USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Our county and its people : A history of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Volume 2 > Part 14
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The City Library association, the history of which Dr. Rice has briefly traced in preceding paragraphs, was an institution of far more than minor importance. It was the union of interests which formerly had existed in two similar societies, and embodied the best elements of both. Its constitution and by-laws were original, and were readily adopted by a strong membership. The persons who subscribed their names to the original instrument were as follows: Ariel Parish, H. M. Dickinson, J. W. Jenkins, Wm. H. Smith, Lewis A. Tift, T. D. Bridgman, Charles M. Lee, Henry S. Lee, Oliver Marsh, Justus W. Grant, F. H. Fuller, Daniel J. Marsh, Henry A. Chapin, W. H. Ellis, Wm. H. Haile, Edwin L. Knight, Elisha Morgan, Francis Norton, George Wal- ker, Robert Crossett, Osmond Tiffany, Charles Marsh, J. S. Mc- Elwain, F. B. Bacon, Thomas Atchison, J. F. Moseley, C. S. Hurlbut, A. N. Merrick, Frederick Bill, Augustus E. Pease,
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Theodore A. Belknap, H. M. Morehouse, Wm. S. Shurtleff, E. B. Vinton, James M. Buzzell, James M. Arnold, Henry Tracy, W. G. Chamberlain, J. W. Preston, W. Emerson, George T. Bond, George W. Winchester, Albert Holt.
On the formal organization of the association these officers were chosen for the first year : President, Charles Marsh ; vice- president, Charles O. Chapin ; clerk and secretary, Lewis A. Tift ; treasurer, Wm. H. Smith. The subsequent presidents were Charles Marsh, 1858; Charles Merriam, 1859; John L. King, 1860-64. The vice-presidents after the first year were A. N. Merrick, 1858; Charles Marsh, 1859; George Merriam, 1860-63 ; Daniel L. Harris, 1864. The secretaries were Lewis A. Tift, 1858-59 ; Osmond Tiffany, 1860-61; William Rice, 1862-64. The treasurers were C. S. Hurlbut, 1858 ; Henry S. Lee, 1859 ; Julius H. Appleton, 1860-61; James D. Safford, 1862-64.
The City Library association of Springfield, the present or- ganization, was incorporated by an act of the legislature passed April 8, 1864, and was authorized to own and hold real estate not exceeding $150,000 in value (this amount was afterward in- creased). The corporators named in the act were John L. King, Chester W. Chapin, George Bliss, James M. Thompson, Ephraim W. Bond and Homer Foot. Under the provisions of the act the city was authorized to make appropriations for the benefit of the library so long as the association "allowed the inhabitants of the city free access to the library at reasonable hours."
But it was not this action that led to the establishment of the library in its present location. The need of more commodious quarters had long been felt and for several years the library had been recognized as one of the most valuable auxiliary educational institutions of the city. Committees of the old society had fre- quently urged the importance of more ample space for books and reading rooms, but under the conditions then existing a way out of the dilemma had not been suggested and made clear from any authentic source. Various expedients were recommended, yet none met the requirements of the occasion.
In this emergency it was reported that George Bliss (of hon- ored memory and worthy fame, a scion of the old substantial
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families of Springfield) had offered to give his home property for the purpose of a library site, and as the nucleus of a building fund was willing to contribute $10,000 in addition to the land. Then the necessary legislative authority was invoked, the bill was drawn, presented, and enacted into a law, and the city library association became a body corporate for the purposes indicated in its charter.
According to the regulations of the association, the officers thereof were to be a president, vice-president, clerk, treasurer, a board of directors of ten members (subsequently increased but still later reduced) and two auditors. On the formal organiza- tion these officers were chosen :
President, John L. King; vice-president, Daniel L. Harris; clerk, William Rice; treasurer, James D. Safford; directors, George Bliss, Chester W. Chapin, James M. Thompson, Charles Merriam, George Walker, Ephraim W. Bond, Josiah G. Holland, John B. Stebbins, P. B. Tyler and James Kirkham.
