"A sweet reading treat." --Helen Frangoulis, Playboy 
"Brian Butko has written the definitive story of Isaly's with all its ups and downs, and he's sprinkled it with nostalgic anecdotes and interviews from longtime employees." --David Newell, "Mr. McFeely" on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood 
"A regional tradition becomes America's favorite ice cream treat. A must-read book for all ice cream lovers." --Ed Marks, founder of Ice Screamers The Klondike bar is America's favorite ice cream novelty. This book traces its history and the rise and fall of its creator company, Isaly's Dairy, which evolved from one milk wagon to a dozen plants that supplied its 400 delis and dairies by the 1950s. The family company thrived on sound business practices and good customer relations and was known for its famous chipped ham and ice cream novelties-the Skyscraper cone and the Klondike. The author shows how changing consumer habits weakened the family enterprise but led them to take the Klondike national. Filled with photos and vintage ads.

Klondikes, Chipped Ham, & Skyscraper Cones: The Story of Isaly's

History

Brian Butko

Americas

Stackpole Books

300 classic diners identified. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Anthracite Region and the Poconos, Central Pennsylvania, and Western Pennsylvania.

Diners of Pennsylvania

Kevin Patrick

Travel

From Lucy, the colossal elephant-shaped building on the Jersey Shore, to the grand donut atop Randy's in Los Angeles, this full-color guide profiles the commercial giants that loom over America's highways. Created to sell products and promote tourism in a big way, they can be found all over the United States. The authors have traveled far and wide to bring readers the world's largest duck in Long Island, an enormous Amish couple in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and towering Paul Bunyans all over the Midwest. There are buildings shaped like hot dogs, ice cream cones, and baskets, as well as the roadside phenomena known as "Muffler Men," giants who originally advertised mufflers but now have been converted to cowboys, Indians, spacemen, and pirates. Big fun!

Roadside Giants

Arts & Photography

<li>More than 100 detailed maps of the highway </li>
<li>Full-color photos from across the country </li>
<li>Recommended stops along the route Following the Lincoln Highway today is not too different from what pioneer motorists faced a century ago. Signs and maps can be hard to find and the route isn't always clear. This handy, indispensable glove-compartment guide is the essential key to the entire highway, from California to New York, with carefully charted maps, must-see attractions, and places to eat and sleep that are slices of pure Americana. The book covers the major thirteen states the route passes through, as well as the little-known Colorado loop and the Washington, DC feeder.
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Lincoln Highway Companion: A Guide to Americas First Coast-to-Coast Road

Reference

The larger-than-life hotel shaped like a ship, once lodged in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains along the coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway, is one of the country's all-time favorite roadside attractions. In this fascinating book--liberally illustrated with vintage postcards, photos, and blueprints--author Brian Butko weaves together interviews and surviving documents to tell the eight-decade story of this beloved icon of the road that was also a monument to grand ideas, whimsy, and good old hucksterism.

The Ship Hotel: A Grand View Along the Lincoln Highway

Luna follows the intriguing, intertwined stories of two very different amusement parks in suburban Pittsburgh: Kennywood in West Mifflin and Luna Park in North Oakland. Butko takes readers on a rollicking trip to the rowdy picnic spot first called Kenny's Grove, then we meet the Ingersoll family of inventors who go from building rides at Kennywood to creating its chief competitor. Frederick Ingersoll, today credited with inventing and spreading the concept of amusement parks, was the visionary who conjured Luna by literally blowing apart a hillside along Craig Street in 1905. While he continued building more rides and more parks, he was also slipping into bankruptcy. Luna, for all its exotic architecture and dazzling lights, went dark after just five seasons. An escaped lion who killed a visitor is usually blamed for starting the park's decline, but Luna was also competing with the first Nickelodeon (in downtown Pittsburgh) and nearby Forbes Field (among the first modern ballparks). All but forgotten a century later, Luna saw its legacy revived when Kennywood Park opened Lost Kennywood, an area modeled after Luna and other "world's fair"-style parks. Kennywood and its competitor now co-exist in their own unique way. Includes original artwork by Ron Grice, Leda Miller, Kathy Rooney, Marcel Lamont (M.L.) Walker, Wayno, and Mark Zingarelli. "Butko does it again with this astounding collection! From baby incubators to lion attacks, Luna Park's hidden history is at long last revealed." ~ John Schalcosky, Founder of Odd Pittsburgh Please visit shop.heinzhistorycenter.org for more book titles.

Luna: Pittsburgh's Original Lost Kennywood

Senator John Heinz History Center

Now Available! Kennywood: Behind the Screams, Pocket Edition takes long-time fans and new visitors on a walking tour through Kennywood by exploring the history at each ride and attraction. Founded in 1898, the park has layers of history that tell of changing architecture, entertainment, and regional history, all brought to life by more than 300 vintage photos - many never-before-seen and in color. This "pocket-sized" edition is the first of three books exploring Kennywood, Luna, and other regional parks; look for a coffee-table edition in 2018. "This little book is packed with revelations, surprises, and tons of cool stuff I never knew before. Add it to your picnic basket from now on!" ~Rick Sebak, PBS/WQED Producer Please visit shop.heinzhistorycenter.org for more book titles.

Kennywood: Behind the Screams, Pocket Edition by Brian Butko (2016-08-02)

The Lincoln Highway, established in 1913, connected America's east and west coasts when travel between cities meant taking the train. Come along for a photographic journey and explore what remains from those early days of motoring.

The Lincoln Highway: Photos Through Time

The Lincoln Highway Association

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Books by Brian Butko