CITY HISTORIES
Century Cities Publishing
The Century Cities series
NOW INCLUDES 10 titles
NEW: Carson City century
Carson City entered the 20th century as a small town with plenty of tradition to build upon. It had already been home to the inventor of the Ferris Wheel and Mark Twain's brother (and Twain himself for extended visits). Named for Kit Carson, it had hosted Nevada's first heavyweight championship fight. It was already the capital of the Silver State, but it was the smallest state capital in America.
The 20th century brought seismic changes to this town at the southeast corner of a tight geographic triangle that included Reno to the north and Lake Tahoe to the west. The Virginia & Truckee Railroad connected Carson to Virginia City and the Comstock lode. The famed Lincoln Highway linked Carson with the eastern United States and crossed the Sierra to San Francisco. Federal highways (U.S. 50 and 395) replaced dirt roads, and an interstate eventually bypassed Carson to the east.
The Stewart Indian School won state athletic championships as it evolved from an oppressive vehicle for forced assimilation into a place of pride for Native Americans.
Legislators in the state Capitol solved their financial woes during the Depression by making the state a destination for legal gambling and quickie divorces. Casinos sprang up, went bust, and were replaced by newer casinos. Nevada State Prison even had one. There were executions there, too, including one by firing squad.
Events such as these dot Carson City's rich history. The city continues to celebrate its 19th century frontier heritage and is growing and thriving today in the 2000s. Carson City Century, illustrated with 130 historical and contemporary images, tells the story of what happened in between.
CARSON CITY Century is available on Amazon for $18.95
Or in Hardcover for $24.95
NEW: greensboro century
Greensboro was at the center of it all, geographically and culturally. From blue jeans to basketball, from civil rights to textiles, this North Carolina metropolis has long been the gateway to history. In fact, it's known as the Gate City because it's at the hub of rail traffic and, later, highways in the Piedmont Triad - a region that also includes Winston-Salem and High Point.
Greensboro is perhaps best known as the birthplace of the lunch-counter sit-in movement that helped break segregation in the South. It was there, at a Woolworth's on Elm Street, that four Black college students from North Carolina A&T sat down at a segregated counter to be served. It was the beginning of a movement that would spread across the South, a key moment in the struggle for civil rights.
The 20th century saw Greensboro grow from a city of barely 10,000 people at its outset to a bustling metropolis of more than 220,000 by the end of the millennium. In the meantime, it gave birth to a textile boom, hosted a major golf tournament and even had its own pro basketball team. The famed short story writer O. Henry worked at a downtown pharmacy, and a later owner of that same drugstore developed a famous cold remedy that's still popular today.
Plenty of stories can be told of the city from the 19th and 21st centuries. Greensboro Century, illustrated by nearly 150 historical and contemporary images, tells the story of what happened in between.
GREENSBORO Century is available on Amazon for $18.95
Or in Hardcover for $24.95
Goldfield Century: Nevada boomtown
Goldfield, Nevada, isn't much of a city these days. With somewhere around 200 or 300 residents, it's home to a couple of small motels, two saloons, a Dinky Diner (that's what it's called), and not even a single gas station - unless you count the handful of abandoned stations and garages in town.
There are a lot of abandoned buildings there, because at one time, Goldfield WAS a city. And not just any city, but the largest city in Nevada. Back in 1906, more than 20,000 people lived there, compared with maybe half that many in Reno. Goldfield hadn't even existed four years earlier, but it got very big very fast thanks to the discovery of gold in the area. It didn't stay that way long, though.
Like other boomtowns, the mines eventually dried up, and most of the townsfolk moved on, looking for greener (or more golden) pastures. But during its heyday, Goldfield had it all: saloons and tycoons, gunmen and prospectors, the fanciest hotel between Kansas City and San Francisco, and even a deputy named Earp. It also had boxing's biggest promoter: a local saloon owner named Tex Ricard who later owned Madison Square Garden but got his start staging the first "fight of the century" right there in Goldfield.
A bicycle messenger named Jim Casey got his start in Goldfield, too. He went on to start a company called UPS. Illustrated with more than 150 images, Goldfield Century is the story of a Nevada boomtown, and not just any boomtown, but one of the last and one of the biggest. Goldfield was at the center of a region consumed by gold fever, where fortunes were made and lost in mines and saloon tables from Tonopah south to Beatty and Rhyolite - once a city of 8,000 people, but now a ghost town where lonely winds whisper through crumbling buildings.
