Historic Sites and Landmarks That Shaped America: From Acoma Pueblo to Ground Zero

With 260 tightly written, alphabetically arranged entries, this two-volume set edited by Newton-Matza (editor, Jazz Age) provides basic information about the historical importance of many nationally and some locally famous sites that range across 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC. Some entries feature a black-and-white photograph or a brief article on a similar site not mentioned elsewhere in the set. The sites vary widely, from buildings to roads to battle sites to parks, and include Mount Rushmore; the Zora Neale Hurston House in Fort Pierce, FL; New York City's Ground Zero; and Crazy Horse Memorial in Black Hills, SD. A lengthy index, with entries in bold, allows users to find not just the places but also people associated with them. The appendix lists sites by state, adding further entry points. The inclusion of 38 primary documents of laws, court cases, treaties, and addresses helps explain the complex history of some locations. MacMillan Profiles' Monument and Historical Places of America is comparable but features only 90 entries, with some overlap with Newton-Matza's work, while Gary McKechnie's USA 101: A Guide to America's Iconic Places, Events, and Festivals also overlaps but is divided by region. Andrew Carroll's Here Is Where: Discovering America's Great Forgotten History covers similar content yet focuses more on individuals.