Early Hollywood


Book Description




First Images of America, Volume II


Book Description

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1976. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived




Levittown


Book Description

When developer Abraham Levitt and his two sons conceived the idea for Levittown in 1946, they were probably unaware of the future impact of their radical concept--to build cellarless, affordable tract housing on Long Island farmland. Levittown became the prototype suburban community that has been mirrored in towns throughout America and around the world. This delightful photographic history chronicles the growth and development of Levittown as returning World War II GIs flocked to it in droves, attracted by the promise of the American Dream of becoming homeowners. Despite criticism of its "stunning conformity," Levittown and its residents thrived as they raised families, started businesses, and created a close-knit community that exists to this day. This enchanting collection of photographs reveals the joys and struggles of Levittown's founders and residents as they carved their niche in American history.




Ambler


Book Description

Ambler, a working-class town located fifteen miles north of Philadelphia, boasts some of the grandest homes in Montgomery County. Its evolution is rooted in the mills that sprang up along the Wissahickon Creek in the 1680s. Ambler entered the industrial age when the North Penn Railway pushed through in the 1850s. In 1856, a catastrophic head-on train collision killing fifty-nine created the heroine Mary Ambler, whose generous ministrations to the wounded caused the railroad in 1869 to rename its Wissahickon station in her honor. But it was Philadelphia manufacturers Henry G. Keasbey and Richard V. Mattison who changed Ambler's character forever. When they relocated their business to Ambler in 1881, it became the asbestos capital of the world. Ambler captures the lasting legacy of Mattison's thriving company town, with its array of fanciful and simple homes, churches, shops, and cultural institutions.




Downtown Phoenix


Book Description

On a bed of a primordial ocean floor and in a valley surrounded by jagged mountains, a city was founded atop the ruins of a vanished civilization. In 1867, former Confederate soldier Jack Swilling saw the remains of an ancient canal system and the potential for the area to blossom into a thriving agricultural center. Pioneers moved into the settlement searching for new opportunities, and on October 20, 1870, residents living in adobe structures that lined dirt streets adopted the name Phoenix, expressing the optimism of the frontier. For decades, downtown Phoenix was a dense urban core, the hub of agricultural fields, mining settlements, and military posts. Unfortunately, suburban sprawl and other social factors of the postWorld War II era led to the centers decline. With time, things changed, and now downtown Phoenix is uniquely positioned to rise again as a prominent 21st-century American city.




Early Ballard


Book Description

The first land claim in what would become the city of Ballard was made in 1852, but it wasn't until a ship captain named William Rankin Ballard lost a bet with a business partner and found himself the owner of 160 acres of seemingly worthless land that the city prospered and became the "Shingle Capital of the World." Incorporated in 1890, Ballard grew quickly, thanks to shingle and lumber mills and the Scandinavian fishing fleet. When a horse was supposedly found in the city water supply in 1906, reluctant Ballardites voted to be annexed to the city of Seattle, and the flag flew at half-staff at Ballard City Hall. Home to the Nordic Heritage Museum, Chittenden Locks, and the fishing fleet, this bustling city-within-a-city still retains its unique Scandinavian flavor to this day.




Levittown


Book Description

In 1951, Levittown was created in Bucks County outside of Philadelphia by builder pioneers Levitt and Sons; a superb collection of history and photographs illustrates the birth and growth of this unique area, explores the community that resulted and features residents' personal memories of the golden years. Original.




Early Pomona


Book Description

The first settlers to carve the Pomona Valley out of the California wilderness were Ricardo Vejar and Ygnacio Palomares, who received land grants in 1837 for fighting for Mexico's independence. Nearly three decades after California was ceded to the United States, Southerners escaping the aftermath of the Civil War migrated to the area, and the city was incorporated in 1888. Pomona's landscape evolved from vast Mexican ranchos into prosperous vineyards and orchards, and later into one of Los Angeles's major suburbs. Pomona today is home to the world's largest county fair, the Los Angeles County Fair, as well as to California Polytechnic University and Western University of Health Sciences. The city boasts a thriving art colony, three historic districts, and a unique mix of architecture, including Victorian, Craftsman, transitional, and Spanish-style homes. The more than 150,000 Pomona residents pride themselves on a neighborly small-town flavor that belies the city's large population.




Wichita, 1860-1930


Book Description

Wichita, Kansas, has grown significantly since the mid-19th century, when a group of pioneering entrepreneurs arrived to build on the trading and hunting activities of the Osage and Wichita peoples. Those early days of commerce gave way to Coleman, Cessna, and other companies whose influence helped shape the city's development. From the Texas cowboys who ran the cattle drives to Lebanese merchants, the population of the city has been as diverse and as dynamic as its companies. This visual history of early Wichita showcases the colorful landmarks, people, and businesses that built the bustling city on the Arkansas River.




Rumson


Book Description

Although Rumson, New Jersey, spent much of its early existence unknown to the outside world, the borough has built a reputation for itself as a great American suburb. The many grand estates, such as Thomas McCarter's Rumson Hill, and sweeping panoramic views establish its place as one of the most desirable destinations in New Jersey. Occupying the eastern section of a peninsula formed by the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers, the small but affluent community began as a seasonal home before the year-round activity took over.Rumson Road, once a sandy path among the farms, grew into one of the most famed driving roads in the United States. Longtime residents will recognize familiar names and locales as they discover early Black Point, one of the first sites of the Rumson settlement. Thomas Hunt, whose Pavilion Hotel and steamboat for guests ushered in a new era of resort activity, altered the face of the community in 1845. Most of the town's spiritual, social, and community organizations began in Oceanic, whose permanent residents led the campaign to make Rumson a borough. The new history Rumson: Shaping a Superlative Suburb keeps readers captivated with lively narrative and beautiful images featuring the influential people and places that contribute to Rumson's past and present.