History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 63

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649

USA > New York > Chautauqua County > History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I > Part 63

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Mr. Edson has given us a good idea of the origin and development of our libraries. After mentioning several of the early efforts which lasted but a few years, he speaks of one founded at Charlotte Center, 1832, which existed ten years, and had two or three hundred volumes. Then he states a fact of much significance which ex- plains the cause of the discontinuance of the first li- braries ; this was the establishment hy law of school- district libraries in 1838. The Academies of the time partook of this so-called literature fund. "No public appropriation of so little outlay," says Mr. Edson, "has been of such mental and moral benefit as these school- district libraries of standard books; they contained over 26,000 volumes." In February, 1870, the Sinclair- ville Library Association was founded by Rev. E. P. McElroy, who donated his library of 185 volumes, and twenty-five dollars. This is the oldest existing public circulating library in the county. Obed Edson and W. W. Henderson are among the trustees designated by the donor.

Mr. Edson, then a member of Assembly, in 1875 drew, presented to that body and procured the passage of the first act in New York State authorizing the incorpora- tion of county libraries. Under this law many libraries sprung up throughout the State.

From these beginnings we now have at least fifteen registered libraries in Chautauqua county, several of considerable size and activity, occupying handsome buildings especially designed for their accommodation. Brief mention of these locally well known institutions will serve our purpose here. Most prominent, the James- town Prendergast Free Library, Jamestown, founded 1880, by the will of the late Hon. James Prendergast.

Building and collection, including art gallery, dedicated 1891 : has now 28,000 volumes, largest annual circulation reaching nearly 96,000 volumes.

Other Memorial libraries are the Brooks Memorial, the gift of the H. G. Brooks property for a permanent home of the Young Men's Association. It is now the Dunkirk Free Library, housed in its own fine building opposite. The D. R. Barker Library, Fredonia, began in a free public reading-room opened in 1874, followed by a subscription association. The first books, a set of sixteen volumes of the works of Mark Twain, given by the author. In 1883, Mr. D. R. Barker presented the family mansion and lot to the village for a library.

The beautiful Patterson Memorial Library of West- field is the gift of the late Hannali W. Patterson, to the memory of her parents, Lieut. Gov. George W. and Hannah W. (Dickey ) Patterson.

The Minerva Free Library of Sherman, in the words of its historian, "in 1906 meant fourteen books in a market-basket." In 1908 Mr. O. W. Norton of Chicago proposed to build a $10,000 library completely equipped, provided the town raise $500 annually toward its sup- port. He later added to his gift.

The Mary E. Seymour Memorial Library of Stock- ton was founded in 1899 by H. W. Seymour, in memory of his only daughter.

The Ahira Hall Free Library of Brocton was given to the town of Portland in 1904 by Mr. Ralph H. Hall, Fredonia, son of Ahira Hall, who settled in Portland in 1816. The grounds were presented by G. E. Ryckman, grandson of Elijah Fay, who settled there in 1811.

Mayville, Falconer, Bemus Point, Ashville, Sinclair- ville, Fluvanna, Ripley and Silver Creek, are some of our other small but active library centers worthy of praise and liberal support.

No outline of popular culture in Chautauqua county would be complete which failed to mention that great source of inspiration, the Chautauqua Institution; its system of summer classes and public lectures, as well as courses of reading and home-study, hring it within the scope of the present paper. We read that "ALL the detailed plans of the University Extension movement were in use at Chautauqua in 1873, the very year when this movement, unknown to Chautauqua leaders, began in England." About 1870 the thought entered the mind of its founder that a great assemblage could be handled not only for prayer, song and preaching, but for Bible study and for general literary culture. With what large measure of success this idea has been developed, we are all familiar.

After this retrospective view, which has left us not without feelings of gratitude and satisfaction for the share of culture attained by our people, we look forward with assurance to a bright future, the symbol of which, we might say, is Chautauqua, the Summer City of the Open Book.

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY LIBRARIES. By Lucia Tiffany Henderson and Carlina M. Monchow.

JAMES PRENDERGAST FREE LIBRARY-James Prender- gast died in 1879, at the age of thirty-one ; all who knew him agree regarding his pronounced ability, his dis- tinguished appearance, and charm of personality. He would have gained more than local prominence had he lived. He had already represented his district in the Assembly.

