After the initial rush of gold-seekers, agriculture sustained growth when the gold deposits played out. Thus began Littleton, and over the years of boom and bust, this early settlement has transitioned from village to county seat to one of Denver's finest suburbs.

Incorporated in 1714, Littleton began as a typical New England farming town. While it enjoyed modest growth through the early years, it was not until after World War II that the population began its steady climb. Two major highways, Route 2 in the 1950s and Interstate 495 in the 1960s, cut through the town, and Littleton became an attractive bedroom community with convenient access to the expanding technological industry of Massachusetts. The population rose from 1,447 in 1930 to approximately 6,300 in 1970, and industry began to overtake the dairy farms and apple orchards. Still, the impression of a rural setting, the open space, and an intangible quality of life contribute to the small-town character for which Littleton is celebrated. Through vintage photographs, many never before published, Littleton connects the current generations with the town's past. Vintage photographs of homes that have changed in appearance or have been destroyed for expansion recall a time of farmhouses and open fields. The book also follows the growth of Littleton, including the emergence of the Conant-Houghton Company and the depot area, as well as the Long Lake and Lake Warren resorts.

NOW AVAILABLE! THE NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED MEMOIRS OF THE CONFEDERATE SECRETARY OF STATES CHIEF AIDE! As seen on Book TV! Born in the District of Columbia to one of the First Families of Virginia, Littleton Q. Washington attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, before securing a clerkship at the U.S. Treasury Department. In 1855, he joined the U.S. Customs House in San Francisco and became embroiled in that citys Vigilante Uprising. Dismissed from his patronage job during James Buchanans administration, Washington made a wild and dangerous journey home across Mexico, which was then entering a bloody reform war. Returning to the District of Columbia, Littleton tried using his government connections to earn a living as a lobbyist but he was not financially successful. He also became more active in journalism and party politics. An ardent secessionist, Washington helped send secret information to South Carolinas governor during the Fort Sumter crisis. In April 1861, he fled from the District of Columbia and traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, where he secured a lieutenants commission in the Confederate Army from Jefferson Davis. Washington served at the battle of First Bull Run. He then briefly edited the Richmond Examiner before joining the Confederate State Department where he worked as the chief aide to Judah Benjamin for the balance of the war. He also enlisted in the home guard called out to defend the Confederate capital in 1863 and 1864. Littleton was a close friend of Mary Chesnut and is mentioned frequently in her famous diary. This book is a valuable reference as another first-person account of wartime Richmond. The journal offers a fascinating character study of one man caught up in the most turbulent period of American history. LITTLETON WASHINGTONS JOURNAL IS REFERENCED NUMEROUS TIMES IN WILLIAM C. DAVIS NEW HISTORY OF THE CONFEDERACY "LOOK AWAY!" About the Editor: Douglas Lee Gibboney is the author of several books, including "Stonewall Jackson at Gettysburg," "Murder at Cleaver Stadium" and "Tragic Glory." His CD of original songs, "Guitars, Girls & Motels," is available through Amazon.com.