The Latino community of Chicago is a rich ethnic tapestry, not a monolithic group. Latinos have had a presence in Chicago since the early 1900s and came seeking a better life for themselves and their children. As early as 1916, a sizable number of Mexicans settled in Chicago to plant roots and secure a foothold in the city's heavy industries. Puerto Ricans first came to the city in the late 1940s, their migration to the city peaking during the 1950s and 1960s. In subsequent decades, other Latino groups, like Cubans, Guatemalans, and Salvadorans, arrived and called Chicago their home. They too...

Nestled in the Upper Nehalem Valley in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range, Vernonia still reflects its pioneer virtues of hard work and independence. The area was first homesteaded in 1874 by Clark Parker and John Van Blaricom. The earliest settlers saw the dense old-growth firs and cedars as an obstacle to overcome in establishing farms, but those big trees soon became the lifeblood of the town s economy. Incorporated in 1891, Vernonia remained a small settlement with family-run farms, sawmills, and supporting businesses until the arrival of the long-awaited railroad in 1922. The...