The Texas Historian, Volume 44, Number 2, November 1983 Page: 8
30 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
William Layland. Photographs courtesy of
author.
The following year the Women's Club
directed one of their members, Mrs. D. E.
Waggoner, to travel to New York to seek the
aid of Andrew Carnegie. Mrs. Waggoner
detailed Cleburne's need for a library to
Carnegie, often referred to as the "Patron Saint
of Libraries." He made new library buildings
available to hundreds of communities all over
the world. He gave more than $40,000,000 for
the construction of 1,679 public library build-
ings in 1,412 communities in the United States,
32 in Texas. However, only 12 of the 32,
including the one in Cleburne, remain today.
This library philanthropy was only a small
portion of Carnegie's gifts. More than
$333,000,000 (90 percent of his fortune) was
spent by the "Steel King" for what he termed
"the improvement of mankind." The range of
this philanthropy was great and varied, includ-
ing donations to various colleges. Although the
gifts he made for library buildings seem small
in comparison, they were perhaps the most- }
Texas Historian
dramatic and influential in that they affected
millions of people.
In 1903 the Cleburne Women's Club
completed negotiations with Carnegie. They
received his gift of $20,000 for a library
building to be constructed in their town. This
money was to cover the cost of building the
library, but the city of Cleburne was required
to provide money for the building site, the
books, and the maintenance, as was true of all
Carnegie library gifts. Such requirements,
Carnegie reasoned, made the citizens feel they
had a part in providing the library. This
contributed to a sense of community pride which
may not have been developed had the library
been a total gift.
Following the acceptance of the money for
the library, a meeting was held by the Cleburne
citizens. At this meeting a library association
was formed, officers were elected, and a library
board meeting was established. Through the
efforts of the association, the city met
Carnegie's requirements for a municipal main-
tenance tax. The site, which is at the corner
of Caddo and Wardville Streets and a block
from the county courthouse, was bought by
James and Julia Osbourne. They donated the
land to the city to be used for the library site.
The association decided to adopt the plans
of local architects Smith and Moore. A number
of proposals were advanced by those favoring
either Spanish or Grecian architectural styles.
Finally, the Grecian style was chosen. It was
believed the broad, simple lines of treatment
and massive columns peculiar to this style of
architecture were especially suited for a library.
The library is considered the first attempt at
architectural expression in Cleburne. A local
firm, Zimmerman and McCoy, was the builder.
The cornerstone was laid by the Grand Lodge
Masons of the State of Texas on January 6,
1904; on May 25, 1905, the building was
formally opened to the public.
On the first floor there was a reading room,
loan and reference departments, and a separate
child's reading room. The first annual report
showed a collection of 2,608 volumes. An
auditorium occupied the second floor, complete
with stage and dressing rooms. These facilities
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Texas Historian, Volume 44, Number 2, November 1983, periodical, November 1983; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth391554/m1/10/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.