The fascinating story of the historic Elmwood District is told for the first time, from the arrival on the Niagara Frontier of Joseph Ellicott, through the role played by Fredrick Law Olmsted' s parks and parkways, and into the decline and renewal during modern era. This lushly illustrated book educates and enlightens, telling the stories of the people who gave Elmwood its enduring character, transforming it from dense forest into one of America' s top ten neighborhoods.

In less than 50 years, a blink of the eye in the history of mankind, Elmwood Park transformed itself from prairie to prosperity. Fertile lands once home to Native Americans sprouted a development unlike any that had ever been seen in the Chicago area. The Westwood subdivision, started by John Mills just before the start of the Great Depression, resulted in the construction of over 1,500 brick bungalows in two years. A second postwar boom coincided with the Italian American migration from the old Chicago neighborhoods. The next 50 years would see continued growth and change. When people think of Elmwood Park, images of food often accompany those thoughts. Envisioning a barbecue pork sandwich or a combo, juicy, sweet and large ice, no-lid brings back memories of standing in long lines, cash in hand, among people of all races united in the desire to satisfy their appetites."

Elmwood Cemetery was founded in August 1852 by 50 prominent Memphians who resolved to create a new burial site just two and a half miles outside the city limits. The name of the cemetery was drawn out of a hat by one of the founding fathers. A nurseryman from Scotland was hired to lay out the grounds, and Elmwood was opened to people from all backgrounds to use as their family cemetery. Elmwood has survived wars, military occupation, epidemic disease, and the bankruptcy and near collapse of Memphis, only to emerge as one of the premier outdoor museums in the United States. Its massive collection of Victorian memorial statuary is almost unrivaled, but Elmwood's true allure lies in the stories of those who rest beneath the lush canopy of trees on its 80 acres. The graves at Elmwood belong to soldiers and statesmen, scoundrels and scalawags, writers and musicians, martyrs and madams, the notorious and the anointed, and so many more.

Elmwood Endures provides a visual journey of the cemetery's history and landscape. The guidebook features nearly one hundred photographs, along with brief biographies of notable occupants who make up a virtual who's who in Detroit history. Many of those buried--governors, explorers, doctors, mayors, inventors, senators, civil rights leaders, distillers and brewmasters, and civil war generals--helped found and shape the city.

Elmwood Park Zoo was established in 1924 when roughly 16 acres of land and a small group of animals were donated to the borough of Norristown. Although the early years of the zoo were more akin to a small farm, it has gone through an extensive expansion during the past few decades. This expansion and the continued revitalization of Elmwood Park Zoo include some notable residents, such as the zoo's owl, who has become the mascot of Temple University, and its bald eagle, a sideline regular for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. The zoo today, with new features including a zip line and a giraffe exhibit, looks to the future, with plans for even more exhibits, a new restaurant, and an additional 20 acres yet to be developed.