On May 30, at a meeting of the directors the offer of Mr. Bliss was made the subject of special consideration, and at the same time a committee was appointed to employ the services of a competent architect with a view to determine the kind and char- acter of building which would be best suited to the requirements of the association. This special committee comprised James M. Thompson, Ephraim W. Bond, Josiah G. Holland and William Rice. In the meantime the association had not been idle in regard to other matters relating to the construction of the pro- posed building, for soon after the passage of the act the presi- dent, Mr. King, consented to personally interest himself in the work of creating a building fund; and with such success were his endeavors rewarded that within a year a fund of $77,000 had been raised by subscription. On their part the members of the building committee secured the services of architect George Hathorne, of New York. The plans at length were prepared and approved, the work of construction was begun, and the Jibrary at the northeast corner of State and Chestnut streets was the result of the united efforts of the association and the generous people of Springfield who contributed to the building fund ; and
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when it was found that the structure could not be finished within the original estimate and a debt of about $25,000 was hanging over the institution, the people again liberally responded to the call and relieved the association of its burden.
In this brief chapter the library building itself needs no detailed description, for it is known to every person in the city, and generally throughout the county. In size the building is 100 by 65 feet, the material used in exterior construction being native granite and pressed brick, with richly cut Ohio freestone trim- mings. The entire structure is in the medieval style of archi- tecture. The work of construction was finished in the spring of 1871, and the library was opened to the public in the following fall, with 31,400 books on the shelves. In later years, when the art and science buildings were erected, the original library build- ing was given the name of the "Rice building," in honor of the late Dr. William Rice, who had labored long and faithfully, in season and out of season, for the success of this grand institution.
In speaking of the subsequent history of the library, a co- temporary writer has said: "Having comfortably located the city library in its splendid new home, the managers again appealed to the city for greater liberality in the direction of ap- propriations. The new building, with what it contained and the ground it occupied, represented a value of $185,000, all of which had been secured by the enterprise of the association. The asso- ciation received annually from the subscription fees of one dollar, which were still required for the drawing of books, and from other sources. The importance of additional endowment funds had, meantime, been urged upon the public in annual reports of the directors, and the desirability of making the library entirely free by increased appropriation was also presented from time to time to the city government. In this line special effort was made in 1884 to increase the endowment funds. A plan was adopted by which it was provided that all subscriptions of $5,000 and upwards might be separately invested, and the fund thus created be known by the name designated by the donor, and the annual interest on such fund be expended for the specific department indicated by the donor. This plan met with approval, and $30,000 was almost immediately subscribed."
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"The library was opened to the public May 25, 1885, entirely free in all departments. The success of the movement speedily dispelled the misgivings of those who had entertained doubts re- garding the wisdom of the plan, and more than met the expecta- tions of the most sanguine of its supporters. Before the close of the first year the number of persons holding cards in the library had increased from 1,100 to more than 7,000, and the annual cir- culation of books grew in the same time from 41,000 to 154,000."
When the library was made free the future success of the association was assured, and the sympathies and earnest support of the city and its people were with the institution. In connec- tion with the library there are now five endowed departments : The John Bryant department of natural history, endowed by Mary Bryant in 1875, $5,000 ; the Chester W. Chapin department of reference, endowed by Dorcas Chapin in 1884, $10,000; the Augustus Hazard department of industrial art, endowed by Fanny Hazard Bond, $5,000; the Charles Merriam department of history, biography and travel, endowed by Charles Merriam, $5,000; and the James M. Thompson department of English lit- erature, endowed by Anna Thompson, $5,000.
The principal legacies bequeathed to the association have been as follows: Estate of J. B. Vinton, 1871, $993; Elam Stockbridge, 1882, $1,500; Catharine H. Lombard, 1892, $5,126 ; Horace Smith, 1894, $50,000; William Merrick, 1896, $30,000; William Rice, 1898, $5,000.
The history of the city library during the last ten years has been a record of continued progress, and in that time it has be- come an important factor in educational growth and develop- ment. It is and for years has been operated in connection with the city school system, and through the courtesy of the directors books are sent to the Central high school and also to the remotely situated schools of less advanced grade. The co-operation of the city authorities in carrying out the true purpose of the institu- tion is both earnest and generous, and the mayor, president of the common council and the superintendent of schools are made ex officio members of the board of directors.
