THE AMERICAN GUIDE

FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN

A German settlement known throughout the State for its chicken dinners, served harvester style, and its Frankenmuth beer. It was settled in 1845 by a group of Franconians from Bavaria and, later, by refugees from the unsuccessful German revolution of 1848.
The neat village, spread out for some distance, has retained its German flavor; most of the inhabitants are descendants of the original settlers and speak the German language.
—Michigan: A Guide to the Wolverine State (WPA,1941)

Postcard Key:
1. Maypole 2-4. Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn 5. The Fischer Opera Haus 6. Schnitzelbank Shop 7. Bavarian Festival 8. Bodenbender’s Apfel Haus 9. Bronner’s 10. The Edelweiss Trio
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Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites.

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FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN

A German settlement known throughout the State for its chicken dinners, served harvester style, and its Frankenmuth beer. It was settled in 1845 by a group of Franconians from Bavaria and, later, by refugees from the unsuccessful German revolution of 1848.

The neat village, spread out for some distance, has retained its German flavor; most of the inhabitants are descendants of the original settlers and speak the German language.

—Michigan: A Guide to the Wolverine State (WPA,1941)

Postcard Key:

1. Maypole 2-4. Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn 5. The Fischer Opera Haus 6. Schnitzelbank Shop 7. Bavarian Festival 8. Bodenbender’s Apfel Haus 9. Bronner’s 10. The Edelweiss Trio

* * *

Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites.

QUAKE LAKE, MONTANA
Nature is so amazing. Late one night in August of 1959, a huge earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale sent a massive 80 million ton landslide rushing 100 miles an hour down Sheep Mountain in southwest Montana. It buried homes and cabins, destroyed roads and buildings, and killed 28 people who were camping on the shores of Hebgen Lake and the Madison River. (And you thought bears were all you had to worry about when camping, right?) The landslide completely choked off the flow of the Madison River, which began to backfill in the valley upstream, and within a month the six-mile long Quake Lake was created. Today you can drive around the lake, over the visible landslide and stop in the visitor’s center to learn more.
(Archival images: USGS)
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KC O’Connor is a Guide to Wyoming for The American Guide. He’s a writer and photographer based in Lander, Wyoming. Follow him on Tumblr at kcowyo.tumblr.com and on Twitter.

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QUAKE LAKE, MONTANA

Nature is so amazing. Late one night in August of 1959, a huge earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale sent a massive 80 million ton landslide rushing 100 miles an hour down Sheep Mountain in southwest Montana. It buried homes and cabins, destroyed roads and buildings, and killed 28 people who were camping on the shores of Hebgen Lake and the Madison River. (And you thought bears were all you had to worry about when camping, right?) The landslide completely choked off the flow of the Madison River, which began to backfill in the valley upstream, and within a month the six-mile long Quake Lake was created. Today you can drive around the lake, over the visible landslide and stop in the visitor’s center to learn more.

(Archival images: USGS)

* * *

KC O’Connor is a Guide to Wyoming for The American Guide. He’s a writer and photographer based in Lander, Wyoming. Follow him on Tumblr at kcowyo.tumblr.com and on Twitter.

Flintstones Bedrock City - Custer, South Dakota
Bedrock City, located on 30 acres, just outside of Custer, South Dakota, opened in 1966 by two local cement plant owners with an idea to build a replica of the popular Flintstones town of Bedrock.
The town features all the popular characters, their houses, Main Street, a City Hall, a Fire House, a working Cimena, a radio station, grocery store, police department and a Flintstones version of Mt. Rushmore (located nearby) called Mt. Rockmore.
Originally, the town and characters were made of cement but the majority of them have been replaced by fiberglass replicas of the original.
There is also a campground located behind the park that features an arcade, laundry, swimming pool, playground and putt-putt golf course.
Guide Note: Check out Roadside America and the Bedrock City website for more information.
* * *

Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites.

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Flintstones Bedrock City - Custer, South Dakota

Bedrock City, located on 30 acres, just outside of Custer, South Dakota, opened in 1966 by two local cement plant owners with an idea to build a replica of the popular Flintstones town of Bedrock.

The town features all the popular characters, their houses, Main Street, a City Hall, a Fire House, a working Cimena, a radio station, grocery store, police department and a Flintstones version of Mt. Rushmore (located nearby) called Mt. Rockmore.

