USA > Indiana > LaPorte County > A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana > Part 57
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HISTORY OF LAPORTE COUNTY.
sociation, except two years when Dr. T. Hig- day was president, and three months when Gen- eral Orr was president, and two other years when the Young Men's Association had control. In January, 1868, a fire in the third story of the postoffice building, occupied by Ex- celsior Lodge of Masons, damaged the property of the association to the amount of $500. In this year the natural history collection, referred to in Chapter II, was begun by Dr. Higday, who also began the German section of the library. On August 4, 1868, the association adopted an amended constitution which on March 25, 1869, was recorded at the court house in Miscellaneous Records No. 1, page 250. In 1870 the associa- tion moved into the third story of the postoffice building. When Dr. S. B. Collins completed his marble front building on Michigan avenue, he generously offered to fit up the third story of the new building and donate to the library asso- ciation the free use of it for five years. The offer was accepted and in December, 1871, the association moved to that place. The thanks of the association were voted to Dr. Collins and he was made an honorary member. On January I, 1872, a committee was appointed to report upon the subject of the erection of a building for the association. On June 2, 1872, a committee was appointed to confer with the Presbyterian church regarding the purchase of the church building on the corner of Indiana avenue and Harrison street. August 3, 1873, Dr. Collins gave notice that the rooms occupied by the as- sociation were needed by him in his business, and he offered to pay the association a rent of one hundred dollars a year if possession was sur- rendered to him. February 21, 1874, General Orr offered to buy the church building mentioned above, and the half lot north of it owned by W. C. Hannah, and present them to the association, provided they could be bought for $4,000, upon certain conditions. As there has been some mis- understanding about this matter, those conditions are hereby given, as transcribed from the deed which General Orr subsequently made :-
That said building now situate upon the south half of said lot thirty six (36), be preserved substantially in its present condition, and appropriately used in promoting the objects of said association and organiza- tion, and that said association add thereto, as soon as
the same can reasonably be done, a substantial and well fitted up brick addition for a library and specimen room proper, and of such style and dimentions as the present board of said association shall direct, which addition, together with the main building, shall be kept and used by said association exclusively for the good of the association; not however for a fashionable eating, drinking or gambling room, but for the purposes of promoting temperance, good morals and general in- telligence among our people; and also upon the further conditions that the sum of six thousand dollars or more be raised by our citizens at large, and paid to the said association to aid in making the proposed im- provements and fitting up its grounds, increasing its library and specimens, and extending general useful- ness, but for no other purpose; and further, that whole property of the association, real, personal, moneys and effects as well as its government, shall be cared for and managed by a board of managers elected from and by the "life members" of the association who shall have paid one hundred dollars or more thereto, and such other persons as shall have paid ten dollars or more, and that each and every member thus designated shall be entitled to one vote for every ten dollars paid, in which vote notes may be given by proxy or in per- son. But in all other matters the by-laws, rules and regulations must be applied alike to all, provided al- ways that no person shall be entitled to a vote or hold and office in the association, who is not a stock-holder to the value of ten dollars or more, or who refuses or neglects to keep up such assessments as the board of managers may find necessary to run the institution.
And also upon the further condition that any per- son subscribing to the constitution of said association, and paying into the treasury the sum of one hundred dollars or more, shall be a life member and be en- titled to a certificate of stock in perpetuity and assign- able on the books thereof to anyone else, subject to an annual assessment of not exceeding one dollar, and in all other things subject to the by-laws, rules and regulations of the association. And also, further, that any person subscribing to the constitution of said asso- ciation, and paying into the treasury any sum from ten to one hundred dollars, shall be a special member thereof and be entitled to a certificate to the amount paid in though not perpetual nor assignable but good for one share, as long as the subscriber wishes to use it and keep up the annual assessment, which shall not exceed one dollar; and the owner may at any time in- crease the amount paid in to one hundred dollars and receive a life membership in due force .- Records of Deeds, LaPorte County, Book 33, pages 523-4.