For several years beginning in 1865 the city appropriated annually $1,500 for the library, and then increased the amount
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to $3,500. In 1873, '74 and '75 the sum of $4,500 was appropri- ated annually, and in the following year the city "dog money" was added to the amount. From that year to 1901 the annual appropriations for the library have been as follows : 1876, $4,000 and $1,611.13 dog money ; 1877, $3,500 and $2,451.11 dog money ; 1878, $3,000 and $2,024.64 dog money ; 1879, $3,000 and $1,623.60 dog money ; 1880, $3,800 and $1,286.09 dog money ; 1881, $4,800 and $1,263.49 dog money ; 1882, $5,500 and $1,307.35 dog money ; 1883, $7,000 and $1,231.32 dog money ; 1884, $6,500 and $1,779.80 dog money; 1885, $10,500 and $1,926.93 dog money; 1886, $13,000 and $2,064.90 dog money; 1887, $12,600 and $2,444.48 dog money ; 1888, $12,600 and $2,594.62 dog money ; 1889, $12,- 800 and $2,365.08 dog money; 1890, $13,000 and $2,377.50 dog money ; 1891, $14,300 and $2,712.80 dog money; 1892, $15,800 and $2,698.38 dog money; 1893, $17,000 and $2,657.07 dog money ; 1894, $17,000 and $2,405.51 dog money; 1895, $21,000 and $2,840.00 dog money; 1896, $21,000 and $2,956.77 dog money ; 1897, $23,500 and $3,124.99 dog money; 1898, $23,500 and $3,168.53 dog money; 1899, $29,161 including dog money ; 1900, $29,945.56 ; 1901, $29,944.95.
Under the present arrangement of its affairs the property of the library association comprises three principal buildings, known, respectively, as the Rice building (the library building), the art building and the science building, and also an auxiliary building known as the women's club. Of each of these we may briefly treat.
The Art Building-It was the purpose of the City library association founded in 1857 to establish and maintain in connec- tion with its library of books a department for the collection and exhibition of works of art, the greater portion of which it was expected would be contributed by friends of the enterprise ; but in the early struggle for a permanent existence the association managers were content to devote their energies to the mainte- nance of the library alone, hence the collection of art works for many years was quite limited. Under the charter of 1864 the managers of the association determined to establish an art museum and made some little attempt to collect exhibits for that
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department, but there was no systematic effort in that direction for several years.
On June 1, 1867, the legislature incorporated the "Spring- field atheneum and gallery of arts," naming as incorporators William Stowe, Samuel Bowles, Albert D. Briggs, Frederic H. Harris and Charles O. Chapin. Whether it was the purpose of the new corporation to found an art museum and manage it in connection with the library association or as an entirely separate institution is not now known, but it is a fact that the incorpor- ators themselves were, with one exception, members of the asso- ciation. The authorized capital of the atheneum association was $100,000, and it was permitted to own and hold real estate not exceeding $75,000 in value. Evidently the new corporation soon , merged in the older and the establishment of the art gallery was the result of their joint efforts.
The movement which led to the establishment of the Spring- field art museum was begun in 1889, when the overcrowded con- dition of the library building made some change necessary. At one of the board meetings of the year George V. Smith offered by letter to bequeath his valuable collection of art treasures to the association on condition that there be provided a suitable place for its display ; and this offer was supplemented by that of Mrs. Smith to likewise bequeath her rare collection of laces. About this time, through the offices of Noyes W. Fisk, who, acting for the Winthrop club, held the refusal of the property adjoining the library on the east, the directors were able to purchase the same for $35,000, the lot having a frontage of 115 feet on State street and 400 feet deep. The frame residence was removed to the rear of the lot and was refitted for the women's club. This purchase was made in 1890 with funds from the Horace Smith donation.
Then began the work of creating a fund for the art building, the onus being assumed by John Olmsted, who headed the sub- scription with a cash donation of $10,000, and by his earnest work in the city he soon secured subscriptions sufficient to war- rant the erection of the building. The sum of $50,000 at first was thought to be sufficient for the purpose, but the total amount required was more than $90,000. The building was completed
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and opened in 1895. In both exterior and interior design and finish it is a model of architectural genius, an excellent example of the Italian renaissance style, and also is an example of "good, honest construction." The west and south facades, in addition to their ornamentation, are appropriately inscribed with the names of the most famous painters, sculptors and artisans of Europe and America. The building is of brick, with terra cotta trimmings. The main entrance is at the end of the avenue lead- ing from Chestnut street back of the library building, hence the more elaborate ornamentation on the west facade. The first story is devoted to the natural history museum, a large lecture room and another of less size, but when opened together will comfortably seat 350 persons. The second story is used for the art galleries. On a bronze tablet in the building may be seen the names of the contributors to the construction fund.
The Science building of the library association was erected in 1898, and was the result of a popular demand that the ap- pointments of the association be made as complete and as elabor- ate as any city in the land can boast. Ample space for the build- ing was found on the land north of the art museum, and when the directors had fully determined to undertake the work, and had completed their plans, John Olmsted again went among the loyal citizens of Springfield and secured the necessary pledges to the building fund, amounting to $30,000, and representing the contributions of more than one hundred persons. The building was occupied in 1898, and on a bronze tablet within its walls may be seen the names of those who helped to share the expense.