Among his papers were found memoranda for a will,

one item devoting the income from the Prendergast block erected by him in 1876, to a fund for a free library in Jamestown. This wish was executed by his parents but a month after his death, January 29, 1880, when they transferred to the James Prendergast Library Association of Jamestown, New York, which had been incorporated under a charter prepared hy Eleazer Green and passed as a special act of Legislature, (Laws of

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1880, Chap. 111) the Prendergast building, the property to be held inviolate as an endowment for a library. The charter named as trustees, Robert Newland, W. C. J. Hall. F. E. Gifford, Eleazer Green, Jr., Solomon Jones, L. B. Warner, and W. H. Proudfit.

Some years later, the father and mother chose a most favorable site-the open square at the top of the hill bounded by Fifth and Sixth streets and Cherry and Washington streets, where the trustees were empowered to erect a fire-proof stone building. The parents did not live to see this memorial completed. This building is of Medina sandstone, completely furnished and decorated from funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Prendergast. The trustees purchased the books for the circulating department, and organized and equipped the library from the accrued funds of their trust. Mrs. Prendergast bequeathed the Association $5,000 for reference books.

Appropriate dedication ceremonies were held at the library, December 1, 1891. The library since that day has maintained a high standard of excellence as an integral part of the educational and cultural influences of the city. It is resorted to by a steadily increasing number of patrons from many walks of life. With the growth of the work and changing methods of library service, it has been possible to adapt the original interior and equipment to modern conditions ; a notable instance was the removal of the charging counter, a barrier be- tween entrance hall and book-stacks, retiring this loan- desk within the room, and admitting the public directly to the shelves, permitting personal choice of books for home use. This proved, as elsewhere, a popular im- provement.

The library hias availed itself of the excellent steel shelving and catalogue and filing cases of the local Art Metal Construction Company, and has already several sections of two-storied metal book-stack replacing those of oak, which it is intended to entirely replace eventually with metal. A separate collection of books for the chil- dren in the Junior department occupies the cheerful and well-equipped corner, or tower room.

The Reference collection is uncommonly good and complete for general use, and is much consulted by .club workers, debaters, business and professional men and women, students, artisans, and others, in search of the material for papers and addresses, or the answer to questions arising at work or in argument. A complete set of indexes with monthly supplements up-to-date is the key to a storehouse of magazine material in bound files. An excellent genealogical collection is in con- stant use, many visitors from out-of-town coming to pursue researches here.

During the period of the war the Prendergast Library did its ample share in publicity work, distributed hun- dreds of government leaflets on food-conservation, home recipes, Red-Cross aid, War-gardening, Army and Navy enlistment, and the like, making striking displays of a large and choice collection of posters and bulletin lists, the latter frequently printed in the local press ; while as county chairman for the A. L. A., the librarian by pub- lished requests and appeals to clubs and other organiza- tions, collected at the library, personally examined and selected, over six thousand volumes (contributed by Jamestowners alone) which were shipped overseas- as well as to the training camps of our own country.

The library aided in every activity needing its ser- vice during the war. Since that time it has made a specialty of providing vocational books for the re- turned men, and its service has met with cordial recogni- tion. The library has at present upwards of 28,000 volumes.

The first librarian was Samuel G. Love, who died

December 12, 1893. He was succeeded by Mary Emo- gene Hazeltine, who resigned in January, 1906, and was succeeded the following month by Lucia Tiffany Hen- derson, the present librarian. The original trustees who remain are: President, Mr. Proudfit; secretary, Mr. Green; chairman of library committee, Mr. Gifford. Other members are: Elliot Snell Hall, treasurer ; Ralph C. Sheldon, Shelden B. Broadhead, and Charles C. Wilson.

By the will of Mary Norton Prendergast, who died December 22, 1889, the sum of $25,000 was left for "oil-paintings, works of art," to be placed in the Art Gallery, a separate wing of the library building. This provision was ably carried out by its executors, Mr. Robert N. Marvin and Mr. Willis O. Benedict. Besides these paintings, the gallery contains admirable portraits of the Prendergast family by the eminent portrait painter, Huntington. The collection has now appreciated in value to double its original cost,

The Library and its Art Gallery stand as a lasting and fitting monument to the wisdom and taste of its donors, an honored family whose ancestor, Judge James Prendergast, in 1810 founded the city which bears his name.

