“Open Carnegie Library” from the May 8, 1913 Sturgeon Bay Advocate
OPEN CARNEGIE LIBRARY.
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RECEPTION AND CEREMONIES HELD AT THE LIBRARY ASSEMBLY ROOM THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 1.
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THE HISTORY OF EARLY EFFORTS.
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Speakers Congratulate People on Excellency of library in Every Respect. Opened For Business Saturday.
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The reception and dedication of the new Carnegie library, which took, place on Thursday evening, was largely attended, the assembly room being filled with a representative and interested audience.
Jno. B. Davis, president of the library board, officiated as chairman of the meeting, which he opened by giving a brief outline of the manner in which the library was procured from Mr. Andrew Carnegie, who had donated the sum of $12,500 for the construction. He told of the work of the council and the library board, the cost of the building, furnishings, fixtures, steam and water connections, electric lights, etc., all of which would exceed the donation by about $150 when completed.
Mayor Wolter was introduced and in a few well chosen words extended a welcome and expressed his gratification at the splendid turn-out on the occasion, and congratulated the city on the securing of so magnificent a structure. He also urged the people to support the library by patronizing it liberally, as lie considered it one of the best institutions of which the city could boast.
Miss Klinefelter rendered a solo for the edification of the assembled guests.
District Attorney Graass followed with a history of the efforts made to procure a library, the data of which he had secured with a great amount of labor and time from the files of the local papers during the past fifty years, most of which was obtained from the columns of The Advocate. This was an interesting document and that it may be preserved we publish it herewith in full:
December 19, 1865, about a dozen of the business and professional men of Sturgeon Bay met at the old courthouse then situated at the corner of Spruce and Main streets, opposite the Advocate office and formed what was known as the Lyceum. The Advocate made formal announcement of the opening, and that the opening address was to be delivered by G. W. Allen, Esq. admission 10 cents, ladies free, and the proceeds were to assist in establishing a library. Those who signed the roster at this opening meeting were D. H. Rice, W. A. Weed, W. K. Dresser, H. Schuyler, C. E. Hoyt, J. Harris, jr., Henry Harris, John Garland, George Pinney, D. A. Reed, G. W. Allen. The next meeting was held Tuesday January 9, 1866, and the subject that was debated was as follows: “Negro suffrage as the condition of the admission of the Southern Congressmen.”
January 23d, one of the very important meetings of the Lyceum was held, at which the subject for debate was “Civilization not being the consequence of Christianity,” the report of that meeting shows as the records stated, that the Debate waxed so warm that it was not concluded at this meeting, but adjourned some time after midnight, and was carried over to the next week; and the newspaper commented upon it, and stated it was a discussion all should hear, and that the proceeds of the admission were for the formation of the library.
Tuesday May 8, 1866, a debate took place and which involved the question of Woman’s Suffrage, and the Advocate at that time made this statement concerning the same:
“The Lyceum.—The members of the Lyceum and Library Association have organized for the winter, and will hereafter meet every Monday evening at the Court Room for the purpose of literary entertainment. We hope to see more interest now than was manifested in it last winter, as with proper management it can be made a source of much enjoyment. The subject for debate next Monday evening is:
Resolved, That the elective franchise should be extended to all sane persons over 21 years of age, not having been convicted of any infamous crime.
“The principal disputants are Henry Schuyler on the affirmative and Rev. Geo. Pinney on the negative. As this is a subject of vital importance to every sane female over 21 years of age not convicted of an infamous crime, we expect to see a full attendance of ladies. We have no doubt that the beauties of female suffrage and all the dire consequences thereof to mankind will be ventilated and discussed.
“We advise the women to be at hand ‘Strike till the last armed foe expires.’ ”
During the month of January there was introduced into the Wisconsin legislature by the Hon. David Youngs, who was then member of Assembly for our county, a bill incorporating the Lyceum into a Library Association, and on March 17, 1866, the Sturgeon Bay Association was duly incorporated by an act of the legislature.
In 1880, Chas. I. Martin’s History of Door County contained this account of the association.
“The charter members were D. A. Reed, D. H. Rice, Wm. K. Dresser, George Pinney, G. W. Allen, Joseph Harris, sr., W. H. Wead, Henry Schuyler, John Garland, and E. M. Squire. The spirit which inspired these charter members no longer inspires their associates and successors. The minutes of the society show that for several years after its incorporation the association held public weekly meetings, at which these pioneers, improved and amused themselves and the country by heavy debates, resolving that ‘Capital punishment should be abolished,’ ‘That Women should vote,’ ‘That the President of the United States Should be Impeached,’ and that the society was the custodian of the country generally. Sometimes when the debate ought to have begun and time was called, if the combatants were not ready to come to the scratch, the assembly did not spend a profitless evening, by any means, but they, selected one of their number to read an instructive and entertaining article from one of the numerous patent office reports which then, as now, garnish the shelves of the library. Not only were there debates and select readings, but the exercises were varied by recitations, essays and songs, but no prayer.
