Humboldt County, CA History Transcribed by Kathy Sedler This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter. All persons donating to this site retain the rights to their own work. History of Humboldt County California - Historic Record Co., Los Angeles, 1915 CHAPTER XXII. The Eureka Free Library By H. A. Kendal The first successful effort to maintain a public reading room in Eureka originated among the members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In response to a call of the pastor, Rev. Dr. Haswell, twenty members of the congregation agreed to subscribe $1 each per month for that purpose. The movement met with a hearty response from the people in general. Fifty or more people met in the Methodist church on Wednesday evening, February 13, 1878, for the purpose of establishing a library and reading room in the city. The secretary's report of this meeting makes mention of a previous meeting, when a constitution was adopted and provision made for raising money by subscriptions. This was the first meeting of the kind of which we have any written record. J. J. De Haven, who later rose to prominence in the judicial field, was chosen president ; Mrs. W. W. Taylor, vice-president ; J. H. Kimball, secretary and librarian, and Fred Axe, treasurer. Fifty votes were cast for president, of which Mr. De Haven received twenty-six. The organization which they then formed was called the Eureka Library Association. Other names connected with the earlier meetings of the association are : S. Cooper, H. Axton, G. C. Sarvis, H. Sevier, N. Bullock, Mr. Haswell, C. W. Long, J. W. Freese, G. R. Knott, Mrs. J. E. Wyman, Dr. Cabanis, E. A. Rice, Mrs. J. H. D. Chamberlain, J. B. Brown, C. C. Strong and A. J. Monroe. The library and reading room were opened in the Jones building, corner of Third and F streets. The dedication ceremonies took place in the library rooms on the evening of March 25, 1878, Rev. Dr. Haswell delivering a very eloquent address, besides which remarks were made by Reverends Githens and Brier. A volunteer choir and the Eureka cornet band furnished music for the dedication. The meeting, so the secretary records, adjourned in peace and harmony. The last meeting of the Eureka Library Association was held April 30, 1878, after a very useful life of three months' duration. The whole amount of money received by the treasurer from all sources amounted to $352, a sum which speaks well for the enterprise and generosity of the people of that early period. A tax "amply sufficient" had by this time been levied by the city for library and reading room purposes. A resolution of thanks was voted to the Eureka Amateur Dramatic Club for a generous donation. All the property of the association was turned over to the appointed trustees of the city free library, with all debts paid, and a committee was appointed to deliver the property to the new board. The common council at the meeting of May 11, 1878, appointed the first board of library trustees, which consisted of J. J. De Haven, J. H. Kimball, Fred Axe, Mrs. J. E. Wyman, Mrs. Taylor and S. Cooper. Mr. De Haven was chosen president, and Mr. Cooper secretary. Spencer Purser was recommended for librarian and duly appointed. The salary of the librarian was fixed at $25 per month. The library was to be kept open every day from 9 a. m. to 10 p. m. The librarian, after a few months' service, was commended for faithful attention to the duties of his office, and further rewarded by an increase of salary to $1 per day. An official report of the library trustees to the city council at the end of the first eleven months of the city free library shows that the library then consisted of 541 volumes. The old Humboldt library furnished 306 volumes, five volumes were loaned by the city school trustees, five volumes were gifts and 225 volumes had been added by purchase. The circulation for the first eleven months was 4563 books, of which 3264 books, or seventy-one per cent of the whole circulation, were novels. Reports of the library at the present time show that the proportion of fiction to all other books taken by patrons is about fifty-one per cent. This change is no doubt due in large measure to the fact that a greater variety as well as a greater number of interesting non-fiction books are now to be had. The financial statement for the same period shows that $196.36, of the annual income of $1177.36, was spent for books. The library throughout its history has not varied greatly from the above proportion of service to expense. The large investment for buildings, grounds and running expenses which a free library implies would justify a greater outlay for service. The usefulness of a public library is largely determined by the amount of working capital above the necessary running expenses. The library remained in the Jones building until March 1, 1883, when it was removed to the Ricks building on Third street. Here it remained until 1890, when it was again moved, this time to the Gibbard building, on the corner of Third and H streets. It was moved from the Gibbard building to its present home October 1, 1904. The records show that Spencer Purser resigned his position as librarian to take effect May 1, 1883. J. F. Taylor, was his successor. M. W. Stringfield was appointed librarian on August 6, 1884. Mr. Stringfield brought to his duties the qualification of experience and special training. He had served an apprenticeship in library technology under John Vance Cheney, the poet. He had also served in the branch libraries of San Francisco, under Horace Davis. Patrons of the library during Mr. Stringfield's term have many pleasant recollections of the old library and his accommodating service. Mr. Stringfield quit the library April 30, 1898, for more healthful occupation. Capt. W. G. Bonner succeeded Mr. Stringfield. Captain Bonner is well known in Eureka as a gentleman of high culture, an ardent lover of art, music and literature. During the period of his service several marked changes took place. The library was moved from the Gibbard building into its present location. The Brown charging system was introduced, the same being in use in this library at the present time. The card catalogue system, used now in libraries throughout the country, was started by Miss Bertha Kumli of the California State library. Captain Bonner retired from the library in December, 1911, after nearly fourteen