Take a trip through the glory days of the Nevada frontier at the turn of the 20th century, when the bonanzas were big, the talk was bigger, the booms were unbelievable, and the busts were inevitable. Revisit ghosts that were, and still are larger than life. Relive the Goldfield century.
Goldfield Century is available on Amazon for $19.95
Or in Hardcover for $24.95
Fresno Century
First, the bad news: Fresno Growing Up is out of print. After three successful print runs, it’s no longer available new from Amazon or the publisher.
Now, the good news: I’ve written another book about the history of my hometown, and if you liked Fresno Growing Up, you’re going to love Fresno Century.
Fresno Growing Up, published in 2015, looked at the city’s history during time Baby Boomers were born and grew up, roughly from 1945 to 1985. Fresno Century expands on that period and examines the entire 20th century.
Did you know about the man who once delivered Fresno newspapers to Madera residents from an airplane — and ended up founding one of America’s most successful companies? Or the guy who opened a gas station at the age of 20 and built it into one of Fresno’s most successful businesses?
You’ll find out about Fresno’s iconic buildings, like the Hotel Fresno and the Helm Building, and you’ll relive Fresno State’s victories in its first bowl game way back in the 1930s and in the Freedom Bowl over mighty USC.
What basketball Hall of Famer once competed in the West Coast Relays at Ratcliffe Stadium? What was the biggest store in town before Gottschalks came along? Why did the team with the best record ever in the California League have to win its last six games just to qualify for the playoffs? You’ll find out answers to these questions and much more in Fresno Century.
This new book comes packed with more than 125 photos — both contemporary and historic — you wouldn’t have found in Fresno Growing Up.
Fresno Century is available on Amazon for $19.95
charleston Century
West Virginia — and Charleston, in particular — has a distinctive beauty to it that's unlike any other. Its mixture of meandering rivers, rolling hills, and lush greenery is unlike almost any other.
And then, there's the history. As you drive into town on U.S. Highway 60, you can't miss the sight of the golden Capitol dome. It’s every bit as majestic as the Capitol building in D.C., but it’s even more spectacular when the sun is shining. Its rays reflect off the golden dome and the Kanawha River in the foreground, providing a glorious scene that's sure to widen the eyes of any first-time visitor. I know it did mine.
There is, of course, a lot more to Charleston's story than its role as the state capital. It’s the birthplace of the nation's petrochemical industry. An oil field near Cabin Creek supplied the raw material that made the Pure Oil company a leader in the field. And speaking of Cabin Creek, if that name sounds familiar, it’s probably because an NBA Hall of Famer went to high school there. Jerry West, aka “Zeke from Cabin Creek,” became an pro basketball star, top executive, and the inspiration for the league’s iconic logo.
The Shoney’s restaurant chain got its start in Charleston as the Parkette Drive-In. And one of the nation's most mysterious unsolved murders happened in the city. Country music star Kathy Mattea was born in South Charleston, and the city had an undefeated pro football team seven years before the Miami Dolphins pulled off the feat.
Charleston was the site of a Civil War battle, and it became the state capital in 1875. More recently, in 2003, it became home to the Clay Center for Arts and Sciences and has continued to evolve into a 21st century city. Charleston Century is the story of what happened in between.
Charleston Century is available on Amazon for $18.95
Roanoke Century
Do you remember when Dr. J played in Roanoke? When Santa's train stopped at the Miller & Rhoads Department Store downtown? When a native son starred in one of the biggest holiday movie classics of all time? Did you know that, once upon a time, Roanoke was home to the state’s biggest football stadium and its first indoor mall? Whether you answered, “I didn’t know that,” or whether you just want to be reminded, that’s the kind of information you’ll find in Roanoke Century.
It’s all presented in an easy-to-read chronological format, which chapters dedicated to each of the 20th century’s 10 decades, and illustrated by nearly 100 images. The cover features a panoramic view of the city, St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church, and the H&C Coffee sign.
Roanoke Century features fascinating stories of the people and institutions that defined The Star City of the South — or at least made life there a lot more interesting.
Roanoke Century is available on Amazon for $17.95
San Luis Obispo Century
From the Mission to the Madonna Inn, from Ozzie Smith’s heroics to Weird Al’s weirdness, San Luis Obispo saw its share of landmarks and highlights in the 20th century. It’s home to the world’s first motel and one of the West Coast’s most vibrant classic theaters. It’s a university town that’s the hub of a coastal community and a gateway to the most scenic stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway.
