"On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter. ...[An] account of the chaotic...

Fierce competitor. World Cup winner. Role model. U.S. Women's Soccer star Alex Morgan has earned each of these impressive titles throughout her incredible career. As a young girl growing up in Southern California, she dreamed of being a professional soccer player, fighting to compete on the international stage against the world's greatest athletes. Flash forward to the present and Alex Morgan has emerged as the face of U.S. Women's soccer, famous...

Before Meriwether Lewis saw the Great Falls of the Missouri River in 1805, the area had been visited for centuries by plains bison and the Blackfeet Indians. The city's founding father, Paris Gibson, learned of the falls from Lewis and Clark's journals, and with financing from railroader James J. Hill, Gibson began building the city of Great Falls in 1884, capitalizing on its Missouri River location. After the railroad arrived, the first of five hydroelectric...

Medina has long been recognized as the home to wealthy and influential members of Seattle's elite. Industry captains such as Clapp, Blethan, Gates, and Bezos have built estates along Medina's waterfront. Meanwhile, a diverse group of families with a variety of backgrounds have settled the uplands, creating a close-knit community. Farmers, including many of Japanese heritage, first settled the area in the late 1800s. Upon the arrival of the car ferry...

From the stately Queen Anne mansions of the West Side to the hastily constructed shanties of Cabbage Patch, Lost Butte, Montana traces the city's history through its architectural heritage.

This book includes such highlights as the Grand Opera House, once graced by entertainers and cultural icons like Charlie Chaplin, Sarah Bernhardt and Mark Twain; the infamous brothels protested by reformer Carrie Nation, wielding her hatchet and sharp tongue;

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Murder & Mayhem in Coeur d'Alene and the Silver Valley uncovers pain and punishment in the panhandle Northern Idaho's natural beauty shrouds tales of gamblers, prostitutes and violent prospectors. Illegal gambling, excessive drinking and vicious disputes were commonplace from Coeur d'Alene to Kellogg. Bordellos lined the streets, and some tempted soldiers mysteriously never returned to Fort Sherman. Former Wallace Mayor Rossi shot a man in cold...

Early in 1868, Francis "Barney" Prine arrived in the Crooked River Valley of Central Oregon, established a blacksmith shop made of logs, and dispensed spirits from the back of the cabin. Prine saw the potential for development and industry along the lush banks of Crooked River and Ochoco Creek, and as more and more settlers arrived, the post office of Prine was established in 1871. The community soon emerged as a major commercial center for Central...

Located at the confluence of three creeks, amid the rich agricultural soil of Eastern Washington's Palouse region, Pullman seemed destined to flourish. From its founding in the 1880s, growth was spurred by the discovery of artesian wells, its selection as the location of the State Agricultural College, and the building of rail lines through the town. Pullman, named for railroad car manufacturer George Pullman, became a thriving center of commerce,...

Pres. William Howard Taft signed the bill creating Glacier National Park in 1910, and a wilderness paradise in northwestern Montana was born. This book illustrates the park's evolution, from the Great Northern Railroad days, Native American presence, lodges, chalets, and camps, to majestic scenery and wildlife--all in vintage postcards. The opening of Glacier National Park coincided with the popularity of postcards across the nation, and hence this...

Perched on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, Port Orford claims to be the oldest town site on the Oregon coast and the farthest west incorporated community in the continental United States. Incomparable scenery surrounds it, providing work for generations of residents: lumber from trees of the great forests and all manner of seafood harvested from ocean waters. Gold lay in the waters and banks of streams and in the black sands of beaches, attracting...