General Orr bought the church property for $3,500, and the lot of Mr. Hannah for $600, and
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the deeds are on record. The extra $100 was afterwards paid back to him by the association. The committee chosen by the association to solicit the required $6,000 soon reported that they had raised $6,179, and the board of managers voted to accept General Orr's offer; he conveyed the property to the association and the deed was properly recorded. A vote of thanks was ordered to the General and Mrs. Orr. By June 16, 1874, $3,000 of the first installment of the subscriptions had been paid, which was invested by the as- sociation in three Plymouth bonds of one thou- sand dollars each, at ten per cent. A committee consisting of General Orr, L. Crane, and S. D. Fraser was chosen to take charge of the library and put it in repair. General Orr, then president of the association, was directed to reconstruct the basement of the church building at a cost of $196. A picture was made of the prospective library which appears on page 12 of the Historical Atlas of LaPorte county published in 1874. Great ex- pectations were raised, but on August 3, 1874, the committee on building reported that they had accomplished nothing on account of a dif- ference of opinion as to how the building should be repaired or altered. General Orr, however, re- ported progress in repairing the library building, but at the same time tendered his resignation as a member of the board, and as director and presi- dient of the association, which was accepted, and his communication placed on file. September 9, 1874, a committee of three was appointed to as- certain from the subscribers to the $6,000 fund how much of their subscriptions could be re- tained to be used in purchasing the Orr property, or in other words to buy General Orr out. Either from failure in this, or because that gentleman re- fused to sell out, that project fell through. At any rate the following preamble and resolution appears on the record of an adjourned meeting held November 9, 1874.
Whereas, heretofore, to-wit on the 15th day of June, 1874, Joseph Orr executed and delivered to the LaPorte Library and Natural History Association a deed conveying to said association the perpetual use of certain real estate therein described, which conveyance however was made subject to sundry conditions men- tioned and fully set forth in said deed which is now on record on page 523 and 4 of Book 33 of the Records of Deeds of Laporte County Indiana, and
Whereas, it has now become evident that this asso- ciation cannot carry out and comply with all of said conditions, and that according to the terms of said conveyance said property is liable at any time to revert to said donor by reason of such failure, and
Whereas, said property is now free from all en- cumbrance, therefore
Resolved, that in order to avoid misunderstanding and liability to loss, the president of this association be and he is hereby instructed and fully authorized and em- powered, to reconvey the said property to the said Joseph Orr, and to execute and deliver to him a quit claim deed therefor.
This preamble and resolution were adopted, and so ended for the present the dream of the association owning its home. August 7, 1875, Mr. H. L. Weaver made the board an offer that if they could make arrangements with Osborne & Calkins to release twenty-five feet of ground he had sold them, he would add five feet to it and donate 50,000 brick, and Hall & Weaver would contribute $200, and Mr. Weaver would pledge to use his utmost exertions in canvassing for funds to erect a building on the northeast corner of Indiana and Jefferson avenues, the only con- dition being that the front on Indiana avenue be as good as on Jefferson, and have an entrance be- low and stairway to second story, the front on Indiana avenue to be as good as the business room then occupied by Polaski King. Messrs. Osborne & Calkins gave the required release, and the association, for $1,390, received a deed of the lot from Mr. Weaver, containing the con- dition that a two-story building be erected, with a store room below and a library above. This would have been a good investment for the asso- ciation, as the rent of the store room and base- ment would have brought them an income. The board, however, decided not to begin building until it could be done without incurring a debt. A canvass failing to secure funds sufficient for this, the board desired to proceed and erect a one- story building such as their funds would warrant ; but failing to obtain from Mr. Weaver an uncon- ditional deed, or the desired modification of the condition specified, the lot was reconveyed to him at cost, and again the association was disap- pointed as to obtaining a home. On February 23, 1876, a new association called the City and County of LaPorte Library Association, pro- posed to unite with the old association and take
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the Orr church property, but the plan was not consummated. On May 1, 1876, the board bought, of the heirs of Nelson T. Place, the lot on Maple avenue where the city library now stands. On June 12, 1876, a contract was made with Folant and Evory to erect a building for the as- sociation, 25x70 feet, one-story high, with six- teen foot ceiling ; and the building was completed that season.
