Elijah P. Lovejoy Monument

It is said that time heals all wounds--in no city in America is this more evident than at the site of the Elijah Lovejoy Monument, erected in Alton, Illinois. For years after the death of Lovejoy, Alton paid the price for the actions of the mob. It existed in a kind of infamy throughout the United States as its reputation caused the river traffic so vital to its economy to move farther south to St. Louis. Land values in Alton dropped, and it seemed the very mention of the town caused people to shudder. In fact, the original program from the dedication of the Lovejoy monument in 1897 talks of this nation-wide attitude in a section entitled "Justice for Alton." "For the space of nearly two generations the city of Alton has endured obloquy, scorn and contumely without limit because of the death of Elijah P. Lovejoy at the hands of a lawless mob. The city has been held responsible for the deeds of rioters acting in defiance of its laws and in defiance of the best sentiment of the community." Since the moment of Lovejoy's death, the city of Alton struggled with both a negative public perception and how to honor the abolitionist's memory. What follows below is a timeline tracing both Alton's and the state of Illinois' efforts to properly remember the martyred life of Lovejoy. Follow the links to the development of the monument by clicking on the different blocks of years.