USA > Iowa > Johnson County > Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa, History > Part 48
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Lyceum Notice "All who are friendly to the formation of a Lyceum
in this town are requested to meet at the M. P. Church, on Monday evening next, at 6 o'clock. A full attendance is earnestly requested." Thereafter, it is said, the Protestant Methodist church became a kind of literary rallying point and the lyceum furnished the means for many intellectual combats. This is regarded as the first attempt at public amusement, com- bined with any form of instruction that was undertaken in Iowa City, and therefore in the county, and this is believed
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to be not more than two years after the building of the first cabin by Matthew Teneyk.
To furnish entertainment, or instruction through the lec- ture, was often a problem when it was difficult to find means of transportation beyond stage accommodations, and local talent was employed as a form of "self-help" in the emergency. Time often hung heavy upon the citizens of the forties and fifties. They never seemed to hurry very much, and we find impromptu assemblies which, for the interested ones, must have been exciting. Public officials, notably the judges and lawyers assembled for holding the local court, had fewer cases than now, and found opportunity to form mock con- gresses and committees just to "while away" the hours.
However, formal societies began to hear lectures in 1844, on such topics as "Character," the subject chosen by Hon. Thomas Rogers, at a meeting of the "Literary Institute" in the winter of the year mentioned. This was the first of a series of lectures, the Hon. Hugh D. Downey following Mr. Rogers. During Mr. Downey's address he defined the object of this society to be "the improvement in the art of public speaking." The third lecture was given by Rev. M. Hummer, who discussed "the importance and character of a thorough mental training."
The temporary state house that stood on Washington street just east of the Whetstone drug store, served for the occasional minstrel show and public gatherings, including the different church services until the new capitol, now the old, was completed and then it became the center of large assemblies when permission could be obtained from the authorities for its use. Sometimes the Old North Presbyterian church, which met with so many mishaps as mentioned in the chapters dealing with churches, was the scene of concerts. The old court house that was found a scrap heap one morning after election, was a semi-theatre on occasions, and in it a strolling troupe gave "Handy Andy" and "Box and Cox," probably "the first histrionic efforts in the city by professionals."
"The first attempt at a real hall was when Franklin Kim- ball and his firm built 'Franklin Market,' and following the fashion of Faneuil Hall, Boston, put over it a hall, which of course took the name, Market Hall." This was early in the
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fifties and it was the third floor up. Here it is said "Sallie St. Clair gave the city it first real lesson from the stage." Here the audience sat on the hard benches and laughed or wept as she rendered "Peg Woffington," or "The Stranger."
Contemporary with Market Hall and the Metropolitan was the Athenaeun on the corner of Market and Clinton, built for a public library and lecture room, later turned into a German stage when John Xanter and Jacob Hotz played amateurly to roaring crowds; then in turn it became the seat of the district court after the burning of the court house; a saloon occupied it after this until someone purchased the ground and sold the building, when it was moved down to the corner of Dubuque and Burlington streets, when it was used as a meeting place of the Episcopal church congregation; after these people were through with it the Universalists used it, and later the parish of Saint Patrick took possession. Its final use, one may say, was as a lumber shed and shop.
Metropolitan Hall came next in order, but of a different class, both in an artistic and practical sense. This led to the abandoning of Market Hall and in the new house of entertain- ment and instruction many noted people appeared. There were Mrs. Bishop, the singer, on her way across the Pacific to Australia; Horace Greeley, Fred Douglass, Anna Dickinson, Wendell Phillips, George Francis Train, and others spoke there to great crowds. Then like others of its kind one morn- ing this popular place went up in smoke. Ham's Hall took its place and to it were added some improvements that come from experience and it was upon the second floor. Here John Dillon played his comic acts. Tilton and Beecher followed each other. Swing and Bret Harte, Mrs. Livermore, and the Hon. Horace Mann, came about this time.
