Historically, ParkersburgA[a¬a[s rapid development can be attributed to its position at the junction of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers. Steamboats and, later, rail transportation sealed the areaA[a¬a[s destiny as a successful community. In 1896, Parkersburg resident Gustavus Edward Smith produced images of Parkersburg on a newly developing novelty, the picture postcard. The first in West Virginia, these picture postcards were created two years before the cards were even legally recognized by the United States Postal Service. At the turn of the 20th century, as citizens were enjoying ParkersburgA[a¬a[s business, political, and social atmosphere, the postcards industry was thriving on the publicA[a¬a[s demand for likenesses of interesting buildings, streets, parks, events, and even disasters.

Images of America: Blennerhassett Island reveals for the first time the pictorial past of the Ohio River's most famous island. Located one-and-a-half miles west of Parkersburg, West Virginia, it sprang into national fame two centuries ago as the headquarters of Aaron Burr's 1806-1807 conspiracy to create an empire in the Southwest. The island also was renowned as the site of the American West's most beautiful home: the legendary Blennerhassett Mansion, completed in 1800 only to be destroyed by fire 11 years later. This volume's more than 200 fascinating pictures--most never published before--will take the reader on an exciting adventure through time, beginning with the island's glamorous Burr/Blennerhassett years; through its 19th century steamboat era; and into the 20th century, when it became the playground of the Mid-Ohio Valley. The final images portray the 1980 creation of Blennerhassett Island as a popular West Virginia state park with the reconstructed Blennerhassett Mansion as its centerpiece.

Ritchie County, West Virginia, named for famed Richmond journalist Thomas Ritchie, was originally founded in 1843 from portions of Harrison, Lewis, and Wood Counties. In the late 19th century, Ritchie County found itself directly on the Baltimore & Ohio Rail Line. Early postcards from this era capture the county ripe with natural resources and the grandeur of the quickly developing region. The production of oil and natural gas has been a chief source of development since the early 20th century and continues today. The area is also known for its agricultural and manufacturing developments including livestock, grain, glassware, and lumber products.

Plant City is an ever-growing small community in Central Florida incorporated as a town in 1885. Now famous as the winter strawberry capital of the world, Plant City boasts three historic districts and five individual sites listed locally and on the National Register of Historic Sites. This volume includes more than 150 postcards from the collection of The Quintilla Geer Bruton Archives Center of the East Hillsborough Historical Society, relating the pictorial history of this town from generations past to present. Images of businesses, churches, people, and schools tell the story of Plant City's growth and development, while those of hotels, motels, cabins, and tourist homes showcase where residents and visitors stayed while enjoying Plant City.

From the time settlers first pushed into the Ohio Valley, floods were an accepted fact of life. After each flood, people shoveled the mud from their doors and set about rebuilding their towns. In 1884, the Ohio River washed away 2,000 homes. In 1913, an even worse flood swept down the river. People labeled it the "granddaddy" of all floods. Little did they know there was worse yet to come. In 1937, raging floodwaters inundated thousands of houses, businesses, factories, and farms in a half dozen states, drove one million people from their homes, claimed nearly 400 lives, and recorded $500 million in damages. Adding to the misery was the fact that the disaster came during the depths of the Depression, when many families were already struggling. Images of America: The Great Ohio River Flood of 1937 brings together 200 vintage images that offer readers a look at one of the darkest chapters in the region's history.

Once known as the "Pottery Capital of the World," East Liverpool boasted some 300 potteries in its heyday, along with many ancillary industries. When British immigrant Thomas Bennett found promising clay deposits along the riverfront, he opened the city's first one-kiln pottery in 1839. From that humble beginning, the industry burgeoned, eventually spreading up the hills and across the river. Besides sturdy kitchenware, hotel china, toilet ware, and ceramic doorknobs and insulators, the potteries produced such elegant designs as Lotus Ware, Lu-Ray, and Fiesta Ware. The men, women, and children who worked in the potteries also built a town with a busy and complex social life. Churches, schools, cultural and service organizations, theaters, and restaurants filled the downtown area. East Liverpool struggled after the collapse of the pottery industry in the second half of the 20th century but has persevered into the 21st century with hope for the future.

A full-color illustrated history of Maury County, Tennessee

Presents the story of the Natural Tunnel in Scott County, Virginia. This work includes images and accounts that span from its geological beginnings to its role as a premier state park.

When we find something valuable that helps us accomplish the things that matter most, we don't let go of it. Life is not a game. However, on multiple occasions, the Bible uses competitive sports metaphors to demonstrate the discipline and training necessary to grow and become everything God created you to be. The things we care about most -- our identity, our purpose, our relationships -- are far more important than a game. We have to learn to win in these areas. We understand development when it comes to sports, our careers, our hobbies, and even our personal lives. There are tangible goals we can shoot for. And yet, when it comes to our spiritual lives, it often feels more elusive. This book is not a fail-proof formula to avoid pain, challenges, or adversity. It's a journey to a deeper relationship with God. This is the reason you were created. This is winning in life. This is what you're going to care about when you come to the end of your life and wonder, "Did my life matter?" What if you could be developed in your professional career through a greater understanding of God's Word? What if you could learn to build a healthy culture both in your workplace and in your home? What if you could win in the areas of life that you care about the most?