Helen Plum Library

The Manhattan Project at Hanford Site describes the top-secret effort undertaken during World War II to develop a weapon never imagined at "Site W" or "Hanford Engineer Works," one of three sites selected in the United States (plus Los Alamos and Oak Ridge) to research and produce weapons that were ultimately used to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki and end World War II. It was a research and engineering feat of unimaginable proportion, and the total project...

This book documents stories of the Depression and presents historical images from the Chicago Public LIbrary, the LIbrary of Congress, the FBI, the National Archives, the collections of John Chuckman, original press photographs, and many private collections

Batavia's origins can be traced back to 1801 when Joseph Ellicott, surveyor and land agent for the Holland Land Company, laid out the town's principal thoroughfares. As Batavia grew, it became incorporated as a village in 1823 and as a city in 1915. Over the years, the face of the community has undergone many changes. Mansions were built along Main Street and then largely disappeared. A number of major factories sprang up but later failed or the businesses...

North Aurora: 1834-1940 is a quintessential study of what happened when settlers arrived in the Midwest in the 1830s. The village's location on the Fox River provided plentiful trees and waterpower for sawmills. Soon other mills, smelting works, a packing plant, a door-sash-blind factory, and a creamery all came to town. The village's railroad enabled its Boswell Cheese Factory to ship cream cheese to England in 1877. By 1922, North Aurora had

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Located in northeastern Ohio, Aurora began as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve and drew many of its first settlers from New England. The city was founded in 1799, with its residents making their living from hunting, farming, and milling. As settlers cleared the land, planted their crops, and raised their animals, they retained their New England heritage, reflected in the many "century homes" found in the town. The area remained largely rural

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One of the greatest disasters of the twentieth century, in words and photos.
 
The Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906 was an unparalleled catastrophe in the history of San Francisco. More than 4.5 square miles of the city burned and crumbled into a windswept desert of desolation. This book is filled with remarkable images, from before the earthquake through the blaze and into the rebuilding.
 
With stories from...

Brooklyn Navy Yard details the beginnings and history of this significant military site.

Not much larger than a few city blocks (219 acres, plus 72 acres of water), the Brooklyn Navy Yard is one of the most historically significant sites in America. It was one of the U.S. Navy's major shipbuilding and repair yards from 1801 to 1966. It produced more than 80 warships and hundreds of smaller vessels. At its height during World War

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Mansfield was established in 1808, when its public square was built in north-central Ohio, carved out of a wilderness inhabited only by tribes of Native Americans and an itinerant nurseryman called Johnny Appleseed. Throughout the 200 years since, Mansfield has always been characterized as a leader in innovation. When agriculture was the nation's mainstay, Mansfield manufactured farming machinery; when the country became industrial, Mansfield rose...

In 1958, under the founding music director, Prof. Marvin Rabin, the Boston University College of Fine Arts established a youth orchestra for junior and senior high school students from the Greater Boston area. The Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO), formerly known as the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, has flourished over the past 60 years, impacting the lives of thousands of young musicians. BYSO members have experienced countless...