Lacy S. McDonald manages the Genealogy & Local History Library branch of The Hayner Public Library District in Alton. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Carleton College as well as a master’s degree in Library and Information Science and a Graduate Certificate in Rare Books and Special Collections Librarianship from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
ALTON - The Olympics has been held in Paris, France, three times now: 1900, 1924 and 2024. In 1924, athletes from the United States won 99 medals in all, 45 of them gold. Finland came second in the medal count, with 37 total, 14 gold. Americans picked up gold medals in boxing, rugby, shooting,...
ALTON - For years, horticulturalists around Alton worked hard to encourage a love of flowers in the local citizenry. On July 30, 1924, Alton Horticultural Society member Edwin H. Riehl announced that despite having cut approximately 500 gladiolas daily to sell for some time, he had not shipped any...
ALTON - On July 24, 1923, Nell Johnston announced her new enterprise: the manufacture of potato chips. “Some people are skillful in painting, some of them in pie making, housekeeping, but Mrs. Johnston has skill in making potato chips and she plans to make Alton famous for her potato chips,...
ALTON - In 1907, Illinois passed a local option law giving residents of a precinct the ability to outlaw the sale of alcohol. Alton voted again and again to remain a wet town, deciding in 1908, 1914, 1916, and 1918 to continue the sale of alcohol in the city. But soon, a change to the U.S. Constitution...
ALTON - Fourth of July celebrations in 1924 looked similar to the Fourth of July celebrations of today in many ways. There were fireworks, picnics, glasses of lemonade, and injuries. The Alton Evening Telegraph injury report on July 5, 1924, tells the story of Henry Hurst, a 10-year-old boy visitin...
ALTON - In the 1920s, the Alton Council, Court of Honor of Boy Scouts of America met once a month at the Elks’ Club to award badges of rank and to answer questions which could not be settled by the individual troop. In 1924, the Court of Honor set forth a contest to see which local troop...
ALTON - In the summer of 1924, Madison County faced an epidemic. On June 17, 1924, Madison County reported 34 new cases of smallpox to the State Department of Public Health in Illinois. The number of total new cases for the state was 70 that week, so almost half of those were in Madison County...
ALTON - On June 10, 1924, Illinois Art Extension Committee member Katherine V. Dickinson requested in the Alton Evening Telegraph newspaper that Altonians submit photographs of the area’s native beauty to the “Beauty Spots of Illinois” committee. Dickinson specified that amateurs’...
ALTON - On June 8, 1924, Union Baptist Church held a service honoring Alexander Whitfield, Anna Margaret Cole, and Willie Alexander Young, members of Alton High School’s graduating class of 1924. At the service, Dr. George Samuels gave the invocation. Dr. Samuels was the first Black physician...
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