Includes recipe for the hotel's pea soup and spoonbread.

The history of the Roanoke Valley during the 1940s has largely been unexplored until now. This significant decade bore witness to the birth of the local civil rights movement, the impact of World War II and the postwar boom in public projects and private development. The J-Class locomotives, Carver School, Woodrum Field, Victory Stadium, Carvins Cove, the Roanoke Star, the end of streetcars, and the advent of drive-in theaters all marked the decade. Crowds thronged to see the biggest names in radio, film and music at the American Legion Auditorium, the Academy of Music and the Roanoke Theatre, while Major League baseball and professional football brought exhibition games to Maher Field and Victory Stadium. Local historian Nelson Harris provides a detailed account of this dynamic decade along with 300 archival photographs.

From the 1890s through the 1940s, postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photographs of local street scenes, documenting landmarks, and assembling crowds of children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history.

A must-have for visitors, history buffs and armchair travelers alike, this guide includes superb color photography, literary extracts and archival illustrations that create a vivid portrait of the state. irigina's eventful history and traditional culture unfolds on Confederate battlegrounds a well as on tours of historic homes of some of America's greatest patriots and presidents, and is compiled by history timelines. Includes color photos.

The author of The Big Book of Virginia Ghost Stories focuses on the “Scare City”: “If you believe in ghosts, this is the book for you” (The Roanoke Times). Roanoke, in the heart of southwestern Virginia, is one of the most haunted cities in the commonwealth. The Star City is brimming with eerie and unexplainable stories, such as the legendary “Woman in Black,” who appeared several times in 1902, but only to married men on their way home at night. There are also macabre stories in many of Roanoke’s famous landmarks, such as the majestic Grandin Theatre, where a homeless family is said to have lived—and the cries of their deceased children can still be heard. Travel beyond the realm of reality with author L.B. Taylor Jr. as he traces the history of Roanoke’s most unique and chilling tales. Includes photos! “I like the ghost story books of L.B. Taylor, Jr., a Virginia author, because he blends history and true ghost stories so wonderfully. He doesn’t make judgments about each ghost story, but presents the facts and lets you decide for yourself. . . . So if you’re in a ghostly mood this October—or if you’re just a history lover—Taylor’s books are well worth your time.” —Eagle-Eyed Editor