Arcadia Publishing: 7502 books

The Oklahoma Cowboy Band was the first western string band in the nation to broadcast over the radio and appear on vaudeville, drawing large audiences throughout the Midwest and Northeast. The band began in Ripley as Billy McGinty's Cowboy Band and first played over radio station KFRU in Bristow in May...

For much of the 20th century, Dallas was home to a wide range of vital popular music. By the 1920s, the streets, dance halls, and vaudeville houses of Deep Ellum rang with blues and jazz. Blind Lemon Jefferson was discovered singing the blues on the streets of Deep Ellum but never recorded in Dallas....

From the time it was founded in 1825, Akron was a town on the move. Once known as the �Rubber Capitol of the World,� it brought droves of new workers to downtown and the suburban areas. With expansion came a need for entertainment, and wrestling was there for the multitudes. From the contrast of...

The family of James Alvis Lynch headed west from Denison, Texas, to find a dry climate that would alleviate Lynch�s symptoms of malaria and his wife Amanda�s rheumatism. They traveled as far as the Brazos River, where U.S. 180 crosses today, when one of their oxen drowned, and the other was struck...

The name Ozark comes from the French Aux Arcs. The town of Ozark may have gotten its name because it is at the bend of the creek. Today the term Ozark refers to the large upland region that covers parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Ozark, Missouri is nestled in the hills of this region...

In the mid-19th century, many Swiss families fled their homeland in order to avoid the rigid restrictions placed on religious and political beliefs. Many found solace in the little town of Berne, Indiana, and in the surrounding communities of Adams County. In 2002, Berne will celebrate 150 years of settlement...

Since 1950, Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium (formerly Municipal Stadium) has hosted the nation's top college baseball programs in the College World Series. Baseball fans from every corner of the country have taken the annual "Road to Omaha" and packed the seats to see championship baseball at its best. In...

Ten years after Chicago saw its first full-time comedy club open, the landscape was decidedly different. �Stand-up comedy has exploded in the last couple of years,� a club owner told the Chicago Tribune in 1985, �that�s the only way to describe it: exploded.� It was truly a comedy boom, with...

Carved out of the wilderness seemingly overnight, Harrison had its beginnings with the coming of the railroad and its controversial new location as the seat of Clare County. Businessmen, a few families, and armies of lumberjacks soon gave Harrison a reputation as the toughest town in Michigan. More than...

For over a half century Olympia Stadium was THE entertainment venue in Detroit. Almost every major sports and entertainment event was played there. The major tenant was the Detroit Red Wings. Most of the major touring ice shows also skated at the Olympia; great entertainers such as Elvis, the Beatles,...

Between 1922 and 1949, the citizens of Delmarva enjoyed watching baseball the way it was meant to be played. Loyal Eastern Shore baseball enthusiasts were blessed to witness three eras of professional class �D� baseball, supporting their favorite teams, including the Parksley Spuds, Salisbury Indians,...

Nestled among the hills of Massachusetts, 70 mileswest of Boston, Athol lies on the banks of the Millers River. First settled as �Pequoiag� in 1735 and incorporated as Athol in 1762, the evolution of Athol from a sparse, agrarian settlement to a bustling industrial community is a blueprint for...

In 1969, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville initiated a remarkable performing arts series called the Mississippi River Festival. Over 12 summer seasons, between 1969 and 1980, the festival presented 353 events showcasing performers in a variety of musical genres, including classical, chamber,...

Columbus has long been known for its musicians. Unlike New York, San Francisco, Kansas City, Nashville, or even Cincinnati, however, it has never had a definable �scene.� Still, some truly remarkable music has been made in this musical crossroads by the many outstanding musicians who have called...