Wynette Edwards

Orlando, one of the world¿s most popular vacation destinations, boasts a rich and fascinating history. Known for its unique beauty and warm climate, the region played a key role in the early citrus industry and southern migration.

Orlando and Orange County

Jim Edwards

Elgin was named by a city founder, James T. Gifford, after his favorite hymn. The city shares its name with 20 cities in 15 states and 8 countries. Elgin is situated on the banks of the Fox River, 35 miles northwest of Chicago, the city with which Elgin had thriving business exchanges in agricultural and industrial goods. The city’s world-wide fame, for the most part, has come from its watch factory and Mr. Gail Borden’s milk company. Pianos, shoes, books, and even chewing gum were also manufactured in Elgin and sold internationally. This exciting new study of a major Midwestern city is chock-full of images, many of which have never before been published. Featured in Elgin, Illinois is information about the Elgin National Watch Company, early circus and carnival attractions, as well as rip-roaring national road races. Highlighted in one chapter is Elgin’s part in helping to win World War I at home, complete with original photographs from the front in Europe. This lively and historical look at Elgin from the 1800s to the 1930s is interwoven with national and international trends and events.

From the Collection of the Elgin Area Historical Society

Elgin, Illinois

First discovered by the American tourist in the mid-1800s, Orlando and the surrounding towns soon began to feel the impact of the newcomers, their wealth, ideas, and lifestyles. Extending pleasant winter vacations to year-round residences, these new inhabitants were drawn by the warm climate and the attractions offered in the burgeoning Central Florida region. Along with the hardy pioneers who had carved their home out of the Florida wilderness, they began to build a thriving community in Orange County. In this pictorial retrospective, over 200 historic images trace the county's improving transportation; the creation of Clay Springs, Florida's first amusement park; the development of the early citrus industry; and the exciting boom years of advancement in aviation. Flashy and unusual advertisements plugged "fun in the sun" and lured visitors and developers to the region. Touting the beauty and charm of Central Florida, these vintage images captured street scenes, local architecture, and industry and preserved the unique history of the area for posterity. Compiled here, they tell the singular story of Orange County. Spanning the period from the late 1800s to the arrival of Disney in the late 1960s, this volume features photographs from the archives of the Historical Society of Central Florida. Showcasing citrus growing and celebrations, early tourism and aviation, Orlando and Orange County pays tribute, in word and image, to the indomitable spirit of the men and women who made the region home. Readers of all ages are sure to enjoy this fascinating journey through the early years of Orlando and Orange County.

The history of Aurora, Illinois is one of diversity. This is the first book to trace the city's early days of its first white settlement through World War I and the early 1920s, as seen through the eyes of its diverse ethnic groups. Immigrants from northern, southern, and eastern Europe, southern Blacks, and Mexicans all came to provide their talents to the massive railroad industry and the dozens of factories in the city, which were producing various products to be used by the entire nation and as well as in the construction of the Panama Canal.

Aurora

Chicago has historically been a place of great energy and a showcase of modernity. Determined to wash away the recent memories of World War I, Chicagoans in the 1920s and into the 1930s set out to enjoy themselves, creating a Golden Age of popular entertainment envied throughout the world. Chicago Entertainment Between the Wars, 1919-1939 explores in detail the various old and new playing fields of entertainment that blossomed during this time period, such as dance halls, radio studios, rodeos, theaters, public mechanical musical machines, and movie palaces.

Wynette Edwards

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