“The interest in those public meetings languished and died out in 1872; or about that time. It was a gradual decline. A few patriotic members, however, still hung on and once a year met and elected themselves officers of the association. By figuring and scraping and appealing to the patriotism of our representatives in Congress and at Madison, the shelves of the library were loaded with session laws, messages and documents, blue books, patent office reports and other valuable reading matter until there were over 300 volumes in the library. This entitled the association to receive from the state all books published by the authority of the state, and on making the proper application, a full set of Wisconsin reports was added to the library.
“In 1879 an effort to revive the public meetings of the society was made. There were two entertainments, two fizzles and one smash, It was not for want of an appreciative audience, but for failure on the part of the appointed performers. At present, although there are no public meetings, the library association is thriving. Within a few weeks some 80 new volumes have been added to the library, and the members can now entertain themselves with reading the writings of Irving, Hawthorne, Scott, Holland, George Elliot and many other standard authors. Anyone can become a permanent member of the society by paying three dollars in cash or by donating three dollars worth of books, or a temporary member by paying a smaller sum according to the time and depositing of the value of the book drawn. The society has in its treasury about seventy dollars which will shortly be invested in books.”
The life members of the Sturgeon Bay Library Association were:
George Pinney, G. W. Allen, Henry Schuyler, R. M. Wright, H. Harris, D. A. Reed, D. H. Rice, J. Harris, sr., John Garland, E, C. Daniels, E. M. Squire, J. Harris, jr., A. M. Pierce, J. C. Pinney, E. E. Hoyt, E. S. Fuller, F. J. Hamilton, O. E. Druetzer, James McIntosh, H. T. Scudder, C. M. Smith, Charles Noyes, L. M. Sherman, J. H. Soper, C. L. Nelson, H. M. McNally, George Walker, George O. Spear, Wm. A. Lawrence, Charles Scofield, George Prescott, Frank Dresser.
The Honorable Members Were:
Honorable P. Sawyer, Honorable J. C. Spooner, Honorable S. Stephenson, Honorable E. S. Minor.
From 1880 to 1902 the library did not thrive and was inactive, the books being kept at various places, especially attorney offices, H. T. Scudder, F. J. Hamilton and G. W, Allen, each having them for some time.
About 1892 the library was again revived and for a period of about five years the books were kept in the telephone exchange office, Mrs. Sybil Elwell, then Minor, being librarian. About 1897 the telephone and telegraph offices having been discontinued in the Washburn building, a part of the books were stored over Washburn’s old feed store, and those suitable were placed in the high school library in the school house, where they remained until taken charge of by the women of our city in the year 1901.
The ladies became interested in the forming of a club room, lunch room, and literary room, by the agitation of the W. C. T. U. and the newspapers of the city, and on February 16, 1901, twenty-seven ladies responded to the invitation to form an organization. At their first meeting the object of the meeting was set forth and which was as follows:
“We, the undersigned, being heartily in sympathy with the movement to establish and maintain in this city a reading room and sitting room for the boys and men, together with a coffee room, do hereby agree to give such articles as are set opposite our names—one plate and cup and saucer, or one chair, or some other article toward the furnishing of such rooms and also to be ready to assist in furnishing toward the lunch, when called upon, until the same shall be self supporting.”
Those who took active part in the association which was formed and became known as the Women’s Association were, Mrs. C. R. Packard, Mrs. E. E. Beckwith, Mrs. Chas., Greisen, Mrs. Chas. Reynolds, Mrs. Elizabeth Reynolds, Mrs. Dora Kalmbach, Mrs. Emma Johnson, Mrs. Y. V. Druetzer, Mrs. L. M. Washburn, Mrs. John Rank, Mrs. Eugene Birmingham, and Mrs. Patsy Ryan.
The constitution stated that the Women’s Association was to “Maintain a club and lunch room for the benefit of the young men and boys in a literary and social way.” The opening day was set for March 2, 1901, and was held in the old Schuyler building on Cedar.
The lunch room was discontinued in August, 1901.
August, 31, 1901, the library was placed in Kirtland’s store where it remained until November 20, 1904, when the library was moved to E. M. LaPlant’s store. The fixtures and a good many of the old records and books, not in use, were stored in the basement of Mr. Greisen’s store in August, 1901. and they remained there until June, 1903 when the Women’s Association received permission from the city council to store the books and records in one of the rooms in the old school house, which burned July, 1903, all the old records were also destroyed by this fire.
