In 1916, Philadelphia department-store magnate John Wanamaker launched plans for a Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition in 1926. It would be a magnificent world's fair to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The “Sesqui” would also transform sooty, industrial Philadelphia into a beautiful Beaux Arts city. However, when the Sesqui opened on May 31, 1926, in the remote, muddy swamps of South Philadelphia, the fair was unfinished, with a few shabbily built and mostly empty structures. Crowds stayed away in droves: fewer than five million paying customers attended, costing the city millions of dollars. Philadelphia became a national scandal—a city so corrupt that one political boss could kidnap an entire world’s fair. In his fascinating history Sesqui!, noted historian Thomas Keels situates this ill-fated celebration—a personal boondoggle by the all-powerful Congressman William S. Vare—against the transformations taking place in America during the 1920s. Keels provides a comprehensive account of the Sesqui as a meeting ground for cultural changes sweeping the country: women’s and African-American rights, anti-Semitism, eugenics, Prohibition, and technological advances.

We are just beginning to understand the power of local history to enhance our understanding of ourselves, our cities, and our culture. It is, after all, that stratum of history that touches our lives most closely. Madison answers the basic questions of when, where, why, how, and by whom Madison, Wisconsin was developed. The book is richly detailed, fully documented, inclusive in coverage, and delightfully readable. More than 300 illustrations provide a vivid feeling for what life was like in Madison during the formative years. David Mollenhoff's unique interpretive framework emphasizing public policies and community values, gives the book a consistent interpretive quality and reveals major themes that flow through time. This combination will allow you to see the city's growth and development with unusual clarity and coherence--almost as if you were watching time-lapse photography. When Mollenhoff began to study Madison's history, he was delighted by his early discoveries but frustrated because no one had written a book-length history of Madison since 1876. Finally, in 1972 he decided to write that book. His research required him to read five miles of microfilm, piles of theses and dissertations, shelves of reports, boxes of manuscripts and letters, and to study thousands of photographs. Soon after the first edition was published in 1982, readers declared it to be a classic. For this second edition Madison has been extensively revised and updated with new maps and photos. If you want to know the fascinating story of how Madison got to be the way it is, this book belongs on your bookshelf. It will change the way you see the city and your role in it.

As centerpiece to its sesquicentennial celebration in 2007-08, IowaState University has commissioned a book to record, for the firsttime, the events and themes of the second half of the 20th century.Emphasizing the years from 1940-2000, this book builds on anearlier history of the University by Earle Ross. The authors,familiar with (knowledgeable about) ISU and expert in their subjectarea, have meticulously researched and skillfully written tenchapters that treat specific decades, particular administrations,or key topics of interest. Written in a lively narrative style, this anthology encompassesa wealth of information. The authors have focused on appealing tothe largest possible audience of Iowa State University supportersand well-wishers: alumni, faculty and staff, and fans throughoutthe state of Iowa. Some will want to read it from cover to cover;others will dip in to relive their years on campus or to pursue afavorite topic like student life or athletics. To enhance thehistorical narrative, entertaining vignettes about students,faculty and administrative leaders, and alumni appear throughoutthe book. Generously illustrated with black-and-white photographs, thisbook invites casual browsing. Its attractive design increasesvisual appeal by using a clean, open layout and readable type. Toensure its value as a gift book, a handsome full-color jacket and 8x 11 format make it suitable for coffee table display whereverloyal Iowa Staters gather. Part 1 contains 4 chapters, leading off with a survey of themajor developments of Iowa State College’s first 80 years,followed by a chronological approach to the years from 1940 forwardthat highlights presidential administrations. Part 2 broadens thebook’s coverage with 6 chapters telling the ISU story fromthe perspective of topics such as the physical landscape of campus,the national and international impacts of the University, and IowaState athletics through the years. This broad-brushed overview of ISU history is rich with detailyet emphasizes the grand themes that defined the nation’sfirst land-grant university.

Celebrating the 150th birthday of the state of California offers the opportunity to reexamine the founding of modern California, from the earliest days through the Gold Rush and up to 1870. In this four-volume series, published in association with the California Historical Society, leading scholars offer a contemporary perspective on such issues as the evolution of a distinctive California culture, the interaction between people and the natural environment, the ways in which California's development affected the United States and the world, and the legacy of cultural and ethnic diversity in the state. California before the Gold Rush, the first California Sesquicentennial volume, combines topics of interest to scholars and general readers alike. The essays investigate traditional historical subjects and also explore such areas as environmental science, women's history, and Indian history. Authored by distinguished scholars in their respective fields, each essay contains excellent summary bibliographies of leading works on pertinent topics. This volume also features an extraordinary full-color photographic essay on the artistic record of the conquest of California by Europeans, as well as over seventy black-and-white photographs, some never before published.

A historical book of Minnesota State University, Mankato from 1868 to 2018.

A collection of essays on mining and economic development in California from the Gold Rush through the end of the 19th century. This is the second in a series of four volumes comemmorating the state's sesquicentennial.