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Becky Thatcher House Re-Opens In Hannibal, MO

Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum

The 58th Annual National Tom Sawyer Dayscelebration starts Wednesday in Hannibal, Missouri.

The festival runs through the weekend with events honoring Samuel Clemens' literary work, including the town's "Tom and Becky" lookalike contest for kids.

A site in downtown Hannibal dedicated to Becky Thatcher - and the real woman who inspired the fictional character - has just re-opened to visitors following a major restoration effort.

Henry Sweets, Executive Director of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, joined Peter Gray on Illinois Edition to discuss the historical significance of the Becky Thatcher Home and what they have planned for the site's future:

Peter has a diverse background in public, independent and commercial media production. Beginning in 2011, Peter served as reporter and “Morning Edition” host for WUIS. He completed his work at WUIS in 2014. Prior to his start in public radio, he covered the Illinois legislature for NBC affiliate WANDTV-17 and helped launch Phenom Features, a non-profit apprenticeship film studio. Peter hails from Oswego, Ill., where he grew up watching WTTW-11/PBS.
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