Lansing's history as the capital of Michigan began with a legislative mandate in the 1835 State Constitution, which required that the seat of government be moved from Detroit in 1847. The result-the emergence of a new capital city on the banks of the majestic Grand River-allowed Lansing to cultivate a world-class community based in government, education, the automotive industry, and entrepreneurial achievements. This book features more than 200 historic...

Cincinnati Cemeteries is not only a history of graveyards and their occupants. It also investigates the culture of death and dying in Cincinnati: from the infamous Pearl Bryan murder and the 19th-century cholera epidemics, to the body snatchers who stole the corpse of Benjamin Harrison's father and the notorious "resurrection men." In a city teeming with immigrants and transients these "sack 'em up" grave robbers had ample opportunities to supply...

Kankakee became the county seat when Kankakee County was established in 1853. The largest city in the county, Kankakee embraced the railroad from its 19th-century beginning, becoming an important railroad hub in Illinois. The Kankakee County Historical Society has long worked to preserve the city's history and it celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2006, making it one of Illinois' oldest historical societies. The images in this book come from the...

From September 1963 to March 1966, the waters of the Roanoke and Blackwater Rivers were dammed at Smith Mountain Gap to form Smith Mountain Lake. The dam's primary purpose was to generate electricity. However, a recreation destination, an obvious by-product of the $66-million project, followed. Over the next four decades, marinas, resort condominiums, waterfront homes, an airport, and a state park were added. Even Hollywood came to the area in the...

Shaker Heights achieved international renown in the early 20th century as an enclave for wealthy residents--a city of stunning homes, substantial green space, an excellent school system, and attentive municipal services. Cleveland entrepreneurs O. P. and M. J. Van Sweringen established Shaker Heights as a haven from the stresses of city life and claimed a connection with previous residents of this land, the North Union settlement of Shakers. Shaker...

Monticello was founded by the White County commissioners in 1834 on a bluff above the Tippecanoe River. They named it after the mansion of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. It was incorporated as a town in 1862. The county seat grew more rapidly when the railroads cameto town before the Civil War. Then the town grew large enough to become a city in 1909, and a mayor was elected. The area around the city became atourist destination...

Founded in 1870, historic Irvington serves as a time capsule to the bygone days of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The once autonomous community along the Pennsylvania Railroad and U.S. Route 40 has a history as rich and spellbinding as the legendary tales of its namesake, Washington Irving. Featuring plenty of architectural diversity and notable citizens, Irvington served as the original home to Butler University and became known as a cultural,...

Delphi is nestled in the picturesque valley formed by the Wabash River and Deer Creek. Named for the Grecian city with its famed oracle, Delphi was envisioned by early residents as a center of culture for the surrounding area. Three courthouses have graced the central square in Delphi--the "seat of justice" in Carroll County since platted in 1828 by Gen. Samuel Milroy. When the Wabash and Erie Canal cut through the area in the 1840s, Delphi became...

Like many other communities along the 824-mile Historic National Road, Knightstown owes its existence to the paving of this remarkable roadway. When it became evident that the new road would cut across his Henry County, Indiana, farm, early settler Waitstill Munson Cary hired national road surveyor Jonathan Knight in 1827 to plat the tiny town and then named the community after Knight. Over the years, Knightstown's prosperity in many ways has paralleled...

The city of Anderson is named after Chief William Anderson, whose Indian name was Kikthawenund, meaning "making a noise" or "causing to crack." Early settlers referred to the area as Anderson Town, while the Moravian missionaries called it "The Heathen Town Four Miles Away." It later became Anderstown before the Indiana State Legislature shortened the name to Anderson in 1844. In the spring of 1887, natural gas was discovered in the city. Several...