Learning over lunch

Historian Jim Phillips shared stories of taverns, riverboat tragedies, plantation life and the hazards of stagecoach travel in a Nov. 5 lecture at Russellville Public Library. The talk was the first of its kind for the library, but director Ashley Cummins said she hopes to offer more such programs to attract adults to the library and offer something for them to enjoy. Phillips intrigued his audience with a few choice historical artifacts, like paper money and glass bottles, from Alabama’s past.