During the mid-20th century, the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, New York, began a journey that transformed a traditional, agriculturally based fair into the largest independent county fair and exposition in the United States. As the number of fair days and exhibits expanded, so did the number of fairgoers, increasing gate attendance figures to over one million visitors annually. While fair traditions have provided continuity over the decades, the fair...

Native Americans used Okwata, meaning "wide water," as a shortcut for inland trade between the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River. When the Europeans arrived, the original inhabitants showed them the route--the settlement near the river became the city of New Orleans, other lakeshore communities grew, and Lake Pontchartrain continued to be a vital waterway well into the 20th century. Aside from its economic value, Lake Pontchartrain was a cultural...

On October 6, 1846, Gad Norton invited the public to witness a scientific experiment to be conducted at his family-owned lake. The experiment failed, but the crowds of people inspired him to open a recreation area. In 1851, the firm of Pierce and Norton began land improvements. Not only were new attractions added, but corporate outings and outdoor concerts with big bands were also held, providing for a full day of fun and memories. As the oldest continuously...

In 1825, two government surveyors platting the southwest Michigan territory engaged in a small skirmish with two Native Americans. With a humorous nod, the surveyors gave the name Battle Creek to the river where this encounter took place. A few years later, a group of entrepreneurs, led by Sands McCamly, established a milling community and named it after the river. Thus the city of Battle Creek had its start. Over the following 170 years, it has grown...

When the United States entered the 1960s, the nation was swept up in the Space Race as the United States and the Soviet Union competed for supremacy in rocket and satellite technologies. Cities across the country hoped to attract new aerospace companies, but the city leaders of Seattle launched the most ambitious campaign of all. They invited the whole world to visit for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, and more than nine million people took them up...

In the late 19th century, West Brighton became known as "Factoryville" after several industries set up shop in the vicinity. One of the largest, Barrett, Nephews, and Company, a dyeing and cleaning establishment, employed hundreds of Staten Islanders. Several prominent historical figures have resided in the region as well, including former first lady Julia Gardiner Tyler, who, in 1862, left the Confederacy (but not her Southern sympathies) to rejoin...

Biscayne National Park protects the larger portion of south Florida's Biscayne Bay, a uniquely tropical lagoon harboring crocodiles, manatees, dolphins, and Caribbean fish. Tropical trees cover its islands, while the world's fourth-longest coral reef sits offshore. Native Americans lived here thousands of years ago; the Spanish held it for 200 years. Hundreds of ships foundered on the reef, fueling a lucrative wrecking industry. In the late 1800s,...

Using evocative photographs from private collections, Philadelphia Trolleys: From Survival to Revival carries readers on a nostalgic trip through nearly 50 years of transportation history, starting with the takeover of local transit service from the private sector by Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Sporting a rainbow of paint schemes in the 1970s, Philadelphia's fleet of streamlined 1940s trolley cars brought a welcome...

The Philadelphia Mummers are costumed individuals and families who celebrate by strutting and performing on New Year's Day. For many, mummery is also a way of life. The first official parade occurred in 1901, but it is an evolving tradition, reflecting both the challenges and opportunities of changing times. Philadelphia Mummers tells the story of modern-day mummery and the expressions of art, freedom, and celebration of thousands of people who come...