London, Ontario in Colour Photos, Saving Our History One Photo at a Time is the subject of Book 1 in the Cruising Ontario series of books of photographs of towns and cities in Ontario. The photos show the architecture and design of old buildings, many that are over 100 years old. Descriptions of the buildings and background information with the pictures now in full colour add greatly to the book. It is a visual experience to enjoy. London is the home of Linda, a very good friend of Barbara's.In 1793 on the River Thames, Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe selected a site for the capital of Upper Canada. York (Toronto) became the seat of government, but in 1826 London was selected as the judicial and administrative centre of the London District. A courthouse and gaol (1829) and homes for the government officials were built, stores and hotels were opened. A British garrison stationed at London in 1838 stimulated its growth. The Thames River in southern Ontario begins near Tavistock and Mitchell and flows 273 kilometres southwest to Lake St. Clair. The river winds through Carolinian forests, farmlands, rural and urban communities.
About the Author: Barbara Raue, a wife, mother and grandmother, is an avid reader and writer. She has researched and compiled several family histories. In 2010, Barbara published her book "Coins of Gold," which celebrates the courageous life of her mother. Barbara's second book is a historical fiction "Arrows, Indians and Love" which takes place in Boonesborough, Kentucky during the time of Daniel Boone. Barbara published her third book, "The Life and Times of Barbara" and completed nine volumes in that series, namely, Inventions, Entertainment, East Coast Trips, Olympics, Wonders of the World, Caribbean Cruises, Animals, Storms and Other Major Disasters in My Lifetime, and Wars, Terrorist Attacks and Major Disasters of the 20th and 21st centuries. In 2013 Barbara published her book on the history of The Cromwell Family. In the meantime, Barbara is pursuing her other interest of photography with a desire to Save Our History One Photo at a Time by preserving a record through photos of old buildings from the 1800s and early 1900s with their unique architecture. Many old buildings in some cities and towns were torn down in the 1950s through 1970s. Others are slated for destruction. In many towns, the desire is to preserve some of our architectural heritage. Nature also has a way of intervening in those efforts (one example is the tornado that swept through Goderich in March 2011 and destroyed many buildings). Barbara completed 32 volumes of photos of Towns of Ontario with black-and-white photos. Now Barbara is preparing books with colour photos and has completed a dozen volumes, and re-done three previous towns in colour photos.