An important gateway suburban community, Mount Vernon was formed around the construction of two commuter rail lines to and from New York City. In the first quarter of the 20th century, its contiguous borders with Greater New York, rapid population growth, automobiles, petroleum, and industrial development set the stage for the encroachment of urban realities on the upwardly mobile founders' hopes for a sustained and prosperous suburban lifestyle. Through images that illustrate the power of 20th-century transportation technologies, new energy sources, and dynamic demographic forces on this...