Former Tribune columnist and Cambrian editor Stephen H. Provost takes you on a journey through the 20th century in San Luis Obispo, once dubbed “The Happiest Place in America.” San Luis Obispo Century is part of his Century Cities series, which was created to celebrate and preserve the history of midsized and smaller American cities from 1900 to 1999.
San Luis Obispo Century contains a wealth of anecdotes, nearly 100 contemporary and historic images, and details of familiar stories you thought you knew, all in an easy-to-read timeline format.
You’ll find out about the building that housed a garage, William Randolph Hearst’s personal taxi service, a hotel annex, and newspaper offices before it was torn down to make room for Mission Plaza. You’ll learn about the raceway where speed records fell, and about Ah Louis and the history of U.S. 101. You’ll visit one of the nation’s the few surviving drive-in theaters, and relive traditions like Riley’s Department Store, Scrubby and Lloyd’s Burgers, and Foster’s Freeze.
And that’s just the beginning.
SAN LUIS OBISPO CENTURY is available on Amazon for $18.95
Cambria Century
For a little village, a lot has happened in Cambria. It’s on the road to Hearst Castle and the most scenic stretch of Highway 1, where you can see zebras roaming beside the freeway and elephant seals lounging in the sun. But it’s also a destination in its own right, where a rare stand of Monterey pines meets the sea, and where dozens of lively shops and galleries lie nestled at the base of the green Santa Lucia foothills.
Former Cambrian editor Stephen H. Provost takes you on a journey through the 20th century in Cambria, one of California’s favorite places to relax, retire, and sometimes have a lively debate.
Cambria Century is part of his Century Cities series, which he created to celebrate and preserve the history of midsized and smaller American cities from 1900 to 1999. It contains a wealth of anecdotes, some 150 contemporary and historic images, and details of familiar stories you thought you knew, all in an easy-to-read timeline format.
Find out about the quicksilver mines and old saloons that made Cambria part of the wild, wild West. Learn about rodeos of the past and the birth of Pinedorado, Cambria’s annual Labor Day weekend celebration. Visit San Simeon, at the doorstep to Hearst Castle, and Harmony, the town that’s had 18 residents for as long as anyone can remember.
Did you know Cambria once had its own movie house and (despite an aversion to national chains), a tiny park on Main Street, and an A&W drive-in?
Cambria Century will take you to William Randolph Hearst’s castle and Art Beal’s anti-castle overlooking the West Village. You’ll return to the Toy Soldier Factory, the Pewter Plough Playhouse, the Chuck Wagon, Exotic Gardens, Lyons’ Red & White store, Comozzi’s, the Rigdon Building, Bank of America, and the Bluebird Inn.
SAN LUIS OBISPO CENTURY IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON FOR $18.95
Huntington Century
Huntington isn’t a big city; there aren't any of those in West Virginia. But it is a historic one. Like many American cities, it started off as a railroad town on a river. In this case, the railroad was the C&O, short for Chesapeake and Ohio, and the waterway was the Ohio River.
It was the site of the easternmost bank robbed by the James-Younger Gang, and it’s home to the state’s largest mall. Marshall University, located near the center of town, has drawn headlines for winning national championships and for a tragic plane crash that took the lives of the football team and everyone else on board in 1970.
NASCAR greats raced at a track just west of town on the Grand National circuit. Camden Park — the state’s largest amusement park — has drawn families from around the Tri-State area (where West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky meet) for more than a century. Huntington’s hometown heroes include an NBA Hall of Famer, the founder of a major restaurant chain, and a comedy legend. There are local legends, too, from hot dog stands to the flood wall built to protect the city after the Flood of '37.
Huntington is a city with contemporary achievements to brag about as well as tales to tell from its pioneer days. Huntington Century is the story of what happened in between.
Huntington Century is available on Amazon for $18.95
DANVILLE (VA.) CENTURY
Did you know Danville was the site of a train wreck that inspired America’s first million-selling record? That it was the birthplace of the first woman to be seated in Britain’s Parliament? The first African American to sign a contract with a major U.S. opera company? Or the first Black driver to win a NASCAR Grand National race? Richard Petty led for 103 laps, but he didn’t win it. Wendell Scott did. And Richard Pryor later portrayed him in a movie.
Whether you answered, “I didn’t know that,” to any of those questions, or whether you just want to be reminded of the stories behind them, you’ll find it all in Danville Century. It’s part of the Century Cities series, which was created to celebrate and preserve the history of midsized and smaller American cities during the 20th century.
Danville sits on the Dan River in southern Virginia. Willie McCovey played baseball there for a season before he began his Hall of Fame career with the Giants. And for one season in the 1990s, this middle-sized city of some 40,000 people had not one but two minor-league baseball teams.