Originally, the town and characters were made of cement but the majority of them have been replaced by fiberglass replicas of the original.

There is also a campground located behind the park that features an arcade, laundry, swimming pool, playground and putt-putt golf course.

Guide Note: Check out Roadside America and the Bedrock City website for more information.

* * *

Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites.

TOMORROWLAND - QUEENS, NEW YORK
In the New York City borough of Queens, the future was once on grand display. In 1939 and 1964, New York hosted the World’s Fairs at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The events attracted millions of visitors to marvel at the epoch of innovation and industrialization. Today, the site and some structures from the 1964 exposition — dedicated to “Man’s Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe” — are still easily accessible, though rapidly showing their age.
A few buildings are still in use, such as The New York Hall of Science — a wonderful hands-on science museum with grounds decorated by rockets and quirky, retro, science-related sculptures. Walking through the park you can peek through the chain-link fence into the Queens Zoo and see a large geodesic dome that was built for the fair and now serves as an aviary. But surely the most interesting structures are the Unisphere and the sadly decaying Queens Theatre, which has fallen into disrepair, but still leaves an imposing impression. The park is a reminder of the optimism and excitement of the ’60s — when utopian futures seemed a sure and easy bet — and of how far we’ve come and how much further we have to go.
* * *
New York City Guide LYDIA WHITE was born on the 4th of July and has been an independent spirit ever since. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she moved to Brooklyn in 2010. When not working as an interactive art director, she spends her free time exploring what NYC and the surrounding areas have to offer. White has been photographing interesting people and unusual landscapes for nearly a decade.
Follow her on Tumblr at lydia makes pictures or on her website, LydiaWhitePhotography.com.

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TOMORROWLAND - QUEENS, NEW YORK

In the New York City borough of Queens, the future was once on grand display. In 1939 and 1964, New York hosted the World’s Fairs at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The events attracted millions of visitors to marvel at the epoch of innovation and industrialization. Today, the site and some structures from the 1964 exposition — dedicated to “Man’s Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe” — are still easily accessible, though rapidly showing their age.

A few buildings are still in use, such as The New York Hall of Science — a wonderful hands-on science museum with grounds decorated by rockets and quirky, retro, science-related sculptures. Walking through the park you can peek through the chain-link fence into the Queens Zoo and see a large geodesic dome that was built for the fair and now serves as an aviary. But surely the most interesting structures are the Unisphere and the sadly decaying Queens Theatre, which has fallen into disrepair, but still leaves an imposing impression. The park is a reminder of the optimism and excitement of the ’60s — when utopian futures seemed a sure and easy bet — and of how far we’ve come and how much further we have to go.

* * *

New York City Guide LYDIA WHITE was born on the 4th of July and has been an independent spirit ever since. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she moved to Brooklyn in 2010. When not working as an interactive art director, she spends her free time exploring what NYC and the surrounding areas have to offer. White has been photographing interesting people and unusual landscapes for nearly a decade.

Follow her on Tumblr at lydia makes pictures or on her website, LydiaWhitePhotography.com.

THRIFT - OUTSIDE RALEIGH, N.C.
Up-cycled furniture, antique clothing and linens, and tons of small treasures pack “SuzAnna’s Antiques,” a converted lawnmower repair shop located about 15 minutes north of downtown Raleigh. Outside, old doors and lawn furniture beg for a new home and a fresh coat of paint. SuzAnna’s is the go-to for all the local thrifters, who may or may not share the location of this treasured spot in an effort to save the good stuff for themselves.
* * *

BRITTANY KEARNS is a Guide to North Carolina. An honorary Southerner, she was born in New Jersey, but now calls rural Chatham County home. She’s got a degree in anthropology, a love for documentary photography and takes film over digital any day. Follow her on Tumblr at thebeekearns.tumblr.com and check out her portfolio at BrittanyKearns.com.

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THRIFT - OUTSIDE RALEIGH, N.C.

Up-cycled furniture, antique clothing and linens, and tons of small treasures pack “SuzAnna’s Antiques,” a converted lawnmower repair shop located about 15 minutes north of downtown Raleigh. Outside, old doors and lawn furniture beg for a new home and a fresh coat of paint. SuzAnna’s is the go-to for all the local thrifters, who may or may not share the location of this treasured spot in an effort to save the good stuff for themselves.

