by which time the automobile and bus line had replaced the trolley. Images of America: Montgomery's Historic Neighborhoods documents the changes from inner city to suburban residences and from mass transportation to the automobile. The images show the evolution of photography from formal, professional portraits to fun, family snapshots capturing birthday parties, pageants, pets, and everyday life. These compelling photographs also show how residents lived, worked, studied, worshipped, and played for over a century in Montgomery's historic neighborhoods.

Bordered by the Oconee River on the west and the Altamaha River on the south, formed where the Ocmulgee and Oconee Rivers collide head-on at the forks, Montgomery County's rolling pine barrens are dotted with rustic pioneer log cabins, stately antebellum clapboard houses, and elegant Victorian homes. The county's access to the Oconee and Altamaha Rivers provided early settlers with vital transportation and commercial links to the outside world. On their way to markets in Savannah and Darien, men rafting down these rivers on huge logs cut from the dense pine forests were a common scene of the 1800s; steamboats and ferries were also used for the transport of people and goods. The breathtaking beauty of the winding Old River Road along the western edge of Montgomery County provides a glimpse of long ago as one passes old homesteads and majestic cemetery monuments. Historic scenes from the once-bustling villages of Montgomery County are contained in these pages. Country churches, schools, and agrarian scenes are also portrayed.

Revolutionary War heroes Thomas Taylor and Wade Hampton I bought 18,500 acres along the Old Camden Road east of the proposed South Carolina capital city of Columbia in 1785. Taylor's family settled what became known as Quinine Hill and Edge Hill. The Dent family moved into the Gills Creek area and established Bethel Methodist Church. In the early 20th century, John Hughes Cooper turned Forest Lake into an upscale residential-recreational development. South Carolina senator James H. Hammond, who had purchased most of Quinine Hill, and Cooper led the creation of the City of Forest Acres in 1935. Cooper was elected the first mayor. Hammond was elected one of the first councilmen. From a community of just 300 people, Forest Acres has grown with churches, schools, parks, and vibrant shopping areas serving over 10,000 residents. Though surrounded by Columbia, Forest Acres is indeed a city apart.

Greenup County, bordering the Ohio River in northeast Kentucky, is rich in history and culture. Settlers first arrived in the mid-1700s and carved farms from the hardwood forests. Lucy Virgin Downs, the first white child born west of the Alleghenies, lived in Greenup County, as did Jesse Boone, brother of Kentucky icon Daniel Boone. The 20th century brought industrialization and economic diversification to the historically agricultural area. Ashland Oil, a Fortune 500 company, maintained corporate headquarters in Greenup County. Two steel mills, a large rail yard, an excellent hospital, and a number of surface mines also provided employment to many people who continued to work their family farms, too. This economic progress was mirrored in every aspect of county life as education, health care, and recreation all improved dramatically. Today Greenup County's history is appreciated by both longtime residents and cultural tourists.

Athens and Limestone County were founded in 1818, the year before Alabama became a state, making Athens one of its oldest cities. The quaint, picturesque downtown square in Athens, the county seat, is the heart of the community. Athens and Limestone County are studies in the ongoing tug-of-war between tradition and progress. Athens is traditionally a railroad and cotton town--once ranking among the state's largest cotton producers--but since the aerospace boom of the 1960s, it has increasingly entered the orbit of the technology center of nearby Huntsville, home of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and Redstone Arsenal. These days, Athens is home to many manufacturing firms, and local civic groups are focused on revitalizing downtown and bringing tourists to Limestone County.