Beloved Asheville author and historian Lou Harshaw once observed that Asheville has always been a place apart. "It is not really a southern city, but always of the South. Its differences make for a fascinating whole. In this time, more than two hundred years after the first Europeans came over the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge to take up land and make new homes, the concern for the future has never been greater. Asheville," she opined, "is absorbing new human values, new technology. There are new ways in which to live, and to relate to one another. In later years," she continued, "the decades over the turn of this century will be very important in Asheville history - a time of seeking control of destiny." As she so aptly noted, looking back at Asheville's rich history can enrich what lies ahead--and it should.
Join author and historian Amy Waters Yarsinske as she takes one final stroll through a Virginia Beach lost to time. The Oceanfront's Cottage Line, the music halls of Seaside Park and dunes so large they dwarfed the old Cape Henry lighthouse are a memory. Gone, too, are many of the city's iconic landmarks and open spaces, lost to storm, fire and the relentless onslaught of post-World War II development. With a deft hand and rare vintage images, historian Amy Waters Yarsinske recalls a time when the likes of Chuck Berry and Ray Charles played beneath the sizzling lights of the Dome and locals shagged the night away at the Peppermint Beach Club.
Berthed today at NAUTICUS, the National Maritime Center, the USS Wisconsin (BB-64) was the last authorized of the four Iowa-class battleships, the largest American dreadnoughts ever built. Wisconsin saw action in World War II and the Korean Conflict for which the Big Wisky earned a collective six battle stars. Brought out of mothballs and recommissioned a second time on October 22, 1988, the Wisconsin saw action again during the Persian Gulf War but was decommissioned a third time on September 30, 1991. But this great piece of American history was not destined for a lengthy slumber. Resurrected by the city of Norfolk and USS Wisconsin Foundation, working in lockstep with the Navy, it has become a museum ship and Navy heritage site that continues the legacy of duty, honor, and country that was the calling card of Wisconsin's crew, and to inspire future generations of Americans.
With over three centuries of rich history, Norfolk is truly an Old Dominion original. With a bustling port and the world s largest navy base, Norfolk has served as a center for agriculture, transportation, manufacturing and defense. Wars, epidemics, fires, economic depression and suburbanization greatly impacted the development of the city over the centuries, and sadly, many of the relics and vestiges from Norfolk's past have been lost to time, but they are forever preserved in this remarkable collection of photographs from renowned local historian Amy Waters Yarsinske. Enjoy nearly two hundred stunning and rare images from the bygone days when Norfolk's downtown waterfront was lined with thriving storefronts, magnificent homes, striking architecture and sailors in crisp white uniforms.
Ocean View, a rich historical beachfront hamlet on the northern-most reaches of the city of Norfolk, was at one time a major resort destination for beachgoers and amusement park lovers, from Florida to Maine and west to the Mississippi. Ocean View presents a comprehensive pictorial history of this resort, its development as an important residential and recreational section of Norfolk, and the people who made it happen from 1862 to 1965. Using over 170 photographs, including those shot by Charles S. Borjes,"Virginia's finest press photographer of his day," we can experience and explore this very special part of Norfolk. From the tranquility of the chapter entitled Mr. Lincoln Walks the Beach, set during the American Civil War, to the fury and excitement of sections like Hurricane!, Fisherman's Paradise and the Coney Island of the South, and World War II and the Big Band Era, the history of Ocean View is chronicled with unsurpassed detail.
The question posed at the beginning of this narrative asked why a botanical garden for Norfolk and the answer, to be certain, is the story told in the book itself. But it is also answered in the connection each of us make to this special place, whether we live in Hampton Roads or are just visiting. Gardens should surprise and comfort you. Anatole France (1844-1924), the French poet, journalist, and novelist, could have been addressing countryman and father of the Norfolk Botanical Garden Fred Heutte when he sagely observed: "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan but also believe." Fred Heutte was a dreamer with a plan who believed that the garden he shepherded for nearly three decades would ultimately fulfill its destiny and take an honored place among the United States' premier botanical gardens-and it has.
