From Cleveland to Portsmouth and Toledo to Cincinnati, two great canals and numerous connections and feeders laced Ohio with a thousand miles of waterways in the years before the Civil War. They were a major force in transforming Ohio from a frontier society to a leading agricultural and commercial state, but they were doomed by the arrival of the railroads. Today, they are all but vanished, except for the preservation efforts of some historical societies. The Ohio canals live again throug...

Original essays on the past, present, and future of the Ohio & Erie CanalCombining original essays based on the past, present, and future of the Ohio & Erie Canal, Canal Fever showcases the research and writing of the best and most knowledgeable canal historians, archaeologists, and enthusiasts. Each contributor brings his or her expertise to tell the canal’s story in three parts: the canal era—the creation of the canal and its importance to Ohio’s early g...

The captivating story of how trains shaped American history**“Wolmar’s sweeping history of railroads in America is rich in drama.” —**The New YorkerThe United States was made by the railroads. Promoted by visionaries and built through heroic effort, more than two hundred thousand miles of railroad track and a series of magisterial stations covered the United States by the early 1900s. Trains united far-flung parts of the country, b...

The surprising history of the Gowanus Canal and its role in the building of BrooklynFor more than 150 years, Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal has been called a cesspool, an industrial dumping ground, and a blemish on the face of the populous borough—as well as one of the most important waterways in the history of New York harbor. Yet its true origins, man-made character, and importance to the city have been largely forgotten.Now, New York writer and guide Joseph Al...

During the 1930s in the United States, the Works Progress Administration developed the Federal Writers’ Project to support writers and artists while making a national effort to document the country’s shared history and culture. The American Guide series consists of individual guides to each of the states. Little-known authors-many of whom would later become celebrated literary figures-were commissioned to write these important books. John Steinbeck, Saul Bellow, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ral...

During the 1930s in the United States, the Works Progress Administration developed the Federal Writers’ Project to support writers and artists while making a national effort to document the country’s shared history and culture. The American Guide series consists of individual guides to each of the states. Little-known authors-many of whom would later become celebrated literary figures-were commissioned to write these important books. John Steinbeck, Saul Bellow, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ral...

Louisiana, the Bayou State, is famous for many things, including savory cuisine, great music, and a resident population whose mantra is laissez les bons temps roulerlet the good times roll! The place is also noted for its historic architecture, which ranges from simple forms such as the shotgun house or the Creole cottage to the celebrated plantation homes along the River Road.Bayou Built: The Legacy of Louisianas Historic Architecture examines th...

Few people have had as profound an impact on the history of New York City as William J. Wilgus. As chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad, Wilgus conceived the Grand Central Terminal, the city’s magnificent monument to America’s Railway Age. Kurt C. Schlichting here examines the remarkable career of this innovator, revealing how his tireless work moving people and goods over and under Manhattan Island’s surrounding waterways forever changed New York’s bustling transportation syste...

During the 1930s in the United States, the Works Progress Administration developed the Federal Writers’ Project to support writers and artists while making a national effort to document the country’s shared history and culture. The American Guide series consists of individual guides to each of the states. Little-known authors-many of whom would later become celebrated literary figures-were commissioned to write these important books. John Steinbeck, Saul Bellow, Zora Neale Hurston, and Ral...

The Red River's dramatic bend in southwestern Arkansas is the most distinctive characteristic along its 1,300 miles of eastern flow through plains, prairies and swamplands. This stretch of river valley has defined the culture, commerce and history of the region since the prehistoric days of the Caddo inhabitants. Centuries later, as the plantation South gave way to westward expansion, people found refuge and adventure along the area's trading paths, military roads, riverbanks, rail lines a...

With natives as your guides, this series leads you down the road less traveled.Pack a lunch and take off on any of these 17 drives into all corners of PA. Visit the beaches of Lake Erie or the banks of the Delaware, the Endless Mountains of the northern tier or the Amish farms of Lancaster County. Explore old mining villages, lumber towns, battlefields, college campuses, and so much more. Each trip covers history and trivia, recreation, shopping, and what to see an...

"A remarkable historical and geographical study" of a road linking Lexington and Maysville, Kentucky, and its influence on America ( West Virginia History).Eighteenth-century Kentucky beckoned to hunters, surveyors, and settlers from the mid-Atlantic coast colonies as a source of game, land, and new trade opportunities. Unfortunately, the Appalachian Mountains formed a daunting barrier that left only two primary roads to this fertile Eden. The steep grades ...