Allen County, Indiana Genealogy

1895 - The Public Library - Will Open With Big Meeting - Addresses Arrangement of the Library

Article from Jan 24, 1895 Fort Wayne Weekly Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1895, Allen county public library

1895 - The Public Library - Will Open With Big Meeting - Addresses Arrangement of the Library Fort Wayne Weekly Gazette, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Thursday, January 24, 1895, Page 3.

1895 - Launched - Public Library Opened Appropriate Exercises - Speeches by Prominent Citizens

Article from Jan 31, 1895 Fort Wayne Weekly Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1895, Allen county public library

1895 - Launched - Public Library Opened Appropriate Exercises - Speeches by Prominent Citizens Fort Wayne Weekly Gazette, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Thursday, January 31, 1895, Page 8.

1895 - What to Read - Our New Library Solves the Problem - Impressive Opening Ceremonies

Article from Jan 31, 1895 Fort Wayne Weekly Journal (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1895, Allen county public library

1895 - What to Read - Our New Library Solves the Problem - Impressive Opening Ceremonies Fort Wayne Weekly Journal, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Thursday, January 31, 1895, Page 11.

Carnegie Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana 39-page document at the Columbia University Libraries Digital Libraries Collection.

1901 - First Portrait Of The New Fort Wayne Public Library, Gift of Andrew Carnegie

Article from Dec 15, 1901 The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1901, Public library, Andrew carnegie

1901 - First Portrait Of The New Fort Wayne Public Library, Gift of Andrew Carnegie The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Sunday, December 15, 1901, Page 1. [ Discussed February 16, 2025 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook ]

FIRST PORTRAIT OF THE NEW FORT WAYNE PUBLIC LIBRARY, GIFT OF ANDREW CARNEGIE

Artist rendering of the new Carnegie Library in Fort Wayne, c1903 from Wednesday, June 7, 2023 Facebook post below. 

Facebook: Timeline post by the Allen County Public Library:

Carnegie Library of Fort Wayne Opens January 7, 1904 in Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Carnegie Library was dedicated on this date in 1904

June 7, 2023 post by The History Center on Facebook:

In Allen County, the public library system is a much revered institution. The roots of the public library date back to 1895, with the founding of the Fort Wayne Public Library. The library was originally located in the City Hall (today the History Center) from January to September of 1895 before moving into the former home of Sol. D. Bayless at the corner of Wayne and Clinton streets. Outgrowing this second location, the library moved once again in 1898 to the remodeled Brackenridge Home at the corner of Wayne and Webster streets. Once again outgrowing its location, the library moved into temporary quarters on the second floor the Elektron Building, 215 E. Berry, so the Breckenridge house could be razed to make way for a new building. On June 7, 1904, exactly 119 years ago today, the Fort Wayne Public Library dedicated their new building. It cost $110,000, with $90,000 coming from the wealthy industrialist Andrew Carnegie. The new building was built in the Neoclassical style, featuring a pediment with columns and a central circular hall. This library, which served generations of Fort Wayne residents, was razed in 1965 to make way for a new modern building. #sociallyhistory

1922 - The Public Library

Article from Apr 23, 1922 The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana) 1922, Acpl, Public library

1922 - The Public Library The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Sunday, April 23, 1922, Page 2.

THE FORT WAYNE

In 1881, through the efforts of. D. N. Foster and the late Col. R. S. Robeertson, the Indiana legislature passed a bill which allowed the school trustees of Fort Wayne to levy a tax to establish and maintain a public library. All efforta to establish a library under its provisions failed at that time, but in 1899 the club women of Fort Wayne embarked upon a real adventure, when 11 clubs met and organized the Woman's Club league, with Mrs. C. R. Dryer as chairman of the first meeting.

Later Mrs, Dryer was elected first president of the league, which immediately library began laying plans for a public library for Fort Wayne.

In July, 1893, the Women'& Club league presented to the common council a petition signed by hundreds of taxpayers, asking that a public library be established. The board of school trustees, co-operating with the league, requested that the tax be levied. This was done, and in June, 1894, the secured a room in the city hall to be used as a temporary library.

On the evening of Jan. 28, the opening of the library was celebrated by a public meeting, held in the council chamber, and presided over by Mayor Oakley. So after much organized, earnest and intelligent effort, Jan. 29, 1895, the little library of 8,606 volumes was opened in the city hall, and the circulation of books begin at 10 a. m.

The school trustees appointed four men and the Women's Club league, four women, to serve as a library committee to recommend books for purchase. The women on the first book committée were: Mrs. C. R. Dryer, Mrs. A, S. Lauferty, Miss M. V. Hamilton, and Miss Merica Hoagland. The men appointed were: Rev. S. Wagenhals, Col. R. S. Robeertson, Prof. C. T. Lane, and John H. Jacobs.