In 1907, Norfolk hosted the Jamestown Exposition, a celebration of America's first permanent settlement on April 26, 1607, and an event that marked America's ascension as a world power, in both military might and cultural influence. This exposition came at a time in American history when naval reviews, grandiose celebrations, world's fairs, and international expositions were at their zenith of public popularity. These were the days when American imperialism reigned and expositions were an expression of patriotic fervor as never before seen in this country. In Jamestown Exposition: American Imperialism on Parade Volume I, readers will experience this historic event from its early planning and construction, meeting the men responsible for its coordination and success, to the pomp and circumstance of the different exhibits of participating companies, states, and foreign powers. The true-life story of Pocahontas, or Matoaka; the Battle of the Merrimack and Monitor, the exposition's most popular exhibit; and the colorful review of the different world navies, such as the Japanese and British fleets, are just a few examples of the fascinating stories touched upon in this first volume.
The incredible story of denial, deceit, and deception that ultimately cost Navy pilot Captain Michael Scott Speicher his life is exposed in this military tell-all. Asserting that years of information has been intentionally kept from an American public, the book reveals that, contrary to reports, Speicher survived after he ejected from his stricken F/A-18 Hornet on the first night of the Persian Gulf War. Protected by a Bedouin tribal group, he evaded Saddam’s capture for nearly four years. In that time he was repeatedly promised by an American intelligence asset that a deal for his repatriation would be worked out but it never was. Speicher was left behind. After Saddam Hussein captured him, Speicher spent the next eight years in a secret Baghdad prison and being moved around in secret to avoid an American task force looking for him, and before he was killed after the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003. Author Amy Waters Yarsinske, a former naval intelligence officer and a veteran investigator and author, presents her fascinating case after years of research.
A once-remote auxiliary air station that sprung from the mud flats of old Princess Anne County near the whistle stop of Oceana, from which it gets its name, Naval Air Station Oceana has advanced in the decades since World War II to become the navy's East Coast master jet base and one of the largest and most advanced air stations in the world. Through interviews, exhaustive research and rare and often never-before-seen photographs, author and historian Yarsinske tells the story of vision, courage and commitment that reinforce what Admiral Michael G. Mullen, then chief of naval operations, said of Oceana when he testified before the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) commission regional hearings on August 4, 2005, his words just as relevant today as they were then. "We know how important it is to our training. We know how important it is to our preparation for warfighting. We know how important it is to be good neighbors, and we will continue to be. Our sailors and their families - and I include my own family on that list - enjoy living in the wonderful communities of the great state of Virginia," he continued. "Mr. Chairman [Anthony Principi], I need now - your navy needs now - Naval Air Station Oceana.
This history of Newport News is about a new city in a new century--the twentieth century--with attention to the importance to the first years after incorporation to the nascent years of the twenty-first century. There is little argument that the twentieth century was "America's century," a time of incredible growth, innovation and prosperity across the country, despite depression and war, and the dichotomy of black and white, poverty and wealth that marked the highs and lows of Newport News' twentieth century experience. The consistent threads that weave the Newport News story still hinge on the imagination, ambition and achievement of Collis Huntington; what he started at the end of the nineteenth century became a powerhouse in the twentieth.
Photographs chosen for this volume are testament to the power of "a picture is worth a thousand words." Each photograph tells a story of Norfolk through time, starting with the city center--the downtown--before going down to the river, revisiting the significance of the streetcar and the horseless carriage on the city's development, moving into the wards, and, finally, a journey to the Chesapeake Bay on the city's north shore. In this fascinating selection of photographs Amy Waters Yarsinske traces some of the many ways in which Norfolk has changed and developed over the last century. With over three centuries of rich history, and with so little intact of the city's historic built environment, photographs are a priceless record of Norfolk, the "sunrise city by the sea.
Including never-before-published images spanning the years from 1870 to 1965, this collection is a nostalgic view of those lazy summer days in the southside region of Hampton Roads. Scenes from the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk, and the counties of Isle of Wight and Southampton, chronicle the familiar and well-loved activities of summer, from fishing trips, beach outings, and picnics to ice cream cones, fireworks, and baseball. Evoking the sweet, heavy scent of summer with beautiful photographs and charming anecdotes, this book is a well-crafted history of summertime in Virginia that invites all to reminisce. Whether you are a newcomer to the area or a longtime resident, Summer on the Southside will appeal to everyone who has ever spent a warm summer evening sitting on the porch, listening to the frogs, and watching the fireflies. From the first chapter, aBring Forth the Flowers, a to the last, aSchool Bells and Fall Leaves, a readers will enjoy this meandering journey down memory lane.