All these changes took place from 1841 to 1868 when Ham's Hall was pronounced a place of safety and comfort. But this preliminary is only introductory to the final act in the develop- ment of an amusement center which finds its culmination in the grand opera house built in 1876 and 1877, by the business ability of E. Clarke and Thomas Hill, with the assistance of John N. Coldren. On the place of its erection, the old Clinton House stood, which was burned in 1872, while it was sheltering the concert troupe of Ole Bull. Time may have changed the
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internal features of this place of entertainment but in its main features the description given at the time of its dedica- tion is correct. The opening of this house occurred in Novem- ber, 1877, with the Bartley Campbell company playing the titles "How Women Love" and "Van the Virginian." One who was present at the time wrote: "Fifty years ago if any town in England was the lucky holder of such a theater the Poet Laureate was called upon to write a prologue and epilogue for its opening nights and the event was made a civic holiday. Let us by our presence testify an appreciation as hearty if not as delicate." Evidently the entire community, young and old, helped to swell the crowd on this opening night since all available space was filled and "the opening" was all that could be expected, if one may judge from the statement that "Never before in the memory of the amusement seeker was there such an assemblage of people brought together in Iowa City as at- tended the opening on Tuesday night." #24
However, to return to literary organizations of 1860, in which year a body of non-legislative numbers composed the Iowa City congress. This had for its purpose, as the name suggests, the discussion of public questions, and therefore, for this purpose it arranged for lectures by public men generally, but one feature was somewhat uncommon, so much so as to be a unique feature in this organization. The second series of "free home lectures" was announced in December, 1860, which would run through the entire winter, since there were seventeen numbers, drawn not only from professional men, but from business men as well. The list of lecturers is worthy of preservation. The first of the course for this season was given by Rev. W. W. Allen, and the second by Hon. Peter A. Dey, who probably outlived all who had a part in that winter's program. There were on the list the names of Parvin, Inger- soll, Lionhardt, Spencer, Wells, Cochran, Brainerd, Bloom, Van Hosen, Boal, McLean, Boucher, Byington, Van Nest, and Guffin. The Hon. Peter A. Dey spoke on "The Secession Movement," then just reaching the climax of its activities. It was an oppor- tune time to commence a free discussion of this topic since less than six months were to pass before the same congress of de- baters would stop its session to assist the marching soldiers to reach camp on time.125
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This organization was said to be an exact reproduction of the national Congress. They held their sessions in what was known as the Mendenhall block on the corner of College and Dubuque streets. Sections of the Union were represented, where the ideas of that particular section were expressed. It appears, this style of organization was carried into the country districts, Newport, Graham and other townships having sim- ilar bodies.
Out of the lyceums, congresses and home-talent lecture courses, and probably contemporary with them, came the library movement. The growth of this has been summed up by several authorities in the preparation of data at the time of the dedication of the present Carnegie library of Iowa City.
November 12, 1856, is given as the date of the first library movement of a public nature in the county and this seems to have matured in the organization of the "Citizens Library Association of Iowa City." It had for its aim the "extend- ing of the means by which we may promote the best interests of the community in the social and intellectual phases," and the management was placed in the hands of twelve trustees. There were in the beginning two classes of members, active and honorary. The membership fee was fixed at one dollar and annual dues at two dollars, and a committee on ways and means had charge of the financial affairs of the organization. Library rooms were "four doors north of the post office" and the hours were at convenient periods during the day and evening. The first board of trustees included names of men who have occupied important places in county, state, and national affairs. Chas. W. Hobart was the president, and John Pattee, vice-president. Mr. Pattee was from Bremer county and auditor of state when here. Frank W. Ballard was corresponding secretary, D. Franklin Wells, who was once state superintendent of public instruction and died in that office, was recording secretary. John C. Culbertson, at one time a member of the state assembly, was treasurer, Geo. W. McCleary, the second county judge under that form of county goverenment, Hugh D. Downey, a member of that financial group of Cook, Sargent and Downey and for whom the village of Downey in Cedar county is named, James H. Gower, for many years a business man of the city, a member of the firm
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of Gower and Bowersox, J. Warren Clark, R. H. Sylvester, John Clark, and John Teesdale, editors and men of literary tastes, were the other members of the board of trustees.