Built by tobacco, textiles, and trade, Danville served briefly as the “last capital of the Confederacy.” The Confederate government met in a home that became a library before the library became a museum. In the 21st century, IKEA subsidiary Swedwood opened its first U.S. factory in Danville.
The early days of Danville and the modern city of today hold many tales of their own, but Danville Century tells the story of what happened in between.
Danville CENTURY is available on Amazon for $18.95
Still to come
Asheville Century
Winston-Salem Century
Raleigh Century
Durham Century
Reno Century
Tahoe Century
LARAMIE Century
Century Cities now in hardcover
All books in the series are available in a keepsake wraparound hard-bound edition.
FRESNO GROWING UP IS out of print
after three print runs, Fresno Growing up is out of print. If you still want a copy, You can do one of the followings:
Contact the publisher, Craven Street Books, to express your interest. If enough people do so, another print run is always possible.
Contact the author via the contact form on this site. A very limited number of autographed copies are available for $50 each (shipping included)
Check out the first 15 pages with this preview.
Martinsville isn't your typical Virginia town. It’s been the plug tobacco capital of the world and the sweatshirt capital of the world. It hosts two stock-car races each year at the oldest speedway on the NASCAR circuit. And Patrick Henry once lived just down the road.
Martinsville is a place of verdant beauty and blue skies a few miles north of the North Carolina state line, in the Goldilocks zone: seldom too hot in summer or too cold in winter. It has thrived as the town with the nation’s most millionaires per capita and struggled through factory closures during the era of globalization.
Packed with more than 300 images and chock full of details, Martinsville Memories is a look at a diverse town built on tobacco, textiles and furniture that occupies a unique place in the nation’s fabric and history. From its the town’s historic beginnings through its 20th century heyday, this volume offers a nostalgic trek through time, with stops at drive-ins, old hotels and iconic storefronts along the way.
Martinsville Memories doesn’t stop at the city limits, but gives the reader a tour of surrounding communities such as Collinsville, Ridgeway, Bassett, Axton, and Spencer as well.
With a foreword by author and Martinsville native Stephen Mark Rainey, Martinsville Memories captures the triumphs and struggles of a city at the heart of the South and the soul of America.
$19.95 paperback on Amazon
Church Street
Downtown Martinsville, Virginia, street scene, one of many photos contained in the historical retrospective Martinsville Memories.
FRESNO GROWING UP
“Fresno Growing Up documents the culture of a sleepy agricultural town suddenly turning into the fastest growing city in the United States. Packed with pictures and personalities, it’s a cinematic travelog through the fads and the food, the fun and the fables that made Fresno such an underappreciated blast in those days, and Stephen Provost captures it all in a style as delectable as pink popcorn in Roeding Park. There’s never been a chronicle of Fresno so rich and detailed, and it’s unlikely there will be again. ”
“Indeed, home is where the heart is. And after reading this exceptionally chronicled masterpiece, you will validate your heart’s love for this nutty, fascinating hometown of ours. The words and photos will jingle memory bells of happy days that ring true today, and keep us near.”
If you grew up in Fresno, California, there are people and places you will never forget: Al Radka. Christmas Tree Lane. Fulton Street ― before it was the Fulton Mall. Harpain’s Dairy. Sunnyside Drive-In. Dean and Don and The Breakfast Club. Gottschalks. The Tower District … and so many more parts of Old Fresno, some still with us and some long forgotten.
Fresno Growing Up: A City Comes of Age, 1945-1985 is the first book to tell the story of Fresno during the times we remember, when the city was growing up fast and so were we. “Fresno Growing Up” documents the Fresno experience and Fresno popular culture during its dramatic postwar period, when the city abruptly shifted from a small town to the fastest growing city in the United States. Surveying the businesses, restaurants, movie houses, malls, personalities, sports, bands, and fads that made Fresno fun from the forties to the eighties, Fresno Growing Up is a nostalgic look back at both the city’s adolescence and our own.
“Fresno Growing Up captures the unique history of the Central Valley in a fashion that’s sure to stir nostalgia. You’ll learn how the city factored into the stories of some of sports’ biggest names, not to mention fascinating history like how my favorite fruit, the fig, became synonymous with Fresno.”
“Fresno Growing Up is a passionate and thoughtful perspective into the era of our city’s most profound growth. As a longtime Fresno resident, I can honestly say Stephen’s book is a keepsake for those of us who treasure the memories of those glory days.”
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