Author and historian Amy Waters Yarsinske takes a look back at Virginia Beach in the twentieth century, to the decades--and events--that shaped a city that although largely suburban in character, is the most populous in Virginia and the forty-first most populous municipality in the United States. Located in Hampton Roads, an area known as "America's First Region," and situated on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is a resort city with miles of beaches and a vibrant Oceanfront strip, several state parks, three military bases, a number of large corporations, two universities, and many historic sites. Near the point where the ocean and bay meet, Cape Henry was the site of the first landing of the English colonists, who eventually settled at Jamestown, on April 26, 1607. Virginia Beach is also located at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the longest bridge-tunnel complex in the world. The story of today's Virginia Beach was written in the twentieth century, when a town and a county came together, taking the name of the better known and richly historic Oceanfront resort. Virginia Beach Through the 20th Century takes you back to the remarkable people, places and events that gave birth to the "jewel resort of the Atlantic.
Richmond is a city with a pedigree, a past that can be traced back to the first English settlers who landed at Jamestown in 1607. Yet the focus of this volume is the twentieth century, which was, by all rights, America's century and Richmond's rebirth as a modern, changed city. "The closer Richmond moved toward the twentieth century, the more it seemed to be a city of archives and icons, the 'holy city' of the Confederacy, and an American industrial city, reflecting the prosperity and problems of mass production," wrote historian Marie Tyler-McGraw, of the city that had held on so tightly to its status as capital of the Confederacy and bastion of the South's cause in the war. "The Lost Cause as a form of civil religion for the South was especially evocative in Richmond," McGraw continued, "Yet the political influence of the Lost Cause zealots was probably not as great as its acolytes imagined. Both politicians and businessmen found the Lost Cause to be a malleable concept, adaptable to new circumstances." Richmond was ready for a makeover - and it got it.
On May 13, 1607, three small English sips, the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery-approached a spit of shore at what was soon named Jamestown, the manifestation of England's determination to establish a permanent settlement in the New World. Today, Jamestown is one of three locations-along with Williamsburg and Yorktown-that comprise the historic triangle of Colonial Virginia. It is home to two heritage tourism sites related to the original fort and town: Historic Jamestowne, the archaeological site on the island a cooperative effort of Jamestown National Historic Site, part of the Colonial National Historical Park, and Preservation Virginia, and the Jamestown Settlement, a living history site and museum, built for the celebration of the semiseptcentennial anniversary and operated by the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Virginia. from cover.
Few would guess from looking at the resplendent Virginia Beach shoreline-its stretches of fine sand, sloping dunes, and rolling waves-that the city has experienced anything but peace and tranquility since the history of its native Chesapeake tribe collided with the ambition and vision of new European settlers on the colonial coastline. But turmoil and conflict, as well as progress and achievement, are all a part of the area's unique story. Virginia Beach: A History of Virginia's Golden Shore brings to life the people, places, and events that contributed to the city's celebrated reputation. Through stories and memories, readers are introduced to the varied citizens who called this land home, including such characters as Sarah Offley who married three of early Virginia's most powerful settlers, and to the city's illustrious visitors. This volume also details, in both word and image, the influential resort age, which began in 1880 and saw the community flourish as people flocked to the Atlantic shore to dance, picnic, and enjoy the surf at the Princess Anne Hotel. Everyday vacationers mingled with notables such as Alexander Graham Bell and John, Lionel, and Ethel Barrymore at the landmark hotel with the railroad at its front door. Although little of the golden shore remains unchanged, modern residents continue to preserve what they can-especially their memories, pride, and love for the city.