DUNKIRK FREE LIBRARY-The history of the library movement in Dunkirk begins with the formation of a Library Association on January 13th, 1872. It was a joint stock company, the shares of which were $5 each. The constitution provided for three classes of members -life members who paid $50 ; annual members, who paid $3 a year; and members for six months who paid $1.50. Stockholders and members were entitled to use the books by paying yearly dues not to exceed two dollars. The total amount of capital stock was $2,375, which enabled the executive committee to purchase ahont two thousand books, and rooms were rented in the Monroe Block, and with Mrs. John Lee as librarian the Dunkirk Library started out.

For a time all went well, then came the panic of 1873, and it became necessary to give up the rooms, the membership having fallen off, and the Library was finally lodged in the City Hall in a room now used as the Tax Receiver's office. After a time the city needed the room for other purposes, so the Women's Educa- tional and Industrial Union gave it comfortable quar- ters in their building on Central avenue. The dues were reduced to one dollar a year, and the annual circula- tion dropped to about five hundred volumes, and the income was so small that a librarian could be em- ployed but part of one day a week.

A new era dawned for the Library when on May 9th, 1898, the heirs of the late Horatio G. Brooks and Julia A. Brooks transferred to the Young Men's Association in trust, the Brooks homestead, corner of Central ave- nue and Sixth street, to have and to hold so long as they should maintain thereon a Hospital or a Free Library, or both. Preparations were begun at once to transform the building into a Hospital, the drawing

rooms being reserved for Library purposes, and the surviving stockholders of the Dunkirk Library Associa- tion transferred the remaining stock of books, which were removed to the Brooks homestead, and the Brooks Memorial Library, conducted by the Young Men's Association, began its career on January 11th, 1899, with Miss Jessie Underwood as librarian.

The Library continued to expand until the portion of the building given for its use was outgrown, and it was necessary to secure a suitable home. Mr. A. L. Peck, a member of the New York State Committee on Library Legislation, and lecturer at Chautauqua, came over to attend a meeting of the library board called to

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discuss ways and means, and advised the committee to present the situation to Mr. Andrew Carnegie, which was acted upon at once. This was in August of 1903. The immediate reply was most encouraging, and a com- mittee of the library board approached the common council with the proposition, and February 2, 1904, a resolution heartily approving of the action of the Young Men's Association and of any and all steps or proceed- ings which have been or may be taken to the end that a fit and proper library to be known as the Dunkirk Free Library may be obtained, built, and equipped, in and for the said city of Dunkirk. The Young Men's As- sociation generously turned over to the library board its sole negotiable asset, its equity in a lot on Central ave- nue; this with a donation of $1,000 from Mr. M. L. Hinman and various small donations from other public- spirited citizens enabled the committee to purchase a lot on the northeast corner of Central avenue and Sixtli street, plans were secured for a Library building, and with the $25,000 gift of Andrew Carnegie the Dunkirk Free Library was duly incorporated on June 30th, 1904.

On Saturday, February 17th, 1906, the Library was opened to the public in the new Carnegie building, a most convenient attractive home with club and assembly rooms on the ground floor, the main floor containing adult's reading room, children's room, director's room, librarian's office, and radial stack room. At this time the Library contains about 20,000 volumes, and the annual circulation is between 70,000 and 80,000 volumes. The Women's Literary Club hold all their meetings in the club room, also the W. C. T. U., and numerous committee meetings of an educational nature are held in this room and in the Assembly room, which dur- ing the period of the war was used for Red Cross work.

The members of the board are: F. B. Barnard, pres- ident ; F. D. Light, vice-president ; E. D. Warner, treas- urer ; C. M. Monchow, secretary ; F. R. Darling ; C. D. Armstrong; Dr. Joseph Rieger. Librarian, Carlina M. Monchow; assistants, Helen G. Atwood, Mrs. N. P. Horton.