years of service, and the author of this sketch answered the call to the library service. Miss Grace Cochrane, now Mrs. Edgar Stern, became assistant librarian at the time of the removal to the new building. Her successors in office in the order mentioned are Miss Grace Brown (now Mrs. Fred Tibbits), Miss Anna B. Woodcock, Miss Addie Coffin and Miss Edna Dinsmore. Alexander Rankin was appointed janitor of the new library, and after his retirement he was succeeded by Andrew P. McLean. The active movement for the new Carnegie building started in 1901, when the Humboldt Chamber of Commerce through its secretary sent the following appeal to Andrew Carnegie, at that time in Scotland : Eureka, Calif., Aug. 16, 1901. Andrew Carnegie, LL. D. Dear Sir :--The Chamber of Commerce at Eureka, Humboldt county, California, would respectfully submit to your consideration the city of Eureka as a place that would be greatly benefited by becoming a sharer in your noble benefactions in the shape of a new library building. This city now expends $1,800 annually in supporting a free library in rented quarters, and this amount would be increased to $2,000 or $2,500 without becoming too heavy a burden. If you would generously donate $20,000 or $25,000 for a building there is no doubt that the proper percentage for its support would be readily guaranteed. Eureka is a permanent city of 7,500 inhabitants ; its growth has been sure and steady, the additions being mainly from Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine and Canada, with a sprinkling of Scandinavians, but with very few south of Europe people. It has never had a boom or a set-back and is surrounded by a region of so great natural resources that, combined with its location on the only land�locked harbor of any importance between San Francisco and the Columbia river, its permanence is established beyond any question. Within the last ten years the United States Government has expended two millions of dollars in improvement work on its harbor and entrance thereto, and this shows the importance attached to this port by the Government. Our leading industries are lumbering, dairying, stock-raising and general agriculture, and the statement of exports from this place enclosed herein will show the relative importance of each. There is no better soil anywhere. Crop failures are unknown and the climate is the most uniform of any place in the United States. Owing to the long stretch of rough territory between, Eureka has not been connected with the outside world by rail, but the California & Northern Railroad is being built from the north, while the California & Northwestern Railroad is being built towards Eureka from the south. Hence it can only be a few years until our city is connected by rail both with the north and the south, and when that is done the short haul to deep water from all northern California and southern Oregon will be to this port. We have asked our senator, Hon. George C. Perkins, to kindly add such endorsement to this appeal as he may judge right and to forward the same with this communication. Hoping for a favorable response, and confident that there are few places where your generosity would be more useful or more appreciated than in Eureka, we remain, Yours respectfully, HUMBOLDT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. By GEORGE W. KELLOGG, Secretary. The following reply to the foregoing letter was promptly received : Skibo Castle, Ardgay, N. B. Mr. George A. Kellogg, Esq. Eureka, California. Dear Sir :�Yours of August 16th received through Senator Perkins. If Eureka will provide a suitable site and pledge $2,000 a year for support of library, Mr. Carnegie will be glad to give $20,000 to erect a Free Public Library building. Respectfully yours, J. A. BERTRAM, Private Secretary. A subscription was started among the citizens of Eureka immediately after the receipt of this message. The subscriptions netted, when paid in, the sum of $8,125. Out of this fund the present site was bought for $5,700. The building was planned by Knowles Evans and B. C. Tarver, architects of this city. Ambrose N. Foster, also of this city, was awarded the contract for the erection of the building on a bid of $20,841.75, the work to begin August 1, 1902. The work was delayed of completion until the autumn of 1904. Supplementary agreements were added to the original contract, for red brick, for steps of Mad river granite, mosaic tiling and other items. The reading public is indebted to the late John H. Gyselaar for a very sub�stantial gift. Mr. Gyselaar died in 1908, leaving to the library a bequest that amounted to $529.85. The public owes a debt of gratitude to the many men and women who have given their time and attention unselfishly to the service of the library on the board of trustees. We cannot take account of the stormy evenings on which they have attended trustees meetings, nor of the routine of nearly forty years. It is altogether fitting to mention a few of the older ones of the older times. Among those not previously mentioned in this account are : D. P. Campbell, H. A. Clendenen, Emma C. Lyon, L. J. Marshall, Miss M. A. Duggan, Miss M. J. C. Thompson, Judge J. P. Haines, Charles Armstrong, Frank McGowan, Dr. E. W. Wells, Mary A. Carr, Daniel Halloran, Judge C. G. Stafford, Emma S. Young, J. M. Brand, David McAdam, C. C. Marshall, Charles Fiebig, Mrs. J. W. Connick, E. Sevier, G. H. Close, John S. Murray, W. H. Brumfield, J. G. Murray, Dr. S. B. Davis, R. W. Rideout, C. F. Roberts and W. H. Johnston. The trustees at the present time are: Mrs. E. E. Reedman, Mrs. Emma J. McKay, Mrs. Henry Irons, Mrs. Ira B. Thompson and Olcott Cummings. During the year 1914-15 a new heating system has been completed, the entire roof has been relaid, the wood-work painted, the walls papered in tasteful tints and new linoleum placed upon the reading room floors. The library now has about 8,300 volumes, besides about 3,000 volumes and many serviceable bulletins in the United States Government depository, this being one of the libraries designated by the Government for the purpose. The circulation now reaches over 4,000 prints per month. The income of the library for the present year, beginning July 1, 1914, amounts to $6,100. A free library has recently been established for Humboldt county, and the central office of the county free library is located in the Eureka Free Library building.