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With so many of its buildings and architectural phases still intact, Purcellville's strong visual links clearly show how a typical rural town in America evolved. On the main road from the port of Alexandria west to Winchester, Purcellville's midway location allowed it to grow from a simple drover's tavern to a turnpike stagecoach stop that was complete with hotel, livery, store, and blacksmith and wheelwright shops. The arrival of railroad technology in 1874 enabled Purcellville to become a mercantile hub for the fertile Loudoun Valley. Its growth blossomed around the train station, a block north and west of the original village. When divided highways replaced the railroad in 1968, Purcellville had a third surge of growth in businesses, schools, and homes on its fringes, now easily reached by automobile. Like rings on a tree, each of these growth layers represents the technology and society of the age.

Reynolda--with its family home and gardens, experimental farm, village, and woodland--is an excellent example of the Country Place era. This popular destination in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was created between 1906 and 1924 through the collaboration of three talented people: visionary Katharine Reynolds, architect Charles Barton Keen, and landscape architect Thomas W. Sears. With the financial backing of her husband, founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Katharine Reynolds transformed a patchwork of worn-out farmland into a landscape of great natural beauty that includes a formal garden, 16-acre lake, recreational facilities, and some of the finest cropland. The sparkling white cluster of village buildings and their occupants are also integral to this story.

It seems unlikely that a place as far off the beaten track as Aiken, South Carolina, would become the preferred wintering location for the denizens of New York society. But from the late 1800s, the most recognized names in America--the Vanderbilts, the Whitneys, and even the Roosevelts--began coming to this charming Southern city to escape the cold, relax among the oaks, and play. And play they did, establishing Aiken as an international polo capital and a premier place to ride, hunt, and golf. Aiken has so much history beyond the folks known as the winter colonists. Legends of the area's restorative powers date back to Native Americans. Aiken also boasts an amazing number of records, including the destination for the world's longest railroad in 1833 and the second-oldest 18-hole golf course in the United States, the Palmetto Golf Club, built in 1892.

Overlooking Washington, DC, Fort Myer holds a commanding view of America's capital. Built in 1863 from the Custis-Lee estate, one of 70 defensive Civil War fortifications of the capital, this historic US Army post was known as Fort Whipple. As the war ended and reconciliation began, only this fort remained and was later renamed to honor the US Army's first signal officer, Brig. Gen. Albert J. Myer. These acres of Arlington Heights are distinguished by unique events, including the beginnings of military aviation, the Army Cavalry showcase, "The Three Sisters," and the National Weather Bureau. During World War I, Army officers trained here to fight "Over there," and today two units call Fort Myer home: the Army Band ("Pershing's Own," since 1942) and the 3rd Infantry ("The Old Guard," since 1948). Photographs and text present the evolution of this national landmark in its first 100 years, including its buildings, people, and events.

Bland County is one of the smallest counties of the Old Dominion, yet it is filled with spectacular, unspoiled, scenic vistas that rival any rural area on the North American continent. Bland County is a tree-covered paradise with no incorporated towns, and about one-third of the county's 369 square miles are included in the Jefferson National Forest. The history of Bland County after the arrival of European settlers includes stories of patriotism, independence, as well as struggles against incredible odds. The Virginia General Assembly formed Bland County on March 30, 1861. The county has always been for progress, with lumber companies arriving in the late 19th century to harvest the county's vast timber resources and the railroad following at the start of the 20th century. Bland County was also home to a huge Civilian Conservation Corps camp in the 1930s. From communities like Ceres to No Business and Hicksville to Bland, the entire county has a great story to tell.

The first Bentonville town map was drawn with a quill pen and ink on a sheepskin document about 1836. From the beginning, Bentonville was the center of county government, attracting an ever-increasing population of prosperous-minded merchants, attorneys, real estate speculators, and their families. They served as town and county officials and built Bentonville's first homes, offices, commercial establishments, churches, and schools. After suffering through the Civil War, several experienced merchants rebuilt, and once again, the businesses of the Bentonville Square flourished. Even though none of the early businesses came close to the success of present-day Walmart, a group of retail vendors, nicknamed "The Hungry Eight," aggressively competed at the very same site where the Walmart Visitor Center is located today. Images of America: Bentonville includes many other interesting stories and photographs of historic places in Bentonville.