As a suburb of the nation's capital in the late 1800s, Rockville was proclaimed a "peerless" place to live; its subsequent transformation into a city all its own is equally remarkable. Starting out as a tiny colonial crossroads village, it gained stature as the county seat and evolved into a town. Construction of a train line to Washington spurred suburbanization--even resort hotels. Then the automobile and post-World War II boom rapidly turned it into a full-fledged city, with much of its identity tied to the bustling Rockville Pike, a region-wide commercial mecca. As its downtown faltered, Rockville undertook a massive urban renewal makeover--but with mixed results. Along the way, luminaries such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Thurgood Marshall figured in Rockville's story, as did an escaped slave whose autobiography inspired the influential novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. Rockville even once had an airport and a renowned mental hospital memorialized in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. A four-time All-America City awardee, Rockville is evolving still as one of the nation's most ethnically diverse cities.

In 1666, Robert Sandford laid claim to "Carolina," the land between Virginia and Florida, while standing on the banks of Bohicket Creek where the village of Rockville is today. Named for the iron ore deposits beneath Wadmalaw Island, Rockville became a village in 1835. Plantation owners from Wadmalaw and other sea islands in Charleston County gathered their families near the region's saltwater during the summer in hopes of surviving the dreaded "miasma," known today as malaria. They built houses, made friends, and intermarried until everyone was related. Images of America: Rockville shows the Bailey, Jenkins, LaRoche, Sams, Seabrook, Stevens, Townsend, Whaley, Wilkinson, and Wilson families; their summer homes; their chapels of ease; and their well-known annual sailing event, the Rockville Regatta.

Rockville began in 1824 as the seat of justice for the newly established Parke County. A small brick courthouse was built, and a fledgling community soon sprang up around it. Within a short time, blacksmiths, furniture builders, harness makers, grocers, druggists, and dry goods salesmen were calling the new public square home. Then over a period of 13 years, beginning in 1870, the face of Rockville was drastically altered as fires destroyed the early buildings. The newly resurrected town would look quite different. As the rebuilding occurred, an exceptional example of small-town Italianate architecture emerged. This new Rockville looked much different than its haphazard Colonial-style predecessor. Three-story brick and stone buildings replaced haphazard one- and two-story wood frame structures; concrete sidewalks replaced wooden walkways; awnings, ornate cornices, and large architectural iron and glass storefronts became the standard. It was during these years that Rockville began to resemble the quintessential American small town it is today.

The 14th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry was formed in August 1862. This book presents an articulate view of camp life and combat in the 14th, as told by Sgt. Benjamin Hirst of Company D, a unit composed largely of men from the mill town of Rockville. Editorial comment throughout analyzes Hirst's perspectives and motivations in the context of his life experience. 22 illustrations.

Vernon and Historic Rockville chronicles the transformation of a small Connecticut community in the mid-nineteenth century to a bustling manufacturing town until after World War II. Incorporated in 1808, Vernon was born on the eve of the Industrial Revolution in America. With industrialization came urbanization, immigration and in Rockville's case, mechanized experimentation. Innovations in textile manufacturing led to the development of 13 textile mills along the falls of the Hockanum River. Rockville became nationally recognized for its fine wool production. Photographs from the extensive collection of the Vernon Historical Society capture the evolution of social change and the growth of a diverse urban center from rural beginnings. Highlights include the development of community life as a result of the many textile mills located in the northern section of town.