Under such care the movement ought to succeed and they made provisions to combine the library affairs with a popular lecture course. During that first winter of 1856-7 the course included the names of Wendell Phillips, Horace Greeley, Jesse Clement, Wm. J. Patterson, Mrs. E. W. Fernham, Henry Giles, John G. Saxe, and S. M. Hulett. There were others who were expected but they failed to meet their engagements. This venture was not a financial success but one must feel sure that the group of speakers brought a message worth the price since it was not cheap entertainment. September 1, 1857, the re- port of the president of the board of trustees was published, which contained some items of interest from the side of peri- odicals, but no mention of other equipment. Daily papers and periodicals were the only literary supplies mentioned and the president makes the statement that "no better collection will be found west of Chicago." The membership at this time was reported as 142 active and 33 as prospective members. Its history seems to have ended here abruptly with a small sum in the treasury and the experience, in addition to the news- papers.
H. J. Wieneke, now in business on Washington street, as long ago as fifty-two years, or in 1859, determined to establish a circulating library in connection with his grocery store, lo- cated then on Jefferson street, on the site of the present medi- cal building from which place he reluctantly moved under the "power of state." Here he began to loan books at five cents per volume per day, which seems to have been a popular venture for his collection soon reached a thousand volumes in number. Such use, however, did not prove profitable to him and when he was sent to the northwest with his regiment to fight the Indians he carried along many of these books to sup- ply entertainment for the command at Fort Randall.
No further history is recorded until the Y. M. C. A. was organized in 1863 and 1864 when the association provided a lecture course and opened reading rooms. The local press of the day was used very largely to urge the public to sup- port of this library movement. It is given on the best of
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IOWA CITY LIBRARY
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THE NET VORK PUBLICLIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX TILD: N FOUNDATIONS
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authority that "in the summer of 1867 there were several hundred volumes on the shelves of the association which was then located as an organization on the site of the reception room of the Saint James Hotel. The lecture course controlled by the Y. M. C. A. during the winter of 1867 and 1868 as re- ported by the press of the time fared very badly from a financial standpoint, the loss being more than two hundred dollars. Among the speakers of the course were B. F. Taylor, Milburn, Vincent, Whipple, Sumner, Holland, "Nasby," Gough, and Anna Dickinson. The great naturalist, Agassiz had lectured here in 1866 on the "Coral Reefs of Iowa City." The report on this course stated that the library contained five hundred volumes. At this time an appeal was made for public support to carry on the work.426 However, in the autumn of 1870 the association concluded to discontinue the library and agreed to surrender the books to any organization that would continue the work, and then such a movement was begun, which resulted in a temporary organization, lasting for three or four years, when the possessions were disposed of at public sale and the library had again ceased to be for a long period, since, like the proposed colleges and railroads, a pre- liminary effort was followed by a reaction that required time to overcome until the value of such institution became better understood.
Twenty years, approximately, from the time the library was "sold at auction" the agitation began, which resulted in the present fine building of Iowa City Free Public Library and on August 28, 1896, a meeting of pastors and representatives of the young peoples' societies of the city was called to consider the establishment of rooms for reading and games. One writer says that "the unwritten history of the Iowa City Library Association is that the nucleus of one of the farthest reaching influences of the city originated in a prayer meeting where only two or three were gathered together." The written his- tory begins as above in the meeting held in the Christian Church, which meeting resulted in another held at the City Hall on September 3, 1896, at which a formal constitution was submitted for the organization of the reading rooms and game rooms as proposed in the preliminary meeting, but action on this was deferred and a motion made declaring for
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a library was passed. An executive committee was appointed to call a still larger meeting at Smith's Armory on September 21, 1896. This was enthusiastically attended and the address- es seemed favorable to the movement, which resulted finally in the appointment of the "council of thirty members" for the purpose of soliciting funds and to promote the object stated. Three thousand dollars, approximately, was the result of the canvass, and on September 28, 1896, a formal constitution was adopted. The first board of trustees was chosen on October 12, 1896, composed of the following persons: Judge M. J. Wade, Mrs. Bertha G. Ridgway, George Hummer, B. Shimek, S. K. Stevenson, W. P. Coast, Geo. W. Ball, Alta Luscombe, and Max Mayer.