The demand for books and the interest of the readers was evident from the beginning, and in Sept. 1895, larger premises were leased at the corner of Wayne and Clinton streets and the books transferred.

In 1896, Mrs. Hoffman resigned as librarian and Miss Clara Fowler was appointed. Upon Miss Fowler's death in 1898, the present librarian, Miss M. M. Colerick, who had been "acting during Miss Fowler' long illness, was appointed librarian.

In the summer of 1898, the board of school trustees, W. P. Cooper, Dr. A. J. Boswell and S. M. Foster, purchased for $14,000 the property at the southweert corner Wayne and Webster streets, from Mrs. Joseph Breckenridge. The residence was remodeled to make it suitable for library use.

As the library became more and more part of the life of the community, the necessity for a suitable, building became ever more apparent. On March 14, 1901, Andrew Carnegie, at the request of the Womans Club' league and the citizens of Fort Wayne, presented the sum of $75,000 for a public library building. This sum was later supplemented by a gift of $15,000 in order to complete the bullding, according to the plans of the architect, Alfred Grindle.

As the new building was to be on the site purchased at the corner of Wayne and Webster streets, the 1ibrary was removed to the second floor of the "Electron" (now the Lincoln Life building) and re-opened to the public July 24, 1901. It was in these rooms that the open shelf system was inaugurated. At once its attractiveness lured many borrowers to new fields of reading and study.

The same year a children's corner was established, which was the real beginning of that wonderful department of the public library, nowknown as the "Children's Room."

At last, on January 7, 1904, the new library building was opened, with appropriate public ceremonies. Mayor Berghoff, on behalf of the citizens of Fort Wayne, accepted the building from the school board. The late C. S. Bash, president of the school trustees, made the presentation address. Miss Hoagland, of the Indiana public library commission, and the late R. S. Taylor also spoke on this occasion.

The building is of buff Bedford (Indiana) stone and the contractors were William Geake and Sons. A bronze tablet at the entrance reads: "Board of trustees, Allen Hamilton, president; Eugene Smith, secretary; Wright Rockhill, treasurer. Erected, A. D. 1902. Alfred Grindle, architect William Geake & Sons, contractors."

The public library is always in the front rank of up-to-date library method. It is one of the public libraries of the country which has helped formulate the best ideas and crystalize suitable methods of library work.

In 1907 Miss Sykes, a graduate of Pratt Library school, was appointed children's librarian, and a separate room was opened for the children. Her successor was Miss Poncher, who resigned in 1909, and she was succeeded by Miss Webb, the present children's libarian.

In 1910 another step in library work was made, when it was decided to have an apprentice class. Each year a few apprentices are taken, who work here for a time, later going to library school for training.

In 1912 the south side branch 1ibrary was opened, and in the same year the important advance was made of having a business and municipal department.

The war activities of the library were many, and they included the collecting and shipping over 11,000 volumes to the camps. The library also lent Miss Peck, of the business and municipal department to the war library board.

The very latest activity is probably to be one of the greatest influences in its far-reaching effect ever undertaken in Fort Wayne, for the public library privileges have been extended beyond the city and now the whole county of Allen is having the wonderful opportunity of a big, first class free public library.

From the first, citizens of Fort Wayne have given generously to the library in many ways. There have been donations of books from many different private libraries. Among these are books from the libraries of J..B. White, J. K. Edgerton, Col. Robeertson, Dr. Moffat, Dr. B. Woodworth, Judge R.S. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Bursley, J H. Jacobs, Mrs. Thayer, the Morning Musical, Mrs. J. B. Harper and the W. C. T. U.

A notable gift in June, 1916, was an almost complete file of the Fort Wayne Sentinel, by the late E. A. K. Hackett. This has been and will continue to be increasingly valuable to students of local history and social life and times.

The late George Lowe left a legacy of money. S. M. Foster presented an oil portrait of Andrew Carnegie and the late W. R. Nelson, of Kansas city, gave to the library a replica of Paul Potter's famous "Bull," in the Hermitage, Petrograd. He also gave subscription to the Kansas city Star and Times.

G: W.. Reiter presented a case of curios and a clock made in 1576.

One of they most valuable collectons of stuffed birds in the state is on exhibit in the assembly room of the library, a loan from C. A. Stockbridge.

The largest gift of books was made by Miss Gail Calmerton, primrayy supervisor of public schools, who gave about 1,500 juvenile books to the children's department. These are called the "Gail Calmerton Collection" and are to be used in the public schools.

But all of this is but the background, for the life of the library the spirit of service that animates each worker, The atmosphere of pleasant attention permeates every department, and makes of borrower, student or reader a friend of the Fort Wayne public library.

L. G. D.

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