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Thwewerelendinglihraries as far back as KendalBy RUTH KANEThere were lending libraries as far back as the Kendal days preceding the founding of Massillon, but the Massillon Public Library concept was not born until 1897.In that year George Harsh, owner of the building on the city square which preceded the present Massillon Building, willed $10,000 to start a public library.At a town meeting to discuss the idea on May 24, 1897, J. Walter McClymonds announced that his wife, Flora, and her sister Annie, would give the home of their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nahum Russell on the southeast corner of 4th st and North ave NE for a library building.McClymonds added a $20,000 endowment fund.McCLYMONDS Public Library was formed under a charter from the state on June 4, 1897. McClymonds was elected president of the first board. Members were Mrs. Caroline McCullough Everhard, Edmund A. Jones, Charles A. Gates, Frederick A. Snyder, Mrs. Helena Ricks. Slusser and Frank L. Baldwin.The bylaws stipulated thatthere must always be at least two women on the board—probably throughthe influence of Mrs. Everhard, a women’s rights and suffrage leader.The $10,000 Harsh bequest was used for books. The McClymonds Public Library opened Jan, I, 1899, with Miss Charlotte Leavitt as the first librarian and a collection of 7,500 books. To get a library card the person must either have been known by Miss Leavitt or vouched for by a prominent citizen.Borrowers could lake one book for two weeks. Fines were two cents per day per overdue book. If a book was more than two weeks overdue, a messenger was sent for it and an additional 15 cent fine charged.In 1921 the McClymonds Public Library opened a West Side Branch in a storeroom, leased from E, L. Hering, and in 1923 the board purchased the property (site of present West side branch) and remodeled it. The Washington High School branch was also opened in 1921 and service started at Massillon City Hospital.IN 1921 A STATE law permitted school district libraries to obtain supportrrom tax funds, and a year later the McClymonds Library, which had been supported by gifts and subscriptions, changed to a school district library to lake advantage of this law.At the same time the name was changed to the present Massillon Public Library.By 1924 the Russell home had been outgrown and the board obtained consent of the Russell heirs to sell and buy a new site.Meanwhile in 1939 Mrs. Frank L. Baldwin, owner of the historic home built in 1835 by Massillon's founder, James Duncan, oh Lincoln Way E, willed the home to the library hoard for a library or museum. With the building went $25,000.It was decided to use the historic Duncan home as a museum and construct a new library section which would be architecturally compatible.The Massillon Museum was opened in the Duncan home in February 1933 with C. L. Baatx in charge and Miss B, V, R. Skinner chairman of the Museum Committee.IN 1935 THE library board of trustees obtained a federal PWA grant of $85,000 to build the new library andbranch buildings. There was already $30,000 in the building fund and $74,500more was raised through a bond issue.Albrecht and Wilhelm were the architects and the building was in modifiedGeorgian design to harmonize architecturally with the Duncan home. The library opened in October, 1937 and a new West side branch building opened the same year.During the construction the museum was closedtemporarily ami was reopened in May, 1936. Mrs. M. A. W. Pratt waschairman of the Museum Committee at the lime, and Albert Hise was curator. On retirement he was succeeded by Miss Mary Merwin, the present director,Massillon Lihrary opened the Brewster branch in IS35 and the Navarro branch in 1939.City librarians, in addition to Miss Leavitt, were Marian S. Comings in 1908-09, Clara Miller, 1909-20, Florence Hulings, who served 36 years, 1920-65, and John Storck, 1956-65.The present librarian, Ethel Conrad, has served since 1965.
Newspaper Details
Evening Independent
Massillon, Ohio, US
Sat, Sep 04, 1976
Page 37
Full Page
Clipped by
Christine B.
OH, USA 26 Aug 2024
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