THE PATTERSON LIBRARY, WESTFIELD-The library his- tory and library activities in Westfield may be said to begin with the incorporation and founding of the Pat- terson Library in 1896. Previous to this date there had been a few sporadic attempts to establish circulat- ing libraries in connection with some commercial busi- ness, but these attempts were shortlived. The only really successful library was the one in connection with the Westfield Academy. This consisted of several thousand volumes, and was used by the pupils in the school and by some other members of the community.

The public library idea, a library for the use of all the people, had not been agitated, so that when after the death of Miss Hannah Whiting Patterson in May, 1894. it became known that she had left $100,000 in her will for the purpose of establishing a free public library in Westfield as a memorial to her parents, it was felt to be a heaven-sent gift. Lieutenant-Governor George W. Patterson and his wife, Hannah Whiting Patterson, in whose memory this gift was made, had been prominent residents of Westfield. Governor Patterson had served not only as member of Congress, as lieutenant-governor of the State of New York, and in other positions of na- tional and State importance, but also had served faith- fully in local positions of trust. Educational matters, village and town improvement and the welfare of all the people, had such a large hold on his time and sympathies that he made himself universally beloved. No memorial to him could have been more appropriate than this one which benefits all the people for all time.

In March, 1896, the Patterson Library was incorporat- ed under the laws of the State of New York with a charter from the Board of Regents, thus placing it un- der the State Education Department. Miss Patterson in her will instructed her brother, Mr. George W. Pat- terson, Jr., to carry out its terms with reference to the Library, and most faithfully did he and his wife, Frances D. Patterson, during the remainder of their lives, work to put into material form the idea expressed in the bequest. The success of their undertaking is indeed a memorial to them as well as to the parents of Miss Patterson. Until their death, both Mr. and Mrs. Patter- son, always with the good of the Library in their minds, were the indefatigable working heads of the corporation. Since that time their children and grandchildren have carried on the work. They comprise the board of trus- tees, and are giving unstintingly of their time and energies for the betterment of the Library.

The Library was opened to the public in July, 1897, with Miss Katherine M. Mack (now Mrs. Wm. Morri- son, of Erie, Penna.) as librarian, and with an initial collection of about 6,000 volumes from which to choose. The American Library Association's 5,000-volume ex- hibit at the World's Fair in Chicago was duplicated to forin the nucleus of the modest beginning. Through the generosity of Mr. George W. Patterson, the build- ing on South Portage street, now the Y. W. C. A. build- ing, was the rent-free home of the Library for the years before the present permanent building was erected. The policy of the financial management of the Associa- tion was to delay building until a sufficiently large fund had accumulated to assure an appropriate building and still leave a fund for permanent maintenance. Experi- ence has shown the wisdom of this plan, for not only has it been possible to erect the present library build- ing but to collect a fine reference library and books of more popular recreative reading, totalling 20,000 volumes, and still have intact the sum originally be- queathed by Miss Patterson. In 1905 the new library building was begun and on August 1, 1908, with im- pressive though simple ceremonies, the completed build- ing was dedicated and formally opened to the public. It is a gem in point of architecture and in artistic finish and coloring. Time and experience have shown that the interior arrangement from the point of view of convenience could not be improved. It is one of the show buildings of Western New York, and is an object of pride to all inhabitants of Westfield.

From the beginning, the board of trustees realized that a public library is an educational institution and a university of the people, and decided that contrary to nsual custom the Library should be accessable to all, regardless of whether they lived in Westfield or else- where; in other words that it should be of service to the largest possible number. This policy has been con- sistently followed. In a sense, the Patterson Library may be called a county library, as from all parts of the county people come to consult reference or other books, all of which are gladly placed at their disposal. Statis- tics of books circulated make no record of this im- portant feature of the work, but without counting such outside circulation, the annual number of books taken from the Library for reading totals nearly 30,000 volumes. For years the Chautauqua Library School has come in a body during its sessions to use the reference collection ; and clubs and other organizations from here and surrounding towns depend upon the Patter- son Library for their material. The cooperation be- tween the Library and the schools is of the closest. Teachers and professional men and women engaged in special lines of work are privileged to take out more

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books and keep them for longer periods of time than is granted to the general public.