* * *

BRITTANY KEARNS is a Guide to North Carolina. An honorary Southerner, she was born in New Jersey, but now calls rural Chatham County home. She’s got a degree in anthropology, a love for documentary photography and takes film over digital any day. Follow her on Tumblr at thebeekearns.tumblr.com and check out her portfolio at BrittanyKearns.com.

RENAISSANCE PLEASURE FAIRE - VARIOUS PLACES IN CALIFORNIA
Begun in 1963 in Agoura, near Malibu, to create “living history” for schoolchildren and their families, the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire has grown into an annual interactive playground and gallery for over 200,000 participants and guests. It has given birth to an industry nationwide and this year is more fun and exciting than ever.
This Southern California Faire has traveled a bit since Agoura. The Glen Helen Pavilion provided two different settings in Devore (in San Bernadino County) where the Faire spent many years. Shortly after the turn of the Century, the Faire moved back to Los Angeles County, to its current home at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, a United States Army Corps of Engineers’ Facility and a unit of County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation System in Irwindale, CA.
Since its inception, more than 5 million people from around the world have visited Southern California’s Renaissance Pleasure Faire, averaging approximately 20,000 each weekend.
—The Original Renaissance Faire website
Guide Note: All photos taken from the 1970 event that took place in Agoura Hills. You can see 44 different Kodachrome photos in my collection right here.
* * *

Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites, including colortransparency.tumblr.com.

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RENAISSANCE PLEASURE FAIRE - VARIOUS PLACES IN CALIFORNIA

Begun in 1963 in Agoura, near Malibu, to create “living history” for schoolchildren and their families, the Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire has grown into an annual interactive playground and gallery for over 200,000 participants and guests. It has given birth to an industry nationwide and this year is more fun and exciting than ever.

This Southern California Faire has traveled a bit since Agoura. The Glen Helen Pavilion provided two different settings in Devore (in San Bernadino County) where the Faire spent many years. Shortly after the turn of the Century, the Faire moved back to Los Angeles County, to its current home at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, a United States Army Corps of Engineers’ Facility and a unit of County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation System in Irwindale, CA.

Since its inception, more than 5 million people from around the world have visited Southern California’s Renaissance Pleasure Faire, averaging approximately 20,000 each weekend.

—The Original Renaissance Faire website

Guide Note: All photos taken from the 1970 event that took place in Agoura Hills. You can see 44 different Kodachrome photos in my collection right here.

* * *

Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites, including colortransparency.tumblr.com.

HAMPTON PARK ZOO - CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
Ask anyone who was reared in Charleston before the 1970s and they’ll tell you all about the zoo at Hampton Park. Today, the Citadel uses the green space for combat exercises, while civilians walk their dogs or ride their bikes or jog. But for decades, not too long ago, it was a zoo.
The zoo started with swans at the turn of the 20th century, and grew to include an otter pond, two aviaries, deer, honey bears, and even a lion (famed Lowcountry author Pat Conroy has written about its roar). It wasn’t fancy by any means — the animals were closed in with chain link, and there weren’t any other sources of entertainment besides the concession stand. But for its mid-century audience, especially the children, it was perfectly OK.
That enthusiasm cooled when the federal government passed the Animal Welfare Act of 1971, which included a note or two about zoos. Suddenly Hampton Park’s conditions were deplorable, and the proposed renovation and eventual upkeep were deemed too expensive to be worth the trouble. The native animals were sent to the newly opened Charles Towne Landing attraction on the other side of the Ashley River, while the more exotic creatures were shipped to other zoos around the country.
Today, the park has a proud duck pond, but otherwise has few claims to representing the animal kingdom.
Images: ca. 1945-48, Jack Keilen Slide Collection, The Charleston Archive at Charleston County Public Library
* * *

Susan Cohen is a State Guide to South Carolina and a staff writer for the Charleston City Paper. As part of her work, she’s visited strip clubs, played quidditch and homebrewed for the award-winning alternative weekly. Follow her on Tumblr at SusanJCohen.com.

