The Huron Expositor, 1975-06-26, Page 65LIBRARY BOARD IN MID FIFTIES -- When the Seaforth library was not pail of
the county system, it had its own. board. Mlembers in' the mid fifties Were, left, Mrs.
Joseph McConnell, Miss Rose Dorsey, Mrs. James Munn, Miss Mabel Turnbull,
chairman, Miss Greta Thompson, librarian, Mrs.. Elva Ellis,. Mrs. Clinton Smith,
Rev. D. Glenn Campbell and Bill Hart.
Library began 1869
(Courtesy of Miss Isabelle ,
Campbell)
In 1869, the earliest library,
called the Seaforth Mechanics
Intitute was incorporated and
was situated above Thomas
Kidd's south store at the corner of
Main and Market Streets. That
year Seaforth received a
government grant of an
unspecified amount, based on the
amount raised locally. In this case
the government matched dollar
for dollar with the local group up
to the amount of $100.00 a year.
The Mechanics Institute and
Library Association had a
membership of 200 and the
officers were: President, John
`Gray: Secretary,
William Campbell; Treasurer,
M.P.Hayes, and Librarian
W. Lluxton.
!Wards
From 1878, besides the library
and reading room, there were
games and billiard tables at the
rear of the room. In July 1881 the
billiard tables were offered for
sale.. '
been known as the Carnegie
Library.
In 1924, Mr. Allen sold the east
part of the lot to the Board and for•
a number of years it was ,usecras
ak tennis court. -
Librarians In 106 years
The librarian in 1869 was
W.F.Luxton, followed by William
Moore who held the position for
many years. John Thompson was
next and had. served for several
years when he contacted typhoid
fever anal died at the age of thirty.
His sister, Greta Thompson, who
had assisted him, took his place
on September 17, 1907, and
continued as librarian for fifty
years,- resigning in 1957 on
account of ill health.
Mrs. Gordon Wright held, the
position until her death-in March
1964. Mrs. MaryVanRengen was
librarian from then until 1965,
followed by Mrs. Leslie Beattie ,
the present librarian, who guided
the transition from a local library
to the county library system in
1967.
Smiles
The commentator observed
that progress isn't always for the
best. • "For example," he
explains, "smoke signals never
got an Indian out of bed at 3:00
a.m. to answer• a wrong number.",
makes
the difference
Happy Birthday,. Seaforth
After the Free Libraries' Act
was passed in 1882, the name was
changed from i Mechanics
Institute to Seaforth Public
Library. After the new town hall
was completed in 1894, the
library was moved to a room on
the second floor, where band
practice was held in later years. ,
In April .I.912 the promise of a
grant of $10,000 came from
Andrew Carnegie, for a new
library. It came through the
influence of his private secretary,
James Bertram, whose wife,
Janet Ewing, was a native of
Seaforth.
The Town Council immediately
granted the Library Board
$300.00 to enable them to
purchase the Allen property on
the corner of Main and George,.
Streets as a site on Which to build
and by September of that year
Harry Edge had commenced to
build the present red brick
building of Victorian Palladium
style of architecture. The building
was completed in 1913 at a cost of
$10,466.67.
In addition, the cost
of preparing the plans and
superintending the work was
$500.00, but this was donated to
the board by JohniFinlayson, the
architeet,Since then, 1913, it has
24-,-THE HUk014 EXPOSIT
32 Years in. Seaforth
In the performance of, this, the most exacting of ser-
vices, G. A, Whitney has constantly maintained-
record a integrity and service over the inarhy years.
FURNITURE STORE and FUNERAL HOME
G. A: WHITNEY
SEAFORTII
R, JUNE 29; 1975