Mattoon Public Library Opening New Civil War Room in Local History Center

For Immediate Release

Adult programming resumes at the Mattoon Public Library May Thursday and Friday as the library also formally launches opening a new Civil War room in its Local History Center.

Singer/songwriter Chris Vallillo is to perform a “Songs of the Civil War,” program at 6 p.m. Thursday on the library’s main floor. Artist Dan Haughey performs his one-act portrayal of Mr. U.S. Grant at 2 p.m. Friday. Both performances are free.

The Civil War Room will have extended hours including 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The weekend also offers the community an opportunity to peruse and check out the history collection of Steve Thompson, a well-known local historian who died last July. Thompson’s widow Kathy donated his extensive book collection to our library.

The Civil War room has several unique features, including a coat and vest with original bullet holes from the Battle of Selma.

The library has an authentic musket, a flask, original journals and complete lists of the Mattoon regiment, among many other items including books about key battles.

The Civil War Room is part of our 6-room history center curated by volunteer Chris Suerdieck. “You will be pleasantly surprised by the center and the Civil War displays,” said library Director Carl Walworth.

Vallillo is an acclaimed musician who uses six-string and bottleneck slide guitars and a harmonica. His focus is to make the people and places of unmetropolitan American come to life in song.

Vallillo’s music has a timeless quality about it, with one foot in the past and one foot in the future. His prairie poet style has been compared to Edgar Lee Masters and Vachel Lindsay and you can hear the strains of the Carter Family and Jimmy Rogers reflected in his writing. Its roots based original and contemporary folk with the rich acoustic textures of bottleneck slide, finger style and flatpicked guitars that echo the influences of Mississippi John Hurt, Norman Blake, Doc Watson and John Fahey.
Vallillo has won numerous awards for his work over more than 30 years.

Haughey’s performance is part of the Illinois Road Scholar series in which Illinois Humanities subsidizes the performance. The Illinois Humanities program promotes quality programming across the state by experts who cover a variety of topics.

Haughey is an actor, singer, director, playwright and teaching artist who has about a one hour, one-person performance of Mr. U.S. Grant, as the general and president to be presented in the library’s Community Room. Haughey has presented in nine different states since 1981, including four years with the Illinois Humanities Road Scholar program.