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HAMPTON PARK ZOO - CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

Ask anyone who was reared in Charleston before the 1970s and they’ll tell you all about the zoo at Hampton Park. Today, the Citadel uses the green space for combat exercises, while civilians walk their dogs or ride their bikes or jog. But for decades, not too long ago, it was a zoo.

The zoo started with swans at the turn of the 20th century, and grew to include an otter pond, two aviaries, deer, honey bears, and even a lion (famed Lowcountry author Pat Conroy has written about its roar). It wasn’t fancy by any means — the animals were closed in with chain link, and there weren’t any other sources of entertainment besides the concession stand. But for its mid-century audience, especially the children, it was perfectly OK.

That enthusiasm cooled when the federal government passed the Animal Welfare Act of 1971, which included a note or two about zoos. Suddenly Hampton Park’s conditions were deplorable, and the proposed renovation and eventual upkeep were deemed too expensive to be worth the trouble. The native animals were sent to the newly opened Charles Towne Landing attraction on the other side of the Ashley River, while the more exotic creatures were shipped to other zoos around the country.

Today, the park has a proud duck pond, but otherwise has few claims to representing the animal kingdom.

Images: ca. 1945-48, Jack Keilen Slide Collection, The Charleston Archive at Charleston County Public Library

* * *

Susan Cohen is a State Guide to South Carolina and a staff writer for the Charleston City Paper. As part of her work, she’s visited strip clubs, played quidditch and homebrewed for the award-winning alternative weekly. Follow her on Tumblr at SusanJCohen.com.

EGGLAND - PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA
A guide to Petaluma, California, using California: a Guide to the Golden State (WPA, 1939) as your map.
“The World’s Egg Basket.” “Egg Capital of the World.” “Chickaluma.”
These are just a few of the historical nicknames for Petaluma, a Sonoma County town just off today’s Hwy. 101, north of San Francisco. The unusual name, which voice-activated GPS systems don’t usually agree with, probably comes from a Miwok word, in the language of the area’s First Peoples. (Farming and ranching by both Mexican settlers and, eventually, Americans, overran the original inhabitants.)
Petaluma’s story really began in the 1870s when a Canadian named Lyman Byce realized that the area was perfect for poultry and, of course, egg production. Working with a local dentist named Isaac Dias, Byce also created the first egg incubator, which sped up the process of getting eggs to market.
By World War I, Petaluma’s chickens and eggs were being promoted in sophisticated advertising campaigns, and the town was enshrined with its reputation and nickname as the capital of all things eggy. Just ask the WPA Guide to California: “Petaluma even has a CHICKEN PHARMACY, on the main street, devoted exclusively to the sale of remedies for ailing chickens.”
Modern factory farming after World War II made the chicken coops and even the old incubators obsolete, and Petaluma reverted to its original agricultural roots. Acres of flowers grown for seed companies soon flourished. And its beautiful setting on the river of the same name, plus its proximity to San Francisco, also helped make the town a magnet for families and commuters.
Today, remnants of Petaluma’s past can still be seen in a drive around town: grain elevators, old, brick buildings which used to house poultry supplies and the “Butter and Eggs Day” parade and craft fair held every April.
* * *
Lynn Downey is an At-large Guide to the West for The American Guide. She’s a writer and archivist based in Sonoma, California. Follow on her website, LynnDowney.com.

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EGGLAND - PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA

A guide to Petaluma, California, using California: a Guide to the Golden State (WPA, 1939) as your map.

“The World’s Egg Basket.” “Egg Capital of the World.” “Chickaluma.”

These are just a few of the historical nicknames for Petaluma, a Sonoma County town just off today’s Hwy. 101, north of San Francisco. The unusual name, which voice-activated GPS systems don’t usually agree with, probably comes from a Miwok word, in the language of the area’s First Peoples. (Farming and ranching by both Mexican settlers and, eventually, Americans, overran the original inhabitants.)

Petaluma’s story really began in the 1870s when a Canadian named Lyman Byce realized that the area was perfect for poultry and, of course, egg production. Working with a local dentist named Isaac Dias, Byce also created the first egg incubator, which sped up the process of getting eggs to market.

By World War I, Petaluma’s chickens and eggs were being promoted in sophisticated advertising campaigns, and the town was enshrined with its reputation and nickname as the capital of all things eggy. Just ask the WPA Guide to California: “Petaluma even has a CHICKEN PHARMACY, on the main street, devoted exclusively to the sale of remedies for ailing chickens.”

