Barren County, located in the heart of south central Kentucky, was formed in 1799 and is the commonwealth's 13th largest county. Pioneers found the land without the usual, extensive wooded areas and so it looked barren to them in comparison. The area is anything but "barren," as its land and population have been productive in agriculture, commerce, education, medicine, and the military. Voted in 2007 by Progressive Farmer magazine as the "Best Place to Live in Rural America," the county has also produced one of the South's first African American mayors, two governors, renowned musicians, a Pulitzer Prize winner, two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, a major television network president, and a U.S. Air Force general. Countless other citizens, equally productive, proudly call Barren County their home. Title: Photo book focusing on Barren County available Author: Gina Kinslow Publisher: Glasgow Daily Times Date: 8/23/2010 A book containing more than 200 vintage photographs from various eras throughout Barren County's history will soon be available. The book, titled "Images of America: Barren County," was compiled by Nancy Richey, a native of the Mount Hermon community in Barren County. Richey works as a reference and image librarian at the Kentucky Library and Museum on Western Kentucky University's campus in Bowling Green. She decided to compile the book, after reading a New York Times article that said there is a growing interest in localized history as Americans look into their past at what seemed to be sweeter days. "This idea appealed to me. I felt this was a good time for a book about the county," she said. "I also have always enjoyed the pictorial essays published by Arcadia Publishing and knew Barren County's history would make a great topic. The Images of America series was perfect for the county since they try to, through the use of vintage images, chronicle the history of a town or region. In this way, the photographs, with succinct captions, help bring to life the people, places and events that define the county." Because Richey is an image librarian at the Kentucky Library and Museum, she was able to access several images from the county. "Many people were gracious in allowing me to use their images. I was also able to find images relating to the county from many other universities such as Princeton University and the University of Louisville," she said. "It was a difficult task at times and I believe part of the problem in finding images was that everyone thinks that their family photographs are of no interest to anyone else. But all photographs tell interesting stories, and every family has a history that should be remembered and shared." What she found most interesting in compiling the book was learning the history of her home county by researching and writing the captions for the photographs. "I found so many interesting facts about the county. For instance, did you know that Barren County was home to the Grandmaster's checkers champion, Don Lafferty?" The book, which is published by Arcadia Publishing, officially goes on sale Aug. 30 for $21.99. Richey will be signing copies of her book on Sept. 11 from 2 - 4 p.m. at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in Bowling Green, and on Oct. 28 at the Glasgow Regional Center Library in Glasgow. The book is available at area bookstores, independent retailers and online retailers or through Arcadia Publishing at (8880 313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com. Images of America: Barren County includes many never before seen photographs of the area's rich historical culture, its religious and educational institutions, and ordinary family life that showcase why the county remains one of the best places to live in rural America. Nancy Richey, image librarian at Western Kentucky University's Kentucky Library and native of Barren County, uses photographs from the library, civic organizations, and private individuals to create this photographic essay showcasing the historic personality of this area.