The succession of officials of the City library association is as follows :
Presidents-John L.King, 1864-72; Daniel L. Harris, 1873- 79; Ephraim W. Bond, 1880-91; James R. Rumrill, 1892-1901; John Olmsted, 1901.
Vice-Presidents-Daniel L. Harris, 1864-72; Ephraim W. Bond, 1873-79 ; James M. Thompson, 1880-83 ; James A. Rumrill, 1884-94; John Olmsted, 1892-1900; Nathan D. Bill, 1901.
Clerks-William Rice, 1864-1897; John Cotton Dana, 1898.
Treasurers-James D. Safford, 1864-88 ; Henry H. Bowman, 1889.
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Directors-Henry J. Beebe, 1897 --; Nathan D. Bill, 1887- 1901 ; George Bliss, 1864-72 ; Ephraim W. Bond, 1864-72; Samuel Bowles 2d, 1866-77; Samuel Bowles 3d, 1878 --; Charles O. Chapin, 1872-82: Chester W. Chapin, 1864-83; Luke Corcoran, 1897 -- : George H. Deane, 1884-89; Frederick H. Gillett, 1893- -: Orick H. Greenleaf, 1872-96; William H. Haile, 1892-1901; Azariah B. Harris, 1880-91; Josiah G. Holland, 1864-71; George E. Howard, 1873-88; James Kirkham, 1864-92; James W. Kirk- ham, 1893 -- : Henry S. Lee, 1893 -- ; Charles Merriam, 1864-87; George S. Merriam, 1896 --; William Merrick, 1883-86; James A. Rumrill. 1901 --: John Olmsted, 1889-91; Robert O. Morris, 1901 -- ; William S. Shurtleff, 1890-95 ; G. W. V. Smith, 1892 --; Horace Smith, 1877-92; C. H. Southworth, 1892-96; John B. Stebbins, 1864-98 : James M. Thompson, 1864-79; P. B. Tyler, 1864-65; George Walker, 1864-76; Daniel B. Wesson, 1888-92; Walter H. Wesson, 1899.
Officers, 1901-President, John Olmsted; vice-president, Nathan D. Bill; clerk, John Cotton Dana; treasurer, Henry H. Bowman ; directors, Luke Corcoran, Samuel Bowles, George S. Merriam, G. W. V. Smith, Henry S. Lee, Frederick H. Gillett, James W. Kirkham, Henry J. Beebe, James A. Rumrill, Robert O. Morris ; and ex officio, the mayor, William P. Hayes ; the pres- ident of the common council, Everett E. Stone; and the superin- tendent of schools, Thomas M. Balliet.
Auditors, J. H. Appleton and R. F. Hawkins.
The Library Corps-Any allusion to the personnel of the working force of the library association that failed to mention the splendid services of the late Dr. Rice would indeed be imper- fect, for with him the success of the institution was the chief object of his long and useful life. He was an early member of the old city library association, and was its clerk, secretary and librarian, and also its most earnest advocate after 1860. He was the first clerk and librarian of the successor institution on its organization in 1864, and served in that capacity until the time of his death in 1897. He was followed in office by Mr. Dana, the present librarian, who has brought into the affairs of the associa- tion a new spirit of progress, new and improved methods, and
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under his supervision the usefulness of the institution has been greatly increased.
The art and science departments in their respective buildings are now recognized as essential institutions of the city, and in connection with educational development they are factors of great importance. The art museum is under the curatorship of G. W. V. Smith, with Solomon Stebbins and Bernhart Richter as assistants, and Eleanor A. Wade assistant in the art library. In the science museum William Orr, principal of the central high school, holds the curatorship, with Grace L. Pettis as assistant. In the library Mr. Dana has a large corps of excellent assistants, among whom are persons whose service in their respective depart- ments have made them experts on questions of library history. In seniority of service the first assistant librarian, Alice Shepard, is to be first mentioned, followed by William Stone, of the read- ing rooms, Mary Medlicott, the reference librarian, and A. Louise Morton, in the order named.