On April 18, 1877, the Young Men's Associa- tion was formed, in George Dorland's office, LaPorte. The meeting was quite largely at- tended. C. H. Truesdell was elected president, S. I. Kessler, vice-president, William M. Coch- rane, secretary, and W. A. Martin, treasurer. The object was to arrange for a series of first- class lectures during the following season, and to promote other literary uses. This object was accomplished; for the Young Men's Association did bring to LaPorte several first-class lectur- ers, among whom were Wendell Phillips, and the Hon. William Parsons, the brilliant Irish lec- turer from Dublin. On May 1, 1877, less than a month after the Young Men's association was formed, the Library association received a propo- sition from them to transfer the management of the older institution to the young men. The li- brary building had cost $2,752.92, and the asso- ciation was in debt about $1,200. A lease of the Library association for ten years was proposed but not effected. On December 10, 1877, by mu- tual agreement between the two associations, all the officers and board of managers of the Library association resigned, and eleven members of the Young Men's association were elected to take their places. The Library association then num- bered eighty-five members. On January 2, 1878, the new board leased the library property to the Young Men's association for a term of ninety- nine years, for the nominal rent of one dollar, the new association assuming the debt, then about $1,500, and promising to do all in their power to liquidate it.
For a period of about two years, or until December 29, 1879, there is no record; but in that interim there is some unwritten history which here may only be touched upon. There was a judgment against the Library association in favor of Mrs. Nancy A. Treat, and at one time the property came very near being sold ; and if it
had been it would probably have come into the possession of the Young Men's association. But a good friend of the Library association discov- ered this just in time to save the property. On December 27, 1879, eight individuals loaned $III.25 each, and four individuals loaned $55.62 each, without interest for five years, making a total of $1112.48, and the demand against the Library association was satisfied. On December 29, 1879, the president of the association was em- powered to give a note to each of the loaners, and execute a mortgage on the property of the association to them. This was done on the fol- lowing day, December 30, 1879, and all of these notes were paid July 3, 1882. At the same meeting in which the notes and mortgage were voted, the above mentioned lease was canceled by the parties to it. A year later in December, 1880, the library was placed in charge of Prof. John B. Holmes, he to receive all the membership fees and pay all expenses. He retained possession under this arrangement until his death, which occurred December 25, 1888; then a similar ar- rangement was made with Mrs. Holmes, and afterwards with other parties, until the library passed into the possession of the city.
Several times the Library association re- ceived financial aid which was much needed and highly appreciated. On October 7, 1872, Aurora Case, mentioned elsewhere, passed away, having willed to the association the Reynolds farm of 270 acres, near Otis. The bequest was subject to a life estate in his son, Decatur E. Case, who died without issue in the spring of 1882. In the sum- mer of that year the farm was sold to S. C. Hackett for $5,500, with which the debts of the association, amounting to about $1,200, įwere paid, and $4,300 was set aside as a permanent fund of which only the interest should be used. This fund, however, was invested in making addi- tions to the library building just before the prop- erty was turned over to the city.
On March 4. 1894, the association received seventy per cent. of a bequest of $1,000 from the estate of Mrs. Nancy A. Treat. The residue was paid August 9, 1895. This fund was expended in repairs to the building, making new bookcases, and purchasing books. Mrs. Treat also devised to the association the dwelling house on the cor- ner of Michigan and Maple avenues, adjoining
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the property of the association, subject to a life estate in Mrs. Angie Gould, a property valued at $4,000.
On June 3, 1896, the association voted to turn the library property over to the city, after the building had been remodeled and enlarged with the available funds of the association, and the proposition was accepted by the board of school trustees and the city council. The proposed changes were made, and the improvements com- pleted, at a cost of about $5,500. The result was an attractive and commodious building. At the time when the property was transferred to the city it was valued at $20,000, and it has enhanced in value since then. The formal transfer was made in a crowded public meeting in the west library hall, on the evening of April 25, 1897. The order of exercises was, Invocation, Rev. H. M. Middleton ; song, Miss Kate Vail; "History of the Library," William Niles, Esq. ; trio, "Voice of the Western Wind," Misses Wier, Miller and Crawley; library echoes or five minute talks, Revs. R. H. Hartley, E. D. Daniels, and C. H. Wheeler, Judge William B. Biddle, Miss Mary E. Ahren, Editors Edward Molloy and Dudley Wadsworth ; song, W. W. Byers; Six Cups of Chocolate, O. N. T. Club; music, "Life's Lul- laby," Miss Wier; presentation of the library, Dr. G. M. Dakin; acceptance of the library, Mayor F. R. Carson; song, "America ;" bene- diction by Rev. E. B. Widger.