The active circulating part of the library remained at LaPlant’s store until the summer of 1906 when the Women’s Association turned the same over to the city of Sturgeon Bay.
FRED CRANDALL, Architect WULF & GABERT, Contractors
June 6, 1902, Mrs. Y. V. Druetzer began communicating with Mr. Carnegie’s secretary setting forth the need of a library in our city; how hard the Women’s Association had tried to maintain it; and while we received no definite answer from Mr. Carnegie, it was the beginning of the erection and maintenance of the present structure. The city authorities took up the matter thereafter and in 1905 voted $100 to help maintain the library, and annual appropriations have been made since.
During the year 1910, communication was kept up with the library officials of Mr. Carnegie and after the necessary formalities had been complied with, the city council, by ordinance, had established a fund of $1250 per year, for the maintenance of the public library; Mr. Carnegie consented to donate to the city the sum of $1250 for the erection of a Carnegie library, and which negotiations were completed May 2, 1911.
From September 10, 1906, until April 19, 1913, the library was housed in the Pinney building and a branch having been established at Sawyer since May 5, 1910, and which branch has been in the Woerfel Drug Store since its establishment.
This is a brief history of the Sturgeon Bay Library as gathered from pioneer settlers and newspaper comment.
If it were possible for the spirit of the incorporators of the Sturgeon Bay Library Association who gave their time and money and talent for the maintenance of the public library in this city 50 years ago, to pervade the air now, then well do I know that the spirit of these original incorporators are with us at this hour, thanking the loyal ladies of this city, to whose thotful care and energy and stick-to-it-ive-ness we are indebted for this beautiful structure, knowing that the work for which they laid the foundation in the year 1865, now rests in this permanent abiding place after half a century of aimless wandering, without a home.
Other Speakers Laud Library.
City Attorney W. E. Wagener gave an excellent talk on the library generally, the excellent location and why it was such, and a strong appeal to the public to take advantage of the opportunity afforded for the securing of a high order of reading material, which was of incalculable value to the people of this city.
M. S. Dudgeon, secretary of the state library commission, closed the program with an address on the benefits to be derived from the use of the books in the library, stating that no matter in what vocation a person may be he or she could find something on the shelves that would be of benefit and help in the work in which they might be engaged. He said it was a mistake to suppose that only a certain class of people were benefitted, as the professional man, the business man, the artisan and the farmer and horticulturist, could find something to interest and instruct if he looked for it.
Mr. Dudgeon complimented the architect, F. D. Crandall, the builders, Wulf & Gabert, and the people, as well as the library board for the excellent work they had done.
Welter’s orchestra furnished music until 9 o’clock, which was much enjoyed by those present.
The library board consists of Jno. B. Davis, president; Mrs. C. B. Packard, secretary; Mrs. C. L. Nelson, E. W. Long, H. R. Isherwood, Henry Fetzer and Rudolph Soukup. Others who served on the board during the construction of the building were: Frank Long, Mrs. Ed. Reynolds, Aug. Rieboldt and C. G. Stangel.
The library is considered by Mr. Dudgeon, who is authority on matters of this kind, to be one of the finest in the state for the money paid for it. He greatly admired the architectural beauty of the building and stated that for convenience the interior arrangement was not excelled by any library of its size that he had ever visited, and so sincere is he in the matter that he proposes to have Mr. Crandall prepare a floor plan, and he is going to have this and a picture of the library published in the periodicals that are gotten out by the state commission for the purpose of aiding others who are contemplating the construction of libraries. All of which is very complimentary to the local architect, who will receive considerable notice from the publicity that will be given the library.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
[“District Attorney Graass” refers to Henry Graass: https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_Door_County_Wisconsin_the_Cou/4Fo0AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA431
The floor plans mentioned by M. S. Dudgeon, along with photos, were published in “New Types of Small Library Buildings”: https://www.google.com/books/edition/New_Types_of_Small_Library_Buildings/5HIZAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA46
A better scan of the exterior photo used in “New Types of Small Library Buildings”: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM65370
National or State Register of Historic Places entry for 354 Michigan St: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR1926
A historical marker was placed in 2007: https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=191571
Album of historical library photos, including photos taken inside the Carnegie Public Library: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPaM_O3nzkVG2RfIBm_TLRvI5pmCXvLdyskNKCTa5eHHaX8BM1uMmGBnPsKmGk_NA?key=N1ZrdFR1U3JabVFWc3V0cmwtMzE2NDAxdTZtYkV3 ]
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