Today, each visitor to Williamsburg, Virginia, takes a step back in time to the small town that for nearly a century was capital of Virginia, one of the most influential of all of England's thirteen American colonies, and the focus of a significant plantation society. Eighteenth-century buildings, furnishings and gardens again take their original form in this historic community. Colonial-period carriages once more clatter along Duke of Gloucester, a broad public thoroughfare once described by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as "the most historic avenue in all America." Since 1927, when the first preliminary drawings illustrating the restoration of the entire town were completed, and John D. Rockefeller Jr. moved to acquire the first key properties toward restoration of Williamsburg, the American past has been brought to life in an area nearly a mile in length. In this sacred hollow of America's past were enacted some of the most dramatic scenes of our history - and with it some of the nation's most famous patriots and future Founding Fathers. Restoration and discovery continue to be carried out by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the premise that the future should learn from the past.
Church Street, one of Norfolk's original streets laid in 1680, served for many years as the gateway to the city. Originally called "The Road That Leadeth Out of Town," its name was changed to Church Street following the completion of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in 1739. Eastern European immigrants who settled the area between 1890 and 1914 established successful, small businesses along this main street, but by the late 1920s, many of the business owners had moved to outlying suburbs. African Americans soon began to settle the area, and as the black population increased, Church Street became the local center for African-American family life, religion, entertainment, education, and the manifestation of political power that would later give birth to several leaders of the American Civil Rights Movement. With informative captions narrating your visual tour, Norfolk's Church Street: Between Memory and Reality provides an intimate look at the Church Street of yesteryear and pays tribute to the faces and places of The Road That Leadeth Out of Town. This rare collection of over 200 photographs illuminates the progress of a district that was once the lifeblood of the region's black community--an area that is presently undergoing a spirited renaissance.
The fascinating story of the Jamestown Exposition of 1907, a tricentennial celebration of America's first settlement in 1607, continues to unfold in this companion volume, which explores the exposition's parades, exhibitions, and the people who worked and participated in the days' events. Not only important as a statewide event, the exposition provided the United States government and many other states a stage to display their history and culture for the whole world to see and enjoy. In this second volume, you will continue your visual journey on the exposition grounds, viewing the new wonders of the time--flying machines--and the architecturally diverse State Buildings, such as Kentucky's frontierera fort, Virginia's replica colonial planter's mansion, and Vermont's country cottage. As you thumb through these pages, you will learn the incredible stories of some of the most famous people of the day who attended the exposition, such as William Jennings Bryan and Mark Twain, and the captivating history of the Black Jamestown Exposition Company, a group that held a separate exhibit along with the festivities of the larger exposition. Also, the exposition served as the starting point for the around-the-world voyage of President Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, a bold demonstration of America's naval superiority and new role as a leading world power.
Virginia Beach: Jewel Resort of the Atlantic, takes us back in time to the days when the sparkling resort strip of Virginia Beach drew crowds by the train-full. This new book takes readers back to the days when there were only summer cottages and inns at Virginia Beach. In days gone by, sea breezes and incomparable landscapes created the backdrop for excursionists, and the wild country of Back Bay, Croatan, Sandbridge, and Fort Story was untouched. We follow the development of the resort as it changed to include grand hotels, clubs, nightlife, and watersports. Readers are invited to take a walk on the boardwalk of yesteryear and follow Virginia Beach through World War II and the big band era, to the fabulous fifties and the 1960s, when Virginia Beach formally incorporated as a city.
The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is America's foremost memorial to the nation's third president. As an original adaptation of neoclassical architecture, modeled after Rome's Pantheon, it is a key landmark in the monumental core of Washington, D.C., according to the National Park Service, which administers and maintains the memorial. The circular, colonnaded structure in the classic style was introduced to this country by Thomas Jefferson. Architect John Russell Pope used Jefferson's own architectural tastes in the design of the memorial. Pope's intention was to blend Jefferson's contribution as a statesman, architect, president of the United States, drafter of the Declaration of Independence, adviser of the Constitution and founder of the University of Virginia. Few major changes have been made to the Memorial since its dedication in 1943. The most important change, of note, was the replacement of the plaster model statue of Thomas Jefferson with a bronze version of the same after World War II restrictions on the use of metals were lifted. Each year the Jefferson Memorial plays host to various ceremonies, including annual memorial exercises, Easter sunrise services and the ever-popular Cherry Blossom Festival.