Since then the library has been much used and is of incalculable good; its reading rooms are well lighted, commodious and convenient, its reference departments constantly improving, its catalogue up-to-date and well kept, its librarians polite and obliging, and it has become one of the institutions of LaPorte of which the city would not be deprived.
The statistical report of the LaPorte public library for the year ending December 31, 1903, is as follows :
BOOK ACCOUNT.
No. Vols. accessioned beginning of year. .8,725
No. Vols. added by purchase.
539
.
No. Vols. added by gift 1,193
No. Vols. added by binding.
105
No. Vols. added for year.
1,837
No. Vols. accessioned to date 10,562
WITHDRAWN.
No. Vols. lost and paid for. 2
No. Vols. worn out
102
Total Vols for the year 104
Total from beginning . . 317
Total Vols. now in library
. 10,245
BINDING.
Vols. periodicals bound.
. . 105
Vols. books rebound
.281
CIRCULATION.
Vols. circulated, German.
864
Vols. circulated, juvenile.
9,174
Vols. circulated, adults
14,626
Total Vols. circulated.
24,664
Increase over last year.
·3,007
No. days library was open.
307
Average daily circulation.
80 1-3
Highest daily circulation.
177
Lowst daily circulation.
29
Attendance for the year.
.45,210
Average daily attendance.
147
REGISTRATION OF BORROWERS.
No. cards issued for the two years.
1,452
No. cards issued for 1902.
673
No. cards issued for 1903.
779
No. cards renewed
.231
No. memberships taken by non-residents.
.. 25
(16 for I mo., 7 for 3 mos., 2 for 6 mos.)
We have dwelt longer on this subject than we otherwise would, because from several influential persons there has been a demand for it ; they have felt that the history of the Library association has never been fully told, nor do we claim to have told it with absolute fulness here. We close with a copious quotation from the historical sketch delivered by Mr. William Niles at the time when the library was transferred to the city.
The library was always a favorite with the people of LaPorte until the disturbance and hard feelings occasioned by the offer of General Orr, and its outcome resulted in neglect and indiffer- ence. Since then the association has been in a semi-comatose condition, although the greater part of its property has been acquired during that time through the subscriptions to the build- ing fund and the wills of Mr. Case and Mrs.
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HISTORY OF LAPORTE COUNTY.
Treat. Before the Orr invasion the association without any invested fund had a considerable in- come derived from membership fees, lectures and festivals, and entertainments of one sort and an- other given for its benefit. Its books and maga- zines were largely read and its lectures well at- tended. For nearly twenty-five years no lecture courses have been given, but before that time many famous lecturers appeared before the as- sociation audiences, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Lloyd Garrison, Charles Sumner, George Sumner, Wendell Phillips, Bay- ard Taylor, Benjamin F. Taylor, Horace Greeley (who was also here in 1853 making the trip from LaFayette to Otis on a handcar because of an accident on the New Albany road), Petroleum V. Nasby (his first lecture), W H. Milburn (the blind preacher, chaplain of the U. S. senate), J. G. Holland, John G. Saxe, George Thompson, M. P. (English Abollitionist ), John B. Gough, James B. Belford ("the red-headed rooster of the Rockies"), Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Grace Greeenwood, Anna E. Dickinson, Mrs. Menden- hall, Clara Barton (her first lecture), Olive Logan, and Mrs. Scott Siddons.
