Known as New Hampshire's Queen City, Manchester could be called Change City. Throughout its history, it has reinvented itself many times. From a Native American fishing and gathering place called Amoskeag to a Yankee colonial town known as Derryfield, it became a multiethnic industrial center, the Manchester of America, home of the world-famous Amoskeag Manufacturing Company (1831-1936). When Amoskeag Manufacturing closed during the Depression, the...

On October 6, 1846, Gad Norton invited the public to witness a scientific experiment to be conducted at his family-owned lake. The experiment failed, but the crowds of people inspired him to open a recreation area. In 1851, the firm of Pierce and Norton began land improvements. Not only were new attractions added, but corporate outings and outdoor concerts with big bands were also held, providing for a full day of fun and memories. As the oldest continuously...

Six Flags Great Adventure has been the premier destination for family fun in the Northeast for over 40 years. Created by Hollywood scion Warner LeRoy, the park's mission from the very start was to be the biggest and best theme park with record-breaking thrills, spectacular shows, and unique experiences that could only be found at Great Adventure. As a part of the Six Flags family of theme parks, Great Adventure combines the world's largest safari...

In the late 19th century, West Brighton became known as "Factoryville" after several industries set up shop in the vicinity. One of the largest, Barrett, Nephews, and Company, a dyeing and cleaning establishment, employed hundreds of Staten Islanders. Several prominent historical figures have resided in the region as well, including former first lady Julia Gardiner Tyler, who, in 1862, left the Confederacy (but not her Southern sympathies) to rejoin...

Fell's Point, Baltimore's original deep-water port, was founded in 1726 by William Fell, a shipbuilder from England. The community's shipyards developed the famed Baltimore Clippers; built two of the first ships in the United States Navy, the USS Constellation and the USS Enterprise; and financed the privateers that helped win the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, Baltimore was second only to Ellis Island as an entry port for European immigrants,...

When the United States entered the 1960s, the nation was swept up in the Space Race as the United States and the Soviet Union competed for supremacy in rocket and satellite technologies. Cities across the country hoped to attract new aerospace companies, but the city leaders of Seattle launched the most ambitious campaign of all. They invited the whole world to visit for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, and more than nine million people took them up...

In 1825, two government surveyors platting the southwest Michigan territory engaged in a small skirmish with two Native Americans. With a humorous nod, the surveyors gave the name Battle Creek to the river where this encounter took place. A few years later, a group of entrepreneurs, led by Sands McCamly, established a milling community and named it after the river. Thus the city of Battle Creek had its start. Over the following 170 years, it has grown...

Marriott's Great America first opened in Gurnee, Illinois, on May 29, 1976. Located midway between Chicago and Milwaukee, it was the second of two Marriott Corporation theme parks. Great America was created to be a place where families could have fun together while gaining an appreciation for United States history. The parks five authentically themed areas based on America's past included the best in family and thrill rides, restaurants, specialty...

In 1927, American entrepreneur Juan T. Trippe founded what would later become Pan American World Airways, one of the world's most prominent airlines of the 20th century. From the very first airmail flight flown from Key West to Cuba, Trippe provided leadership and innovation that put Pan Am at the top of the commercial airline industry. His global pioneering spirit expanded the world's reach for the masses while at the same time provided the most...

Salt Lake City, located along Utah's majestic Wasatch Mountains, has historically been a cradle of peculiar people. Before Western culture developed terms for lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) identities, diverse communities who recognized their differences from mainstream America made Salt Lake their home. By the early 1970's, a discernible "gay community" had emerged in Salt Lake City, laying the groundwork for future activism and institutions....