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ALTON - If you’re a history buff, you’re in luck. The Hayner Public Library District has a few history-centered events planned for the month ahead.
The library will offer “The Vintage Voices Players: The Lovejoy Legacy” on Feb. 12, 2026, followed by “George Provenzano, PhD – The Deaths and Funerals of Abraham and Mary Lincolns’ Two Sons: Eddy and Willie” on Feb. 25, 2026, and “Discover Washington D.C.: A Monumental Journey” on March 10, 2026. Cordes, Hayner’s executive director, expressed her excitement for these events and her hopes that the community will come out and enjoy them.
The Vintage Voices event will feature five actors from previous Vintage Voices performances who will speak on Elijah P. Lovejoy’s legacy. This program is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2026, at Hayner’s Alton Square Mall location.
Actors will portray Celia Lovejoy, his widow; William “Scotch” Johnston, a free Black man who secretly buried Lovejoy’s body; Amanda Kitchell Chavers, whose freedom was purchased by the citizens of Alton; Thomas Dimmock, who led the effort to build the Lovejoy Monument; and Isaac H. Kelly, the first official Lovejoy Grave Trustee.
Cordes explained that the library does a lot to make Vintage Voices happen every year. Librarians research the characters and put together packets of information, which the actors use to write their scripts.
“Keep in mind this is a real person who lived in Alton or worked in Alton or is somehow associated with Alton who is buried in the cemetery. So this is an important piece of our local history,” Cordes said. “If anybody has ever been to Vintage Voices or you’ve thought about going to Vintage Voices and you’re not really sure if it’s something you want to do, you can come to this program.”
Hayner’s Feb. 12 Vintage Voices program aims to specifically focus on Lovejoy’s life and history. Cordes encourages people to come out and learn about him.
“They say, even though he was murdered 30 years before, that he was the first shot of the Civil War,” she added. “There’s so many different aspects of American culture tied to Lovejoy. He really was sort of the epicenter of a lot of it. I think the interest in him is going to be evergreen.”
The second Hayner history program focuses on Abraham Lincoln’s life and the loss of his two sons. This event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Feb. 25, 2026, at the Genealogy and Local History Library.
Dr. George Provenzano is a historian who focuses on Lincoln and the Civil War. Not only will he discuss Lincoln and Mary Todd’s reaction to their children’s deaths, but he will also share more about diseases and mourning traditions in that time period.
“With the lifespans of children back then, you were lucky if all of your children survived through infancy and childhood,” Cordes noted. “It’s kind of a different aspect of Lincoln’s life that we don’t really talk about all that much with the loss that he suffered.”
She added that Lincoln’s grief likely contributed to his “humanity,” which will be explored during the presentation. She promises that Provenzano will present a “really, really good” program for those in attendance.
“Discover Washington D.C.: A Monumental Journey” is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 10, 2026, at the Alton Square Mall. Licensed tour guide LaCreatia Huff will present information on the capital’s most iconic landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and more.
“If you’ve never been to Washington or you’ve been but it’s been a while or you’re thinking about going, even if you just like history, you don’t have any intention of going but you want to learn more about it, it’s going to be a really good program,” Cordes said.
These events are free to attend, but registration is encouraged. Save your seat by calling 1-800-613-3163.
All of these programs are just a fraction of what Hayner offers; you can see a full calendar of upcoming events at the official Hayner Public Library District website at HaynerLibrary.org.
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