The first order for books was made on January 2, 1897, and on January 20 of the same year "The Iowa City Public Libra- ry was formally opened, Hon. Geo. W. Ball presiding in the un- avoidable absence of Judge Wade, president of the Library Association." In less than one month from the day the doors were opened to the public 836 persons had applied for cards entitling them to the privileges of the library; 2,226 cards had been issued and 440 visitors had been present at the library rooms. To meet all these demands there were but 1300 vol- umes of books and the question of growth confronted the board of trustees, who sought a way to solve the problem of the future. To assist in this, the question of public support as provided in the laws of Iowa, was submitted to the voters at the municipal election in March, 1897, when 1,487 votes were cast on the question, 1187 for and 300 against the proposition. Fifteen days later Mayor C. M. Reno, "by and with the ap- proval of the city council," appointed the members of the "Board of Directors of the Iowa City Library Association" as the trustees of the "Iowa City Public Library." Hence there was no change in the official body, but a new status of sup- port, no more a private, but now a public and a permanent body. The officers chosen by these trustees were M. J. Wade, president; Bertha G. Ridgway, vice president; S. K. Steven- son, secretary, and George Hummer, treasurer. These were chosen on March 17, 1897. On July 26, 1897, the trustees passed a resolution asking the city council for the first appro- priation for the library support by taxation in the sum of
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$2,316. As demands increased for more room and equipment, the movement for the present Carnegie building was initiated by the president of the board of trustees and after due solici- tation and investigation, under the usual conditions of Mr. Carnegie's gifts for libraries, it was accepted by the city coun- cil with promise of one thousand dollars more for support than his requirements demanded. Steps were at once taken for the securing of a suitable site and choice fell upon the corner of College and Linn streets, which is the present site and to secure which required $8,500. When the plans were submit- ted by the architect it was found that the amount available for the structure would not quite cover the cost as it was estimated. An appeal to the city council for ten thousand dollars more failed to secure the needed amount, whereupon a second appeal was made by Judge Wade to the wealthy and generous Carnegie, March 11, 1903, by a letter to Senator W. B. Allison, "setting forth the situation and soliciting his assistance" in the matter. The senator was induced to un- dertake the request to Mr. Carnegie the second time. The result was an additional amount of ten thousand dollars, and since the council had already made the required pledge in addition as required by Mr. Carnegie, the entire amount of $35,000 was at once available. On June 18, 1903, bids were opened and the contract awarded for the construction of the building. The building committee consisted of W. P. Coast, George Hummer, and Geo. W. Ball, and this committee com- pleted the structure and "turned it over to the city free from debt."
Many organizations and individuals assisted in raising funds for the additional books and supplies. Specifically mentioned are St. Mary's Lyceum which presented the play, "Honor Before Wealth;" a course of lectures given by Pro- fessors Macbride, Wilcox, Shimek, Dr. Gilchrist and Judge Wade; one hundred and fifty volumes of books belonging to the Safarik Lodge No. 75, C. S. P. S., of Iowa City were placed in circulation in the public library and so remained until the dedication of the new hall of this society ; a gift from Dr. J. L. Pickard added one hundred and twenty volumes; and many private gifts came in the same way. Nearly three hundred volumes in gifts came during the first two years of the libra-
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ry's history, besides fifteen hundred magazines. From the last report of the librarian, Miss Helen McRaith, the number of volumes now in the library is given as 11,163, and of that number 863 were added during the year 1910. During the year also the rooms were open 307 days, 37,941 books were circulated, nearly 10,000 of these circulations being from the children's department, and about 2,000 in the schools. From the figures given the largest increase is found in the children's department and in the useful arts. The largest monthly cir- culation was in the month of December, when more than 3,600 books were withdrawn. Persons who are transient in the city may draw books by making deposits, which are refunded on the return of the books. Nearly 800 new readers applied for cards during the year. The actual number of borrowers' cards in force at the end of December was approximately 4,500, and of this number 300 were from country districts.
