Arcadia Publishing Inc : 7152 books

A small town with a big history, Helotes�20 miles northwest of downtown San Antonio�was named for the Spanish word elotes, or corn on the cob. So extensive were the fields of corn along its namesake creek, a Spanish official in 1723 called the area el Puerto de los Olotes, or Corncob Pass. When settlers...

Originally named Walnut Springs in 1838, Seguin was renamed one year later after Mexican Texas Revolution hero Juan N. Seguin, who fought at the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. The town of Seguin and the surrounding area have always been a crossroads for commerce�from the southeast Gulf Coast...

Centered in the midst of the Columbiana County hills, Lisbon was founded in 1803. High hopes for growth and prosperity were first realized through industries producing iron, coal, and pottery; however, even with modern inventions, fascinating people, and hopes for a successful canal, the dream of...

As one of the West Coast�s most unique and beautiful resort cities, Laguna Beach has thrived as an enduring enclave of art culture, a destination of hidden beaches, and a coastline rich in natural wonders, which its officials and residents strive to maintain. Settlers arrived in the 1870s, and by the...

Located halfway between Los Angeles and Yuma, Arizona, Indio came into being as a railroad town in 1876 when the Southern Pacific Railroad completed this last link in its southern transcontinental route. Settling this arid land took ingenuity and courage, and Indio�s early residents had both. In the...

Lemon Grove dates to 1892 when it first appeared in the San Diego County records as �Lemon Grove.� The tiny, whistle-stop town emerged during the �second gold rush,� the rise of California�s citrus industry, which was facilitated by the 1849 Gold Rush, the break up of the Mexican ranchos in...

On September 13, 1876, the bell on Atwood Hall rang, students assembled, and Rio Grande College began its 140-year search for identity and its struggle for existence. Ira Haning, a Freewill Baptist minister, conveyed the idea of a college to a prominent couple, Nehemiah and Permelia Atwood. Nehemiah...

One of the original 27 counties of California, Mariposa County, located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada and containing more than 900,000 acres, once covered one-fifth of the state and was considered the �Mother of California Counties.� First inhabited by several Native American tribes,...

Orange County was created in 1889. Soon, wilderness evolved into farmlands and communities supported by a year-round harvest of Valencia oranges, lemons, avocados, walnuts, and more. In the 1950s, aerospace and industry expanded here, and today the county boasts more than three million people. This collection...

Strategically located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, San Bernardino was colonized in 1851 as an expansion outpost for the Mormon Church. Today, it is the county seat for the largest county in the United States. Captured here in over 200 vintage photographs is the history of this Southern California...

Situated on the westernmost cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the city of Palos Verdes Estates continues to fulfill former landowner and developer Frank Vanderlip's vision of the area as the nation's "most fashionable and exclusive residential colony," and it remains one of Los Angeles County's most...

Halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the historic town of Paso Robles became known for its abundance of hot mineral springs that brought relief from pain�first for the Salinan Indians, then for the Franciscan friars. As word of the springs� healing powers spread, hotels and bathhouses were...

Evolving from a 27,000-acre rancho, to a colony of farmers, and then to a neighborhood subdivision, Long Beach�s Los Cerritos is the story of a fiercely independent community established prior to William Willmore�s vision of a city of Long Beach took hold. Life centered around the historic Rancho...

A resort community surrounded by mountains, Ojai is the gateway to Los Padres National Forest, the Sespe Creek Valley, and Lake Casitas Recreational Area. The setting offers inspiring views of and from Chief Peak and the majestic Topa Topa bluffs. The sleepy, spa reputation of Ojai (pronounced Oh-hi)...