During the World War, the Patterson Library, like most other libraries, forsook the beaten paths of library work and made every effort to assist in the imperative duty of the times :- to help win the war. The gov- ernment publicity work and food conservation were aided with posters, circulars, and the distribution of thousands of pamphlets. In Red Cross drives, United War Work Fund drives, War Saving Stamps and Lib- erty Bond sales, the Library took an important part and acted as agent. During the last months of the war, the Red Cross headquarters were moved to the Library, where they still remain.

With the end of the war and the reestablishment of normal reading conditions and normal library activities, the Patterson Library stands ready to help in every possible way in the reconstruction days now before us. The close cooperation of the people during the war- days has taught us a valuable lesson and has had the effect of bringing about at the present time a closer relation between the Library and the reader. In the future as in the past, it stands ready to supply the read- ing and reference work, recreative and informational, desired by all the people who will come to use it.

Miss Katherine M. Mack was librarian from 1897 to 1898; Miss Sarah H. Ames from 1898 to 1918, except one year, 1910-II, when Miss Avery acted as librarian dur- ing the absence of Miss Ames. Miss Emma W. Piehl has been librarian since January, 1919.

At present the Library affairs are administered by the following board: President, Prof. George W. Patterson (III). Ann Arbor, Mich .; vice-president, Mrs. Cather- ir.e L. (Patterson) Crandall, Westfield ; secretary, Mrs. Frances T. (Patterson ) Faust. Westfield ; treasurer, Mr. Frank W. Crandall, Westfeld; trustees, Mrs. George W. Patterson, Ann Arbor, Mich .; Lieut .- Comdr. W. H. Faust, U. S. Navy, Westfield; Mr. George Patterson Crandall, Westfield. Other members of the corporation are: Major Francis W. Crandall, U. S. R .: Mrs. George Patterson Crandall ; Sous-Lieut. George W. Patterson (IV), French army, R .; Mrs. George W. Patterson (IV); Major Carroll Barse Haff, U. S. R .; Mrs. Ger- trude (Patterson) Haff; Second Lieut. Robert R. Pat- terson, U. S. R .: Lieut. (j. g.) Duncan Patterson Forbes, U. S. N. R. F. ; Capt. Howard Patterson Faust, U. S. A.

DARWIN R. BARKER LIBRARY-The history of the Darwin R. Barker Library begins with the temperance crusade in 1874, when the women of Fredonia opened public parlors and a reading room in an empty store in the Lake Block, with the view of laying the founda- tion of a public library.

Before the year was out, it was seen by those in au- thority that if the work was to continue it must be as a library with a permanent organization, and steps were taken to bring this about. As a result, a Library As- sociation was formed and the library opened its doors to the public November 1. 1876.

In 1882, Darwin R. Barker, whose wife had been interested in the Library from the beginning. pre- sented the home built by his father in 1818 (claimed to be the first brick building in the county) to the village of Fredonia as a permanent home for the Library. The Library was now incorporated, Mr. Bark- er naming several men to serve as life members, and appointed a committee of women, requesting the man- agement be left to them. The name was changed from the Fredonia Library Association to Darwin R. Barker Library, and tickets were sold to residents of the vil- lage for $2, entitling holders to a year's use of the library.

In 1896 the village board voted an annual library ap- propriation of $350, on the condition that it be made free to all residents of the village. In November, 1909, the taxpayers of the town of Pomfret voted an annual appropriation of $1,000, and on February Ist the Library extended its privileges to the entire township, maintain- ing a branch at the home of Mr. Frank Hall, at Lam- berton. From the first, an historical exhibit has occupied a room on the second floor, containing many objects of local interest. On November 4th, 1919, the taxpayers of Pomfret voted the Library an increased appropria- tion of $1,500, making the annual appropriation $2,500, and a new era of increased usefulness began at that date.

In the history of library activities in Fredonia special mention should be made of Mrs. Leverett B. Greene, whose death occurred in 1911, member of the Board of Managers and for fifteen years its faithful librarian, and of Mrs. B. F. Skinner, chairman of the Board of Man- agers, whose death occurred in 1918.

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History of Chautauqua County, New York, and its people, Volume I, Part 63

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc. Number of Pages: 649

Author: Downs, John Phillips, 1853- ed. [from old catalog]; Hedley, Fenwick, Y., joint ed. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Boston, New York [etc.] American historical society, inc.
Number of Pages: 649