NCW Libraries

Anyone who has waited in a Christmas line for the Walnut Room's Great Tree can attest that Chicago's loyalty to Marshall Field's is fierce. Dayton-Hudson even had to take out advertising around town to apologize for changing the Field's hallowed green bags. And with good reason--the store and those who ran it shaped the city's streets, subsidized its culture and heralded its progress. The resulting commercial empire dictated wholesale trade terms...

Sherman Park residents blazed integration trails ahead of the slow progress of Greater Milwaukee and the country. Racial tensions and violence in the South drove nearly thirty thousand African Americans north to Milwaukee in the 1960s. Most of Milwaukee accepted overt racial prejudice. But in Sherman Park, mixed-race families found support, and activists of all races fought against discrimination in housing, schools, buses and even social clubs. The...

Seneca County, Ohio ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history,

Ohio has nurtured some of the most celebrated deer-hunting ground in the country, with a deer population of about 650,000 and well over 400,000 sportsmen pursuing them. From the heyday of the Native American deer slayer to the modern-day huntsman, outdoorsman and writer Robert Loewendick relays his knowledge of Ohio deer hunting and history with passion and grace. Hitting all four corners of the state and everything in between, Loewendick shares the...

During the 1930s in the United States, the Works Progress Administration developed the Federal Writers' Project to support writers and artists while making a national effort to document the country's shared history and culture. The American Guide series consists of individual guides to each of the states. Little-known authors, many of whom would later become celebrated literary figures, were commissioned to write these important books. John Steinbeck,...

Kansas Myths and Legends explores unusual events, unsolved crimes, and legends in Kansas's history. Each episode included in the book is a story unto itself, and the tone and style of the book is lively and easy to read for a general audience interested in Texas history. The more than a dozen stories answer questions such as: Is it possible that a family of four living on the Kansas prairie got away with serial murder for more than three years and...

Madison, tucked among the rolling southeastern hills that meander toward the Ohio River, was settled when Indiana was still a territory and became a city in 1809. A major river port, Madison thrived during the steamboat era as well as when railroads came to dominate the landscape. The city's glorious past is still on display. Many magnificent edifices dating back to eras from the beginning of the 1800s to the early 20th century provide wonderful examples...

Join historian Julie Young on this nostalgic look at the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) of Central Indiana, from football jamborees at CYO Stadium to fun times at camps Rancho Framasa and Christina. Share in the recollections of senior members who matured and found their voices and often their future spouses through their CYO experiences. Pull the award-winning apple pie from the oven and give the kickball a good boot in this spirited celebration...

It Happened in Missouri takes readers on a rollicking, behind-the-scenes look at some of the characters and episodes from the Show Me State's storied past. Including both famous tales, and famous names--and little-known heroes, heroines, and happenings.

Crack open the first complete history of Brew City booze. Discover how Milwaukee's "rum holes" weathered Prohibition and which Jones Island barkeep owned the longest mustaches. Copy down the best recipe involving Sprecher Special Amber, Rainbow Trout and sauerkraut. Sample the rich heritage of Pabst, Schlitz, Gettleman and Miller: the folk who turned Milwaukee into the Beer Capital of the World. And save some room for the more recent contributions...