THE SPRINGFIELD POST-OFFICE-ITS MASTERS AND ITS MUTATIONS FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY.1
There is no known record of the time when a post-office was first established in Springfield. The business of carrying let- ters in the American colonies existed from the time of the earliest settlements, and in populous centers persons took it upon them- selves to become depositaries and forwarders of them. Such persons later became quasi public functionaries by receiving licenses "to keep a post-office" and to charge certain fees. Prob- ably the earliest enactment of this kind was the order of the gen- eral court of Massachusetts Bay in 1639, providing "that notice be given that Richard Fairbanks his house in Boston is the place appointed for all letters which are brought from beyond the seas or are to be sent thither to be left with him, and he is to take care that they are to be delivered or sent according to the direction. And he is allowed for every letter a penny, and must answer all miscarriages through his own neglect in this kind." In 1677
1From a paper prepared by Col. John L. Rice on the occasion of laying the corner stone of the new postoffice building, February 22, 1890.
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the merchants of Boston petitioned the general court, setting forth the inconvenience of the private conveyance of letters and asking for the appointment of "some meet person" to conduct the business under regulations to be prescribed. Nothing came of this, however. A like condition of things existed in all the colonies down to near the close of the 17th century. The assem- bly of Pennsylvania in 1683 made it the duty of sheriffs, con- stables and justices of the peace to convey from county to county
Old building formerly on Postoffice site
letters on the public business. In like manner a Virginia statute of 1661 required the planters of that colony to forward such let- ters from plantation to plantation under a penalty of 350 pounds of tobacco for each default, and further provided that "if there is any person in the family where the said letters come as can write, such person is required to indorse the day and hour he re- ceived them, that the neglect or contempt of any person stopping them may be better known and punished accordingly."
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Parliament took no steps to provide a postal service for the colonies till 1691, when Thomas Neal of London was granted the exclusive privilege of establishing post-offices in North America for 21 years, apparently with a view to his pecuniary advantage rather than the accommodation of the colonists. He proceeded at once to farm out his privilege through a postmaster-general, whom he appointed and established at New York. Under this regime Duncan Campbell became postmaster "of Boston and New England" in 1693, and was succeeded in 1701 by John Campbell, who held the office till 1718. Although there was legislation to prevent the private conveyance of letters, yet the competition from this source was such that Neal's postmasters found the business attended with little profit, and the Campbells were frequent petitioners to the general court for aid, which was generally granted in a small way. In 1693 "An Act to Encour- age the Post-Office" was passed in Massachusetts. This was a well-considered piece of legislation, and was calculated to place the postal service upon a basis of public usefulness rather than of private gain. But the act was disallowed by the privy coun- cil at London as "inconsistent with the patent granted Thomas Neal, for the post-office in America," and things went on as be- fore. But in 1710 parliament took the matter in hand, and from that time forward a postal service of a public nature was gradually established in the colonies, and by 1765 there was a line of posts along the Atlantic sea-board from New Hampshire to Georgia, with offices at all the principal towns on the route. As early as 1772 stages were running between New York and Boston carrying the mail. At first these passed to the south- ward of Springfield after leaving Hartford, but there was un- doubtedly a post-office at Springfield long before this, although it was probably devoid of any official character, and received its mails from Hartford by post rider.
One of the first cares of the continental congress after as- suming control of public affairs was the establishment of a postal service throughout the colonies by the act of July 26, 1775, and the appointment of Benjamin Franklin as postmaster-general. Moses Church was immediately appointed postmaster at Spring-
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field, as appears by the financial records at Washington, although the record and exact date of his appointment is not preserved, and continued in the office throughout the entire period of the confederation, covering the incumbency as postmaster-general of Benjamin Franklin, Richard Bache and Ebenezer Hazard. With his appointment our earliest certain knowledge of the Spring- field office begins, and a glance at its history shows that its re- moval to the new public building will be a radical change in point of location. For considerably more than a century it has never been north of Pynchon street nor south of State street. It has been housed in 10 different buildings under the administration of 15 different postmasters. Postmaster Church, upon his ap- pointment, established it in a one-story frame building which stood at the northeast corner of Main and Court streets, on ground now occupied by the Five Cents savings bank building, where he carried on a hat and fur business which he had in- herited from his father, Dea. Jonathan Church. When the pos- tal service was transferred from the government of the confeder- ation to that of the constitution, he was re-appointed postmaster by Samuel Osgood, President Washington's first postmaster-gen- eral, his commission dating June 2, 1790. At that time there were only 75 post-offices in the whole country and the total reve- nue from them all that year was $37,935, only a trifle more than the receipts from the Springfield office for the last four months, although the average letter rate then was 15 cents in lieu of the two cents which now suffices. The efficiency of the early postal service may be judged from the fact that among the first records in the dead-letter office at Washington there is note of an un- delivered letter, mailed at Boston, August 25, 1786, addressed to "Jonathan Dwight, Springfield, Mass.," probably at that time the best known man in the town.
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