Modern factory farming after World War II made the chicken coops and even the old incubators obsolete, and Petaluma reverted to its original agricultural roots. Acres of flowers grown for seed companies soon flourished. And its beautiful setting on the river of the same name, plus its proximity to San Francisco, also helped make the town a magnet for families and commuters.

Today, remnants of Petaluma’s past can still be seen in a drive around town: grain elevators, old, brick buildings which used to house poultry supplies and the “Butter and Eggs Day” parade and craft fair held every April.

* * *

Lynn Downey is an At-large Guide to the West for The American Guide. She’s a writer and archivist based in Sonoma, California. Follow on her website, LynnDowney.com.

THE MYSTERY SPOT - ST. IGNACE, MICHIGAN
In the early 1950’s, three surveyors named Clarence, Fred and McCray came from California to explore the Upper Peninsula. They stumbled across an area of land where their surveying equipment didn’t seem to work properly. For instance, no matter how many times they tried to level their tripod, through the use of a plum-bob or level, the plum-bob would always be drawn far to the east, even as the level was reading level. As they continued their research of this land, they noticed a constant feeling of being light-headed. Later, realizing their queasiness and problems with the surveying equipment only occurred in an area about 300 feet in diameter, they felt they had discovered a “Mystery Spot”.
Millions have visited their Mystery Spot and many return year after year to experience the unusual sensations that occur within its boundaries. Where else can a tall person seem smaller by comparison or a visitor climb a wall and tilt precariously into the air but not fall? The laws of gravity seem uneasy while sitting in a chair with its back legs balanced on a beam and front legs suspended in the air. You will without a doubt remember your visit to the Mystery Spot for years to come.
—The Mystery Spot Website
* * *

Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites.

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THE MYSTERY SPOT - ST. IGNACE, MICHIGAN

In the early 1950’s, three surveyors named Clarence, Fred and McCray came from California to explore the Upper Peninsula. They stumbled across an area of land where their surveying equipment didn’t seem to work properly. For instance, no matter how many times they tried to level their tripod, through the use of a plum-bob or level, the plum-bob would always be drawn far to the east, even as the level was reading level. As they continued their research of this land, they noticed a constant feeling of being light-headed. Later, realizing their queasiness and problems with the surveying equipment only occurred in an area about 300 feet in diameter, they felt they had discovered a “Mystery Spot”.

Millions have visited their Mystery Spot and many return year after year to experience the unusual sensations that occur within its boundaries. Where else can a tall person seem smaller by comparison or a visitor climb a wall and tilt precariously into the air but not fall? The laws of gravity seem uneasy while sitting in a chair with its back legs balanced on a beam and front legs suspended in the air. You will without a doubt remember your visit to the Mystery Spot for years to come.

—The Mystery Spot Website

* * *

Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites.

ABROAD
If Alexis de Tocqueville was born about 175 years later, chronicled his American travels with a camera rather than a pen, and focused more on motel signage than the nation’s equality of social condition, he might well be reincarnated in photographer Stéphane Goin. Stéphane visits the States year after year, taking pictures of our fast-disappearing, neon-slashed, tail-finned, two-lane-blacktop’ed panorama. For this special dispatch from France he shares some snaps from his travels and his thoughts on what draws him to our long stretches of land.

15,000 miles on the road … stopping off 11, 12, 13 times, heading off again as many times. Crossing 36, 37, 38 States, fingers trigger-happy, exhilarated at the idea of capturing the American dream…
It is here, overwhelmed by the vastness of it all and, above all, mesmerised by the road so vividly conveyed by Kerouac, that colour, space, a sense of infinity, really came home to me. My subsequent chance encounters with the work of Stephen Shore, Jim Dow, William Eggleston, Robert Franck and countless others, inspired me to go off and follow in their footsteps. I wanted to see, after so many years, whether the places in their work still existed. I wanted to see for myself that particular light, experience that mood.
Cinema was naturally a huge influence, with Wim Wenders’ “Paris Texas” and “Don’t Come Knocking” leading the way.
Gradually, my project took shape under the working title “Mad(e) in USA”. It matured over several years as the people and smiling faces I encountered allowed me to put my finger on the charm of this continent, to grasp the reasons for its legendary attraction.
From the Lorraine Motel in Memphis to the hot rod races on the Great Salt Lake, I developed a fascination with these wild open spaces, this intensity and these distances… There are, without doubt, a few cultural differences, but for a European brought up to the sound of rock ‘n roll and fed on sitcoms such as “Happy Days”, touching down on American soil is far from being a cultural shock. For me, it was more of a revelation.
My next trip, next August, will take me to the Midwest and, if all goes to plan, I should bring back a few great souvenir photos … we’ll just have to wait and see.