The incredible story of denial, deceit, and deception that ultimately cost Navy pilot Captain Michael Scott Speicher his life is exposed in this military tell-all. Asserting that years of information has been intentionally kept from an American public, the book reveals that, contrary to reports, Speicher survived after he ejected from his stricken F/A-18 Hornet on the first night of the Persian Gulf War. Protected by a Bedouin tribal group, he evaded Saddam’s capture for nearly four years. In that time he was repeatedly promised by an American intelligence asset that a deal for his repatriation would be worked out but it never was. Speicher was left behind. After Saddam Hussein captured him, Speicher spent the next eight years in a secret Baghdad prison and being moved around in secret to avoid an American task force looking for him, and before he was killed after the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003. Author Amy Waters Yarsinske, a former naval intelligence officer and a veteran investigator and author, presents her fascinating case after years of research.
In 1907, Norfolk hosted the Jamestown Exposition, a celebration of America's first permanent settlement on April 26, 1607, and an event that marked America's ascension as a world power, in both military might and cultural influence. This exposition came at a time in American history when naval reviews, grandiose celebrations, world's fairs, and international expositions were at their zenith of public popularity. These were the days when American imperialism reigned and expositions were an expression of patriotic fervor as never before seen in this country. In Jamestown Exposition: American Imperialism on Parade Volume I, readers will experience this historic event from its early planning and construction, meeting the men responsible for its coordination and success, to the pomp and circumstance of the different exhibits of participating companies, states, and foreign powers. The true-life story of Pocahontas, or Matoaka; the Battle of the Merrimack and Monitor, the exposition's most popular exhibit; and the colorful review of the different world navies, such as the Japanese and British fleets, are just a few examples of the fascinating stories touched upon in this first volume.
Ocean View, a rich historical beachfront hamlet on the northern-most reaches of the city of Norfolk, was at one time a major resort destination for beachgoers and amusement park lovers, from Florida to Maine and west to the Mississippi. Ocean View presents a comprehensive pictorial history of this resort, its development as an important residential and recreational section of Norfolk, and the people who made it happen from 1862 to 1965. Using over 170 photographs, including those shot by Charles S. Borjes,"Virginia's finest press photographer of his day," we can experience and explore this very special part of Norfolk. From the tranquility of the chapter entitled Mr. Lincoln Walks the Beach, set during the American Civil War, to the fury and excitement of sections like Hurricane!, Fisherman's Paradise and the Coney Island of the South, and World War II and the Big Band Era, the history of Ocean View is chronicled with unsurpassed detail.
The fascinating story of the Jamestown Exposition of 1907, a tricentennial celebration of America's first settlement in 1607, continues to unfold in this companion volume, which explores the exposition's parades, exhibitions, and the people who worked and participated in the days' events. Not only important as a statewide event, the exposition provided the United States government and many other states a stage to display their history and culture for the whole world to see and enjoy. In this second volume, you will continue your visual journey on the exposition grounds, viewing the new wonders of the time--flying machines--and the architecturally diverse State Buildings, such as Kentucky's frontierera fort, Virginia's replica colonial planter's mansion, and Vermont's country cottage. As you thumb through these pages, you will learn the incredible stories of some of the most famous people of the day who attended the exposition, such as William Jennings Bryan and Mark Twain, and the captivating history of the Black Jamestown Exposition Company, a group that held a separate exhibit along with the festivities of the larger exposition. Also, the exposition served as the starting point for the around-the-world voyage of President Teddy Roosevelt's Great White Fleet, a bold demonstration of America's naval superiority and new role as a leading world power.
Virginia Beach: Jewel Resort of the Atlantic, takes us back in time to the days when the sparkling resort strip of Virginia Beach drew crowds by the train-full. This new book takes readers back to the days when there were only summer cottages and inns at Virginia Beach. In days gone by, sea breezes and incomparable landscapes created the backdrop for excursionists, and the wild country of Back Bay, Croatan, Sandbridge, and Fort Story was untouched. We follow the development of the resort as it changed to include grand hotels, clubs, nightlife, and watersports. Readers are invited to take a walk on the boardwalk of yesteryear and follow Virginia Beach through World War II and the big band era, to the fabulous fifties and the 1960s, when Virginia Beach formally incorporated as a city.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.