Historical souvenir of Greenville, Illinois : being a ... - University Library

114 Historical Souvenir of Greenville, Illinois.
S'h. t graph by McLeod.
Bond County Law Makers. Members of the Board of Supervisors and Keeper of the County Poor Farm for 1904.
Reading from left to right— ( First Row) Emil Harnetiaux, Mills Township; S. Van Deusen, Chairman, Central
Township; Ed Mayo, Pleasant Mound Township; William D. Matney, County Clerk.
Second Row, (Left to right) George VV. Pigg, Mulberry Grove Township; J. B. Apple, Tamalco; Robert Hurst,
Keeper of the Countv Poor Farm; Simon Brown, Old Riplev Township; A. O. Donnell, Lagrange.
Third Row, (Left to right) Albert G. Schmidt, Burgess;' R. H. Pullen, Shoal Creek Township.
endowment, have amounted to fl,-
300. This sum has been placed at
interest for the purpose of meeting
expenses and buying new books. It
was slow work but was persevered
in by the members often at a sacrifice
of time and labor, for the sake
of building up an institution, which
they knew would benefit the people.
On February 22, 1S67, the association
was incorporated under the
title "The Ladies' Library Association
of Greenville, Illinois." The
names of the charter members are
as follows; Almira A. Morse. Lucy
B. Stewart, Sarah Sprague. Elizabeth
Smith, Hannah Chittenden. Mary A.
Shields. Priscilla W. Alexander,
Emily M. Dewey. Sarah H. Walls,
Caroline R. Phelps.
There have been many changes in
the members of the Association, yet
all have been actuated in a remark-
able degree by unanimity and a
generous desire that the library
shall be so managed that it may
continue its good influences in time
to come.
The Carnegie Library
T' HE Ladies' Library Association
' took the initiative in the establishment
of the Greenville Carnegie
Library or the Greenville Free
Public Library, as it is now called.
It was their generous offer of
money and books that made possible
the opening of negotiations with
Hon. Andrew Carnegie, the donor of
the building.
The matter was discussed by the
ladies at their meetings in the year
1902, and finally me association offered
to give $1,000 in monej' and
their library of more than 4,000
volumes for the furtherance of the
cause, provided the city would levy
a two mill tax, as provided by law,
for the maintenance of the library.
At a meeting of the city council on
April 2, 1903, C. D. Hoiles, F. W.
Fritz and W. W. Lowis appeared before
the council in support of a
resolution offered by Alderman W.
H. Williams favoring the location of
a Carnegie Library in Greenville.
This resolution was passed by a
unanimous vote. It did not provide
for the le^T of any tax. but was
merely an expression on the part of
the city council, paving the way for
the opening of negotiations with
Mr. Carnegie. At that meeting
Mayor Joy appointed Mrs. C. D.
Hoiles. President of the Ladies'