Nevada’s first library

In grand style, the Nevada Public Library recently marked the one-hundredth anniversary of the first building it could call its own, the Carnegie Building, at the southeast corner of Austin and Ash Streets.

The early years of NPL were a struggle, from finding ways to engage the public, to constructing a building after receiving the Carnegie Foundation grant.

The start of this story goes back to the evening of Monday, May 9, 1898. Seventeen ladies – representing the University Extension (later renamed the Progress Club) and the Tourist Club met in the Mitchell Hotel and elected Mrs. Rose Kimball as the first president of the Nevada chapter of the Federation of Women’s Clubs. The local Research Club joined this effort in 1909 and the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1915.

That common purpose uniting these groups proved to be the promotion of literacy and a love of books. This is evidenced in the quick filing of articles of incorporation with the state and the launch of the Nevada Municipal Library Association.

A sum of money left over from a lecture course was donated to the association and books were collected in a house-to-house canvass.

For the first years of the library’s life, the Commercial Club of Nevada provided display space in their handsome room located in the Duck block building at the northeast corner of Washington and Cherry.

Through numerous bazaars, teas, cake sales and “entertainments,” the library, by 1908, boasted a collection of 1,500 books.

That was also the year the present Vernon County Courthouse was completed and the county judges welcomed the library into the new building. The room, located on the lower floor, was watched over by volunteers from various local clubs.

Since there was no taxpayer funding, this was not a “free” but instead a “subscription” library, with patrons charged two cents per week or one dollar per year for “library tickets,” to defray expenses and obtain additional books.

Other local “subscription” libraries included Ballagh’s Drug Store, W.S. Bates Lumber Co. and Harris Book Store. Harris charged a seven times larger rate of two cents per day.

While the fundraising efforts did result in an expansion of the collection, they were beginning to run into the problem of too small of a group doing nearly all the work until they were nearly exhausted.

While the minutes of the association do not record when a land fund was established, they do record a number of contributions culminating on May 3, 1913. On that day, the library association paid $1,300 toward the purchase price of $1,800 for a lot 85 feet by 160 feet at the corner of Ash and Austin, across the street and just east of the Weltmer Institute; in one year the balance was paid.

The minutes record discussion, over many years, about whether to ask the public to approve a tax to enable free library services to everyone. The time was deemed right when on April 22, 1914, the association voted to ask the city council to call a special election on March 29, 1915.

The requested measure would set aside one mill on $100 value of taxable property of an existing city tax to be used as a maintenance fund for a new library. The council approved the request and voters overwhelmingly approved the measure.

In 1912, prominent Nevada businessman, R.A. Buckner, whose interest in the library was to span more than 40 years, was in Hot Springs, Ark., on vacation. While there, he chanced to meet, D.H. Clark, a representative of the Carnegie Foundation.

Upon hearing the name Carnegie, Buckner outlined Nevada’s needs and was told to submit a request immediately because the foundation was planning to cease new library projects. The Nevada man was informed the community must provide both the site for the library and a continuing tax allotment for its support.

Judge O.H. Hoss, Nevada civic leader and for many years, president of the Farm and Home Savings and Loan Association, also led what was now being called the board of the Nevada Public Library, from 1915 until his death in 1943, and chaired the building committee.

The Carnegie grant, based on population, totaled $17,500. The board wanted the building to cost no more than $14,000 to $14,500, leaving a sufficient amount for furnishings.

In July 1915, the board chose Bloomington, Ill. architect, A.T. Simmons. With James Bertram, Carnegie’s personal secretary, having to approve all plans and with correspondence conducted almost exclusively by mail, bids were not opened until March 24, 1916.

Actually, there was only one bid and it was for $20,400. New specifications resulted in bids being opened on May 18, at which time there were three bids, one incomplete, with all of them too high.

Amazed that no contractor had submitted an acceptable bid, Simmons volunteered to produce one who would. That contractor was J.W. Pratt of Chanute, Kan., whose bid was negotiated to $14,573.

One of the losing bidders, J.A, Daley, alleged in The Nevada Evening Post that the building could not be built for the amount accepted and accused the library board of making changes to the plans.

The library board published a detailed history in The Nevada Daily Mail, stating the plans Pratt successfully bid on were no different from what others received.

Privately, Hoss suspected Daly was right and sent a telegram to Simmons, demanding he appear and straighten out alleged discrepancies in the plans.

At the same time, Hoss sent a statement similar to the one in the Daily Mail, but sworn and notarized, assuring officials that no change had been made in the plans.

At this point, while there is a gap in the library’s files, several things can be surmised.

Since Pratt completed the job and the day after the dedication is pictured in the Daily Mail as “The Man Who Built the Library,” some sort of reconciliation must have taken place.

One library history does describe “changes in the original plan for the building” and refers to Hoss as “underwriting the cost of changes.”

On May 11, 1917, the new building was dedicated, deeded to the city of Nevada and would serve as home to the Nevada Public Library until 60 years later, on May 12, 1997, its present location was dedicated and opened at 212 W. Walnut.