* * *
Stéphane Goin may soon drop by your town. Buy him a cup of coffee if you see him. Until then, follow him on tumblr at Mad(e) in USA and 15000 Miles.

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ABROAD

If Alexis de Tocqueville was born about 175 years later, chronicled his American travels with a camera rather than a pen, and focused more on motel signage than the nation’s equality of social condition, he might well be reincarnated in photographer Stéphane Goin. Stéphane visits the States year after year, taking pictures of our fast-disappearing, neon-slashed, tail-finned, two-lane-blacktop’ed panorama. For this special dispatch from France he shares some snaps from his travels and his thoughts on what draws him to our long stretches of land.

15,000 miles on the road … stopping off 11, 12, 13 times, heading off again as many times. Crossing 36, 37, 38 States, fingers trigger-happy, exhilarated at the idea of capturing the American dream…

It is here, overwhelmed by the vastness of it all and, above all, mesmerised by the road so vividly conveyed by Kerouac, that colour, space, a sense of infinity, really came home to me. My subsequent chance encounters with the work of Stephen Shore, Jim Dow, William Eggleston, Robert Franck and countless others, inspired me to go off and follow in their footsteps. I wanted to see, after so many years, whether the places in their work still existed. I wanted to see for myself that particular light, experience that mood.

Cinema was naturally a huge influence, with Wim Wenders’ “Paris Texas” and “Don’t Come Knocking” leading the way.

Gradually, my project took shape under the working title “Mad(e) in USA”. It matured over several years as the people and smiling faces I encountered allowed me to put my finger on the charm of this continent, to grasp the reasons for its legendary attraction.

From the Lorraine Motel in Memphis to the hot rod races on the Great Salt Lake, I developed a fascination with these wild open spaces, this intensity and these distances… There are, without doubt, a few cultural differences, but for a European brought up to the sound of rock ‘n roll and fed on sitcoms such as “Happy Days”, touching down on American soil is far from being a cultural shock. For me, it was more of a revelation.

My next trip, next August, will take me to the Midwest and, if all goes to plan, I should bring back a few great souvenir photos … we’ll just have to wait and see.

* * *

Stéphane Goin may soon drop by your town. Buy him a cup of coffee if you see him. Until then, follow him on tumblr at Mad(e) in USA and 15000 Miles.

ROADSIDE AMERICA - SHARTLESVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA
Laurence Gieringer founded Roadside America. The story goes that young Gieringer’s love of miniature models began around 1899, when he was five years old. From his bedroom window, the young Gieringer could see the lights of the Highland Hotel at the crest of nearby Neversink Mountain. From his distant vantage point the building looked like a toy he could snatch from the mountain and add to his toy collection. One day he set out to get that seemingly miniature building, not realizing how far away it really was. Soon he was hopelessly lost in the woods and was not found until the next morning.
Fortunately that experience did not dampen his love for miniatures. In his adult life Mr. Gieringer became a carpenter and painter. Over his sixty-year career Gieringer amassed quite a collection of tiny, detailed buildings and accessories that became one of the worlds most famous and amazing miniature villages.
Roadside America is a boyhood dream realized. The idea was born in June of 1903 and has, from day to day and almost without interruption, grown to be the largest and most beautiful indoor miniature village of its type. It is housed in a new, modern, comfortable air conditioned building, designed especially for the display, and covers over 8000 square feet of space. There is unusually large free parking lot, a fast developing zoo, and gift shop featuring the products of this celebrated Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Noted for its historic surroundings, this entire area is a natural beauty spot outdoors, and Roadside America continues these beauties with man-made creations of a half century of tireless and productive labor.
Newspapers and magazines the world over have given their unanimous verdict and now people from all over the nation come to see this fantastic, educational and appealing display, which has been called a museum both historical and religious. There is nothing like it in all the country and it is truly, in its new setting, well worth your visit.
- from Welcome to Roadside America, 1964 & the Roadside America website
Roadside America is still around and still owned and operated by the Geiringer family. Their OUR STORY page provides some more history and some neat videos featuring the miniature village in action.

