In 1904, the building of a planned community began, and the Henry River Manufacturing Company started producing fine cotton yarns in 1905. In its time, Henry River Mill Village was a completely self-sustained town: it operated under its own currency, generated its own electricity, and churned its own moonshine. While the mill thrived during its operating years, the 12-hour shifts often proved backbreaking for workers. By the time the 12,000 spindles slowed to a halt in the late 1960s, many workers had hoboed out of town looking for higher wages. The mill itself burned down in 1977, but the two-story company store and many of the workers' houses remain, creating an eerie silhouette--and serving as inspiration to both artists and filmmakers.

Few would have guessed in 1870 that within fifty years North Carolina would be the most industrialized state in the South. The Quest for Progress recounts that half-century of turbulent change and growth. It is the fourth volume in The Way We Lived in North Carolina, a pioneering series that uses historic places as windows to the past. An accelerating pace of life was evident everywhere in North Carolina at the turn of the century, from mill villages to mushrooming towns. Sky scrapers and suburbs, country estates and mountain resorts testified to the state's new wealth. But new conflicts marked the era as well. Farmers plagued by debt fought back in a Populist movement that carried its cause to the nation. Working men and women fought to keep their independence on the factory floor. Black North Carolinians, despite violence and disenfranchisement, built the churches, colleges, and businesses that prepared the next generation to reclaim its rights. By 1920, North Carolina was a state transformed. Sites used to illuminate this period include mill villages, a tobacco factory, depots, schoolhouses, general stores, a fire station, a drugstore, and the Thomas Wolfe Memorial. Each volume in The Way We Lived in North Carolina examines the social history of an era, weaving interpretation around dozens of historic sites and the lives of ordinary people who lived and worked nearby. The series is based on the premise that the past can be most fully understood through the joint experience of reading history and visiting historic places. These volumes will appeal to all who are interested in North Carolina history, historic preservation, and social history.

These dark hills and hollers hold endless secret wonders. UFO sightings join mysterious booming noises and the famous Brown Mountain Lights in lists of unexplained phenomena. Ghosts abound from Biltmore to Grandfather Mountain. Learn about the Phantom Rider of the Confederacy and all the spots where the devil is said to have set foot on Tar Heel soil. Sightings of Bigfoot join the legend of the Wampus Cat in tales told around the fire at night. Master storyteller Sherman Carmichael explores the lore of the mountains.

When creating her post-apocalyptic world of The Hunger Games, author Suzanne Collins drew from various real-world history and geography, particularly from Appalachia, which is reflected in the culture and location of District 12. With the release of her 2019 prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Collins brought readers deeper into Appalachia's extraordinary cultural diversity and its storied musical traditions. This book provides a tour of human geography, history and culture that establishes the foundation for the saga's novels and films. Told from the expertise of a geographer, it explores how place can shape culture, how social and geographical concepts intersect and how these ideas apply to The Hunger Games. Specifically, the work explores the idea of "home," and how attachment to a place is strengthened through landscape, geography and song.

Take a seat and settle in—it’s a gigantic treasury of trivia and humor for our twenty-fifth (is that porcelain?) anniversary! IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Gold Winner in Humor ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, Honorable Mention in Humor “Fully Loaded” is putting it mildly. This behemoth of a book is overflowing with incredible stories, surprising facts, weird news, little-known origins, forgotten history, fun wordplay, and everything else that millions of loyal fans have come to expect from the world’s best-selling bathroom reading series. As always, it’s divided by length: quickies for the reader on the go, medium-sized articles for those with a few minutes to spare, and extra-long pieces for those truly leg-numbing experiences. Here are just a few of the hundreds of topics loaded into this edition of America’s favorite source of fascinating information: * Forgotten Firsts * Dumb Crooks: Stoner Edition * Bizarre Japanese Video Games * The Kamikaze Instruction Manual * Our Lady of the Little Green Men * The Worst Fire in American History * The World’s Worst Business Decision * The New Year’s Eve Opossum Drop * Do Blondes Really Have More Fun? * Failed Doomsday Predictions * When Toilets Explode * and much, much more!

Your All-in-One Guide to North Carolina’s Best Outings! If you’ve ever asked, “What should we do today?” then you’ve never seen North Carolina Day Trips by Theme. This comprehensive guide to the Tar Heel State is jam-packed with 170 of North Carolina’s top spots for fun and entertainment. Take a simple day trip, or string together a longer vacation of activities that catch your interest. Destinations in the book are organized by themes, such as Lighthouses, Festivals, Outdoor Adventures, and Natural Wonders, so you can decide what to do and then figure out where to do it. Useful for singles, couples, and families—visitors and residents alike—this guide by North Carolina author Marla Hardee Milling encompasses a wide range of interests. Discover the state’s unique attractions—state parks, museums, beaches, foodie delights, and more. The book’s handy size makes it perfect for bringing along on your road trips. Plus, with tips for other things to do in the area, you’re sure to maximize the fun on every outing. With North Carolina Day Trips by Theme at your fingertips, you’ll always have something to do!

Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler Rediscover the simple pleasures of a day trip with this fun and friendly guide. For local travelers seeking new adventures in their own backyards as well as for vacationers looking to experience all the excitement the area has to offer, each Day Trips® guide offers hundreds of activities to do, sights to see, and secrets to discover within a two- to three-hour drive and a route map for each itinerary. Complete with full trip-planning information including where to go, what to see, where to eat, where to shop as well as where to stay options for those who want to extend their Day Trip into a weekend. In Spring 2012 we are proud to be publishing six all new guides—The Carolinas, New Jersey, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Tampa and St. Petersburg, and the Twin Cities—as well as an updated edition of Day Trips from Kansas City.