News: brad.haugaard@gmail.com   •  Restaurants   •  Library Catalog   •  Library Activities  •  History   •  Facebook / X/Twitter / RSS

A Moment in Monrovia History: The Carnegie Library

The new library opened January 27, 1908 and was replaced in 1956. "Mr. Carnegie's liberal offer of ten thousand dollars for the library building, inspired an active and harmonious civic spirit that aroused the voting public to the advisability of securing this central location for a city hall and park. Over one hundred and seventy-five merchants and other prominent citizens joined in the publication of an appeal to the public, urging support of the bonds. The ladies of the Saturday Afternoon Club did yeoman service among the voters, and served luncheon on election day in one of the rooms of the Granite Bank Building. Among the prominent ones engaged were Mesdames A. H. Johnson, E. S. Armstrong, F. D. Hammond, C. H. Anson, M. W. Cole, George O. Monroe, C. E. Slosson, 1. N. Wheeler, 1. M. Banks and K. E. Lawrence. Both bond issues carried by overwhelming majorities, and the evening after the election, the civic battlers celebrated at the Grand View Hotel with an oyster supper where oratorical felicitations flowed freely." John L. Wiley, History of Monrovia 1927 p 98. From the Myron Hotchkiss collection. See full details here.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

No comments:

Post a Comment