Indiana

In 1908, the Aurora Business Mens Association decided to bring a celebration to its sleepy river town. Little did these men realize that the Aurora Farmers Fair would bring their community together for the next 100 years. During the 1909 fall festival, Second and Main Streets were blocked off and lined with farm exhibits and storefronts were decorated. There were over 700 entries and 12,000 people attended. Every year merchants and manufacturers parade, and contestants are selected from area schools to compete for a place in the royal court that presides over the festivities. Class reunions and family homecomings are held around the event, and schoolchildren are released early to participate in a bicycle and pet parade. In 1959, the Aurora Business Mens Association ceded management and sponsorship of the fair to the Aurora Lions Club, and in 1969, the Lions Club purchased a beautiful old building from the Aurora Casket Company to house exhibits. Sadly, in 1998, arson destroyed the fair building, and years' worth of fair history was lost. This book has been created, in part, in an effort to regain a portion of the collection that was lost.

Four months after the Indiana General Assembly established Clinton County, longtime resident John Pence donated 60 acres of centrally located farmland where the county seat would be built. Thanks to Pence's generosity, the city of Frankfort, named in honor of his ancestral German home, was born on May 9, 1830. Dense forests, poor roads, and harsh winters were among the many challenges facing Frankfort's earliest inhabitants. Yet, that tiny, close-knit community grew and blossomed into the beautiful "Gem City," abundant in commerce, schools, churches, and culture. The spirit of those early settlers still prevails. It is revealed in their sons and daughters, who include heroes, entrepreneurs, educators, political leaders, artists, entertainers, athletes, and more. The images in this book highlight much of the history of a proud Hoosier city and those who call it home.

Since its founding in 1821, Columbus, Indiana, has changed greatly-from an early agricultural town to a small modern city with varied business and industry. Today Columbus is most famous for its architectural gems from the past half century, but many historic buildings from early Columbus still exist. As Columbus has changed, its buildings have changed as well.

Gary's East Side is a nostalgic look back at one of the Steel City's oldest neighborhoods. Through a captivating collection of photographs that chronicle the many aspects of life on the east side of Gary, the book presents the rich history of the community from 1906, the year of Gary's founding, to the present.

From the steel mills to the churches to Gary's City Hall, Gary's East Side offers a touching look at this close-knit community. The east side of Gary was a place where people knew their neighbors, where children went to school together, and married high school sweethearts. The area has changed, but a new Gary is emerging. Gary's East Side presents the history of this area in poignant detail and points to the heartening future. Author John Trafny's skillful compilation promises to bring back fond memories of this historic neighborhood.

Based on vintage postcards, this new book is a unique and welcome addition to the small number of works devoted to the history of Martinsville.

Captured here in more than 220 postcard images is an important chronicle of the past 100 years in the "City of Mineral Water." This visual record showcases the sanitariums--including the glorious Home Lawn and its sibling, the Martinsville--industries and businesses, buildings and people, courthouse square, and special events that shaped the past and influenced the present. This fascinating retrospective is an indispensable companion to and expansion of Morgan County, the authors' first book in Arcadia's Postcard History Series.

Illinois may be known as the "Land of Lincoln," but Abraham Lincoln spent the formative years from the age of 7 until he turned 21 in southwestern Indiana, living with his family on a farmstead in the rolling hills of this beautiful rural area.

The Lincoln family moved from Kentucky, crossing the Ohio River and settling in an area known as Little Pigeon Creek in December 1816. Now known as Lincoln City, the town is just one of several stops on a back roads tour that takes wanderers through many historic sites, representing important moments in the life of a great man. Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, is buried here, and the cabin where his cousin lived and Lincoln spent the night still stands. Those who want to retrace Lincoln's life in southern Indiana can do so easily by following the narrow roads that traverse the 20-mile area where he lived and traveled during those 14 years when he called Indiana home. The people of the region still claim Lincoln as one of their own.