* * *
Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites.

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ROADSIDE AMERICA - SHARTLESVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA

Laurence Gieringer founded Roadside America. The story goes that young Gieringer’s love of miniature models began around 1899, when he was five years old. From his bedroom window, the young Gieringer could see the lights of the Highland Hotel at the crest of nearby Neversink Mountain. From his distant vantage point the building looked like a toy he could snatch from the mountain and add to his toy collection. One day he set out to get that seemingly miniature building, not realizing how far away it really was. Soon he was hopelessly lost in the woods and was not found until the next morning.

Fortunately that experience did not dampen his love for miniatures. In his adult life Mr. Gieringer became a carpenter and painter. Over his sixty-year career Gieringer amassed quite a collection of tiny, detailed buildings and accessories that became one of the worlds most famous and amazing miniature villages.

Roadside America is a boyhood dream realized. The idea was born in June of 1903 and has, from day to day and almost without interruption, grown to be the largest and most beautiful indoor miniature village of its type. It is housed in a new, modern, comfortable air conditioned building, designed especially for the display, and covers over 8000 square feet of space. There is unusually large free parking lot, a fast developing zoo, and gift shop featuring the products of this celebrated Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Noted for its historic surroundings, this entire area is a natural beauty spot outdoors, and Roadside America continues these beauties with man-made creations of a half century of tireless and productive labor.

Newspapers and magazines the world over have given their unanimous verdict and now people from all over the nation come to see this fantastic, educational and appealing display, which has been called a museum both historical and religious. There is nothing like it in all the country and it is truly, in its new setting, well worth your visit.

- from Welcome to Roadside America, 1964 & the Roadside America website

Roadside America is still around and still owned and operated by the Geiringer family. Their OUR STORY page provides some more history and some neat videos featuring the miniature village in action.

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Jordan Smith is the guide to ephemeral America for The American Guide. He currently works for the University of Notre Dame during the day and scans at night. He lives in South Bend, Indiana and you can find him on Flickr, his blog, or one of several Tumblr sites.

CHARLES DEERING ESTATE
James and Charles Deering, businessmen and philanthropists, have been deceased for almost 90 years. But in the ensuing decades, their lavish Miami properties have carried on a certain form of sibling rivalry.
Younger brother James’ Vizcaya, plushly located in Coconut Grove, is flashier, better known, and so large that its roofing tile once covered an entire Cuban village. Its manicured gardens have had numerous film cameos. But farther south, in the Palmetto Bay neighborhood, is Charles’ own Deering Estate, composed of a stone mansion and the Richmond Cottage, an inn that served the Cutler area in the early 20th century. Much of the property was laid to waste by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but it’s since been restored and opened to the public by the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Department.
The homestead is massive but sparse (especially in comparison to the sprawling antique collections of Vizcaya), but the Deering Estate embraces its natural surroundings. A boardwalk path leads visitors through the salty mangrove, or they can take a guided tour to a Tequesta Indian burial mound. But the estate has also embraced modernity, with fireworks booming through the night whenever there’s a wedding or other fancy event. And Charles’ estate has its own IMDb credits—albeit on the smaller screen—having been featured on Miami Vice and a season of the Amazing Race.
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Susan Cohen—a State Guide to South Carolina—sent this dispatch from a recent venture to southern Florida. A staff writer for the Charleston City Paper, she’s visited strip clubs, played quidditch and homebrewed for the award-winning alternative weekly. Follow her on Tumblr at SusanJCohen.com.

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CHARLES DEERING ESTATE

James and Charles Deering, businessmen and philanthropists, have been deceased for almost 90 years. But in the ensuing decades, their lavish Miami properties have carried on a certain form of sibling rivalry.

