Central Kansas Library System

In 1824, the completion of the Schuylkill Canal gave birth to Spring City, and the opening of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad in Royersford soon followed. Over the years, the "twin boroughs" grew simultaneously, sharing the community and industrial developments that their respective transportation hubs fostered. Spring City and Royersford, through more than two hundred vintage postcards, shares the history of these sister towns: the stove factories,...

Buxton sits along the eastern side of the Saco River in northern York County. The Saco was instrumental in the town's establishment, as early settlers moved up the river from the towns of Biddeford and Saco and settled on the river's bank at Salmon Falls. Buxton's inhabitants powered their mills from the river and other local tributaries, and the town's early villages were located near these mills. Buxton presents vintage postcards of the riverside...

Philadelphia: South of Market and East of Broad offers a whirlwind journey to the older regions of the city. Along the way, readers will travel the length of South Broad Street from city hall toward the Naval Yard and the former sports complex and will wander by Market Street's former bustling shops-such as Gimbel's, Wanamaker's, and Leary's quaint bookstore-to the street's terminus at the Delaware River port and the Camden ferries. They will become...

Clark County was created in 1873 by an act of territorial legislature. It was named for Newton Clark, a territorial legislator. On June 27, 1878, the first white settlers arrived in Clark County. Settlers continued migrating to Clark County, and by 1880, there were enough settlers to petition for organization. On May 23, 1881, Clark County became an official county. The first courthouse was built in 1888 in Clark. Besides Clark, the following towns...

The Allegheny River of western Pennsylvania and New York rises in Potter County, Pennsylvania, and flows 320 miles to its confluence with the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh. The Allegheny's southern watershed district begins in East Brady, Pennsylvania, and ends in Pittsburgh, and it includes the historic Redbank Creek, Mahoning Creek, Crooked Creek, and Kiskiminetas River valleys. Along the Allegheny River: The Southern Watershed features over 200...

The history of Denton County, founded in 1846, has been well preserved through postcards. These images, produced from vintage photographs and artist renditions, reflect a time when communication through postcards was quicker, easier, and less expensive than writing a letter. Inside this book, readers are treated to charming snapshots of local history depicting churches, the downtown public square, businesses, public schools, the two newly created...

In the mid-nineteenth century, a transportation industry developed in Reading that put the city on the map--and on the Monopoly board--forever. Founded in 1748 by William Penn's sons Thomas and Richard, Reading experienced rapid growth throughout the nineteenth century as the Reading Railroad (the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad) breathed steam into the city's industry. As the powerful railroads faded later, so did the city's economy. In recent...

Built in 1754 on the eastern bank of the Kennebec River, Fort Western became one of the first permanent settlements in what would eventually become Augusta and, in 1827, the capital of Maine. Through innovations in publishing by Gannett & Morse and Vickery & Hill, textiles by the Edwards Manufacturing Company, and lumber production along the Kennebec, Augusta thrived and prospered. Water Street flourished into the business and cultural center of the...

The Swannanoa Valley lies to the east of Asheville, North Carolina, and is surrounded by some of the highest mountains in the eastern United States. The eastern boundary of the valley follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and travelers entering through the Swannanoa Gap emerge into the beautiful "Land of the Sky." In the 1900s, multiple large religious assemblies were founded here. Montreat, Ridgecrest, the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, and Christmount...

Founded in 1846, Walker County is a scenic, sprawling territory of 800 square miles located in the southeastern region of Texas. Huntsville, the county seat, serves as home to Sam Houston State University, the Texas State Penitentiary, and Huntsville State Park. New Waverly, Riverside, and other smaller towns dot the landscape, which remains rustic and beautiful, with rolling hills, open prairies, and piney woods. Visitors to the area may find museums,...