One of the interesting items in this report says: "In May 414 children from the city schools visited the children's room, accompanied by their teachers. They were instructed in the use of the catalogue, arrangement of the books on the shelves, and all those not library borrowers were given application cards to take home and have signed by their parents." It appears that sub-stations are located at the North and the South schools. The gifts during the year were many, but four are specifically mentioned: Twenty-seven volumes of various classics by Mrs. Witter, of Muscatine; a complete set of Cath- olic Encyclopaedia by Mr. George Hummer; a bronze bust of Shakespeare by the club of that name, and a colored print of Titian's Madonna, both of the latter gifts for the club room.121
The report of the librarian for 1872, when placed beside the one for the current year, makes some interesting facts plain. Then there were 751 volumes in the circulating library, fifty volumes of history, fifty-five of practical works, sixty of biographical, thirty-five of travel, seventy-five of essays, and the remainder miscellaneous. Eight papers and three maga- zines, namely, the Old and the New Galaxy and Harpers were taken; 221 names were on the register, and of these 163 drew books during the year. The total number of books drawn during the year was 1853, not more than one hundred being out at one time. The average attendance at the library per day was twenty, which was an average of four persons each
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hour during the five hours the library was open. It was stated in this report that many of the better class of books were read but a far greater number of novels. Of these latter all were of the first class - Scott, Hawthorne, Muhlbach, Holmes, and T. S. Arthur. The demand from all quarters was for "new books."
Special mention must be made in giving the history of the Public Library of Iowa City of the Welch gift of the Pat- terson Memorial Library, presented in 1906, in memory, as the book plate states, of
Lemuel Bausman Patterson Memorial
Iowa City Public Library
Presented by his daughter Lillie Patterson Welch and her husband Willard Joseph Welch A. D. 1906
In this collection there are 766 volumes of choice literature in choice binding and to it have been recently added the two volumes on the "Life and Letters of Lemuel Bausman Pat- terson," by Mr. W. J. Welch. In volume one of this work one may find a facsimile of a receipt from the Library Asso- ciation of 1857. It reads :
"Citizen's Library Association
"$300 Iowa City .185. .
"Received of Dollars, 100 in full for Membership Dues to 'Citizens' Library Association' from January 1st, 1857, to Dec. 31st, 1857, 12 months.
Initiation fee $1.00. John C. Culbertson, Treasurer. "Yearly Dues $2.00"
The collection of rare old views of local interest in the first volume is of great value and the work put upon this memorial publication is certainly out of the ordinary. One puts the memorial volumes aside feeling that he has some information about the life of the man who made the choice collection that stands in the wing of the public library. At the death of Mr. Patterson a sum was left for maintainance of this library and at the death of Mrs. Welch an addition was made to the fund, the income from which is to be used exclusively for this purpose.
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CHAPTER XXXVI
Societies and Clubs for Special Study
I T WAS in January, 1857, while the third constitutional con- vention was engaged in revising the constitution of the state in the Old Stone Capitol at Iowa City that the sixth Gen- eral Assembly, which was then in session in the same historic building, voted a permanent annual appropriation of $250 "for the benefit of a State Historical Society," which was organized on February 7, 1857.
According to its original constitution The State Historical Society of Iowa consisted of members who were admitted upon election by the society or by the board of curators and the payment of an "admittance fee" of three dollars. The members of the society held regular annual meetings at which officers were elected and new members admitted. Up- on the board of curators was conferred full power to manage the affairs of the society.
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