Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Jamie Poorman.

Eureka Public Library is thrilled to host Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Jamie Poorman to explore the life and legacy of Illinois author and pony-lover Marguerite Henry at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17.

Registration for this free program is required before 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15. Sign up at the adult circulation desk or by calling the library at 309-467-2922 ext. 1.

Henry was born in Milwaukee in 1902 and moved to Illinois after her marriage, writing many of her most famous works here. She published 59 books, mostly animal tales for children. Henry was an avid library user and conducted in-depth research before visiting the places that inspired her stories. Her works won many awards, including the Newbery Medal.

In 1946, Henry visited the island of Chincoteague off the coast of Virginia for the annual “Pony Penning” week when the wild ponies from nearby Assateague Island were rounded up, swam across the channel, and foals auctioned off.

She fell in love with a tiny foal, named Misty, and purchased her. When Misty was old enough, she was shipped to Illinois to live with Henry  on her farm near Wayne. Misty lived here in Illinois for more than 10 years until returning to Chincoteague to have foals of her own. Misty was beloved by the neighborhood children, then the whole country. The pony was even invited to the American Library Association conference, and national contests were held to name her foals.

In 1962, when Chincoteague Island was devastated by a terrible storm, Misty saved the town and the ponies by raising money on a tour of theaters along the Eastern Shore.

Henry once wrote “Some people, by the very tone of their voices, can make a story sound exciting. But then, when you follow up on the idea, it often turns out to be little or nothing. With Misty, the reality was more exciting than the promise.”

You won’t want to miss this incredible story of an Illinois author and her impact on generations of readers and an island community nearly 1,000 miles away.

The event will be co-produced by the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars Speakers Bureau, which invites Illinois authors, artists, and educators to share their expertise and enthusiasm with people throughout the state, enabling local nonprofit organizations to present free-admission cultural programs to their communities.

Poorman is head librarian at Marshall Public Library. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and an MSLS from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. She is a dedicated genealogist and local historian and serves on the board of the Clark County Historical Society. Personally, she and her family are dedicated to a small homestead raising lots of veggies, goats, St. Bernards, and one sassy Chincoteague pony.

Illinois Humanities, the Illinois affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community, and strengthen civic engagement. They provide free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly impacted by mass incarceration. Founded in 1974, Illinois Humanities is supported by state, federal, and private funds.