There are a couple hundred items

The history-related bounty includes artwork by Ruth Means, Rose Sparrowk and Paul Harney, the latter being a monk oil painting; plates; tags and local brewery boxes.

"There also will be general antiques, a lot of rare books about Alton and surrounding counties, and genealogy books," Janice St. Peters said. "There are a couple hundred items."

The family also is selling a sign from the old Alton GM&O train station that Robert St. Peters unsuccessfully tried to prevent being torn down. He did salvage the sign as a memento.

"A lot of people would love to have that," his daughter said about the sign.

A sampling of the other items to be sold include: "Personal Memoirs of U.S Grant," two volumes, 1885-1886; Alton 1913 one-horse vehicle license; Alton Hoppe's China Store 25th Anniversary plate, 1910; Alton Bluff City Brewery wooden beer case; large leather drum cover that reads "Standard Brass and Reed Band of Alton, Illinois"; first edition book from 1944, "The Gentleman Giant," about Robert P. Wadlow, with dust jacket and photos; "Narrative of Riots at Alton in Connection with the Death of Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy" by Rev. Edward Beecher, 1838 first edition; Alton political pins, miscellaneous memorabilia, bottles, tokens and old city directories.

The family plans to sell household goods and other belongings at a later date.

St. Peters, 87, died Feb. 8. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, serving on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin during combat in the Pacific Ocean. The Alton native subsequently returned to his home city and worked at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis County, Mo., for about 25 years. He was a charter member of AALA, with a priority to preserve Riverfront Park and the site of the historical, Alton location of one of the Lincoln-Douglas U.S. Senate debates of 1858.