This sketch has no severe, logical or artistic limitations, so it may be added that other famous people have been in LaPorte. In 1837 Daniel Webster was traveling through the country in his carriage, at a time when his son Fletcher Webster was living at Peru, Illinois, and de- livered a Fourth of July discourse, speaking from a drygoods box at the east side of the court house, and addressing his remarks chiefly to the children who were out in force. He was present also at the breaking ground in this county for the Buffalo and Mississippi Railroad, and bought a half inter- est in a lot at Michigan City.
In the spring or summer of 1844 Henry Ward Beecher conducted meetings here for two or three weeks, speaking every evening and three times on Sunday. The meetings were held in the brick Methodist church building on the north- west corner of Jefferson and Monroe streets, then the only church edifice in the place; although several church buildings were under construc- tion. One of the meetings was interrupted by an alarm of fire, occasioned by the burning of a kiln of lumber which James Whittem was seasoning for the Episcopal church building, the one which is soon to be replaced by a stone structure. Mr. Beecher, with his long hair spread over his face to protect it from the heat, worked enthusias- tically at saving lumber, and burned his hands so that during the remainder of his stay here he
preached with sore hands. In the summer of 1879 General Neal Dow attended a temperance camp meeting held on the north side of Clear lake. The list of men eminent in political life who have addressed audiences in LaPorte is a long one, including two presidents and four vice presidents.
L. H. L. A.
The "Home Library" is the property of the I adies' "Calliope" society of Westville, by whom it was founded, and is now maintained. "Cal- liope" was organized February 6, 1875, by Miss Janie Garland Stewart-later Mrs. Janie Stew- art Boyesen,-with eleven charter members, and began as a literary organization for the purpose of social and intellectual improvement. Early in its career the necessity of reference books was so urgent that a series of entertainments was given for this purpose, and thus the first books were purchased. More were added from time to time, and later the project of establishing a well selected library in the town became its primary consid- eration ; until finally "The Library" demonstrated itself as the cementing central interest of the so- ciety. It soon became apparent that the theory of the organization was a good one ; and the library, notwithstanding its broad patronage, is probably the smallest public library in the world. In 1882, fearing its dissolution, and desiring to perpetuate "The Library," three members, Mrs. Mary L. Fravel, Mary Crumpacker and Janie S. Boyesen, took each a life membership. In 1885 "Calliope" had four hundred volumes ; catalogues were pub- lished; tickets issued to the public; and in the capacity of "literary organization," enjoyed or experienced a variable success. In 1889 the con- stitution was revised ; trustees for three-year terms elected; life memberships only issued; and re- organized under a new name-"The Ladies Home Library Association" of Westville, was es- tablished upon a strictly business basis. For fif- teen years the Library labored under the disad- vantage of depending upon the private homes of its members for bookcase space, as, also for meet- ing purposes. Through the courtesy of the I. O. O. F., the reception room in their building be- came the home of the organization for eight years. The present library building was formerly the office of Dr. Theophilus Fravel, one of the
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HISTORY OF LAPORTE COUNTY.
oldest residents of Westville, after whose death in 1900, the little building, being no longer re- quired as village practitioner's office, was pre- sented to the Library Association, Mrs. Boyesen, a step-daughter of Dr. Fravel, donating it for that purpose, as a monument to her parents' interest in the "Library."
For three years the Library has been located in quarters which comprise a reading-room, ref- erence library, periodical and fiction department, and is entirely dependent upon the sale of tickets, and the private personal pocket-books of the six- teeen women who are elected to life memberships in the association. Library headquarters are now the veritable "cosy corner" for the town, and its success as a distributing agency unques- tioned. The report of the librarian for past year gives number of volumes and classification as fol- lows : Fiction, 436; Juvenile, 217; Biography, 62; History, 38; Science, 34; Travels, 33; Poems and Art, 55; Miscellaneous, 106; Rerefence, 38; Paper covers, 70; making a total of 1089 vol- umes in the library, 895 volumes of which have been taken out during the year and read by ticket- holders. Thus, after twenty-eight years of re- verses, the "Ladies Home Library Association," nec "Calliope," but more familiarly known as L. H. L. A., has held to its central idea,-i. e., gained recognition as an influence for good, and presents an example of what can be accomplished by women in small towns, who will unite in work- ing for some tangible cause of general interest.
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