A pictorial history of the Civil War, featuring articles and illustrations that appeared in Harper's Magazine beginning with the events leading up to the firing on Fort Sumter through Reconstruction.

Frederick has stood as the gateway to western Maryland since the 1740s, when German and English settlers moved into the area seeking fertile farmland. Site of the first official rebellious act of the American colonies, early Frederick Town shared the fortunes of the growing nation as proximity to the new capital in Washington and the port of Baltimore fed industry and culture here along the Monocacy River.

Founded in pre-Revolutionary days, Bloomfield encompassed over twenty miles of Essex County in the early 1800s. The neighboring towns of Nutley, Belleville, North Newark, Montclair, and Glen Ridge were once a part of the Bloomfield landscape. After divisions of the land developed new communities, Bloomfield was left with little more than five miles. When the Morris Canal was dug through the middle of Bloomfield in 1824, industrial and residential growth strengthened and the town became the hub of Essex County commerce and manufacturing. Bloomfield continued its reputation as a progressive community for the next 150 years. The photographs in Bloomfield capture the essence of a community with small-town values and working-class ethics. From the earliest tintypes to the planting of a time capsule, the lives and times of people and events that shaped the town are captured here for the first time, with many never-before-published photographs. Images such as those of inventor Thomas Edison, President Woodrow Wilson, and landscape painter Charles Warren Eaton make Bloomfield a delight for all past and present residents of this American hometown.

Since its founding in 1748, Frederick County has been home to some of the nation's most celebrated and dynamic historical figures. The quaint towns and farmlands with their serene mountain vistas of the Catoctin Ridge have played host to the likes of the famed Francis Scott Key and Thomas Stone, one of Maryland's signers of the Declaration of Independence. Later, Dr. John Tyler--Frederick's pioneering oculist--established his practice on the town's West Church Street and performed the first cataract operation in the region. Burkittsville's Outerbridge Horsey gained fame by producing over ten thousand barrels a year of America's finest rye whiskey from his warehouse distillery. In the twentieth century, beloved local educator Emily Johnson helped cultivate generations of young minds. With this collection of the best of his articles from "Frederick Magazine," local author John W. Ashbury profiles the most remarkable and fascinating figures in the history of Frederick County.

Organized fire protection in Frederick County, Maryland, existed before the adoption of the Constitution. Follow the colorful history of the fire companies from the first fire engine in 1764 to the fire company militia units that were summoned to Harper's Ferry and fire halls used during the Civil War. Learn how the fire companies in Frederick County had statewide influence by organizing the Maryland State Firemen's Association in 1893. Read of the tradition of fire engines "throwing water over the town clock"--sometimes to test performance, other times just for bragging rights. Local author and volunteer firefighter Chip Jewell provides a snapshot of how each fire company was organized from the early 1800s to the most recent companies in the 1970s.

As the Baltimore County community of Catonsville celebrates its bicentennial, Then and Now: Catonsville reflects on its past, present, and future. Some images celebrate the familiar landmarks that have withstood the test of time, while others represent the march of progress and the ever-changing landscape of Catonsville.