Younger brother James’ Vizcaya, plushly located in Coconut Grove, is flashier, better known, and so large that its roofing tile once covered an entire Cuban village. Its manicured gardens have had numerous film cameos. But farther south, in the Palmetto Bay neighborhood, is Charles’ own Deering Estate, composed of a stone mansion and the Richmond Cottage, an inn that served the Cutler area in the early 20th century. Much of the property was laid to waste by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but it’s since been restored and opened to the public by the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Department.

The homestead is massive but sparse (especially in comparison to the sprawling antique collections of Vizcaya), but the Deering Estate embraces its natural surroundings. A boardwalk path leads visitors through the salty mangrove, or they can take a guided tour to a Tequesta Indian burial mound. But the estate has also embraced modernity, with fireworks booming through the night whenever there’s a wedding or other fancy event. And Charles’ estate has its own IMDb credits—albeit on the smaller screen—having been featured on Miami Vice and a season of the Amazing Race.

* * *

Susan Cohen—a State Guide to South Carolina—sent this dispatch from a recent venture to southern Florida. A staff writer for the Charleston City Paper, she’s visited strip clubs, played quidditch and homebrewed for the award-winning alternative weekly. Follow her on Tumblr at SusanJCohen.com.

WADSWORTH, NEVADA
A guide to Wadsworth, Nevada using Nevada: A Guide to the Silver State (WPA, 1940) as your map.
Before it was Wadsworth, it was The Big Bend. Situated on the Truckee River about thirty miles east of Reno, it was the only place weary emigrants could water livestock—not to mention themselves—after surviving the desert crossing on the road to California. The area was also home to the Paiute people who lived—and still live—around nearby Pyramid Lake.
Then, in 1867, the Central Pacific Railroad decided the bend would be as good a place as any to construct a small town and roundhouse for its rail cars—to make them ready before they puffed across the Sierras. Named for Civil War general James S. Wadsworth, the tiny supply depot appeared to have a great future—hotels, saloons, and a fine schoolhouse. The WPA guidebook says it was, for a time, the “most important railroad town in the State.”
Later, a devastating fire in 1884 and the railroad’s decision to move its lines closer to Reno in 1903 put continued prosperity on hold until the new Lincoln Highway (today’s Highway 80) made its way through Wadsworth in 1914.
Local photographers like Elizabeth L. Linton documented the remaining local Paiutes in their traditional homelands in the early part of the century. Linton later published the photos on postcards for visiting tourists.
By the 1950s, few people stopped to take advantage of Wadsworth’s amenities and it began a slow fade into decline. Today, some 800 hardy souls hold on—keeping the town alive, keeping its cemeteries tidy and off the lists of Nevada ghost towns.
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Lynn Downey is an At-large Guide to the West for The American Guide. She’s a writer and archivist based in Sonoma, California. Follow on her website, LynnDowney.com.

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WADSWORTH, NEVADA

A guide to Wadsworth, Nevada using Nevada: A Guide to the Silver State (WPA, 1940) as your map.

Before it was Wadsworth, it was The Big Bend. Situated on the Truckee River about thirty miles east of Reno, it was the only place weary emigrants could water livestock—not to mention themselves—after surviving the desert crossing on the road to California. The area was also home to the Paiute people who lived—and still live—around nearby Pyramid Lake.

Then, in 1867, the Central Pacific Railroad decided the bend would be as good a place as any to construct a small town and roundhouse for its rail cars—to make them ready before they puffed across the Sierras. Named for Civil War general James S. Wadsworth, the tiny supply depot appeared to have a great future—hotels, saloons, and a fine schoolhouse. The WPA guidebook says it was, for a time, the “most important railroad town in the State.”

Later, a devastating fire in 1884 and the railroad’s decision to move its lines closer to Reno in 1903 put continued prosperity on hold until the new Lincoln Highway (today’s Highway 80) made its way through Wadsworth in 1914.

Local photographers like Elizabeth L. Linton documented the remaining local Paiutes in their traditional homelands in the early part of the century. Linton later published the photos on postcards for visiting tourists.

By the 1950s, few people stopped to take advantage of Wadsworth’s amenities and it began a slow fade into decline. Today, some 800 hardy souls hold on—keeping the town alive, keeping its cemeteries tidy and off the lists of Nevada ghost towns.

* * *

Lynn Downey is an At-large Guide to the West for The American Guide. She’s a writer and archivist based in Sonoma, California. Follow on her website, LynnDowney.com.

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