In 1985, Allen Gardiner had his excellent resource The Carnegie Legacy in Kansas published by the Kansas State Library. Obviously, you can't walk into Barnes & Noble and get a copy, so Mr. Gardiner's work is available online at http://skyways.lib.ks.us/carnegie/intro.html.
Late 1905 grant; late 1908 opening, probably owing to an early form of urban renewal needed to clear the designated space.
First addition, 1933. Second addition, 1977. Total renovation, 2009.
Rather pretty ca. 1907 postcard, printed in Germany for an New York firm, and distributed by A.L. Duckwall.
1906 Carnegie grant. Replaced 1980: fate unknown.
The library's history is on an Arkansas City website. Currently, the library is housed in the former post office building. It seems strange that a post office in ca.12,000 person town is more appropriately sized for its library.
(L) This card was sold by S.H. Kress. The library is clearly labeled:
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Presented to the people
19 of Arkansas City by 07
ANDREW CARNEGIE
I guess you have to extrapolate a little for the meaning.
(R) 1968 Curt Teich chrome postcard. By this time the library was over 60 years old and still handsome.
Dedicated 1906: sometime along the way, the tower was removed, essentially destroying the Romanesque appearance. (Not many Carnegie libraries were built in this 19th century revival style.)
The library is still in use.
(L) Entire back card produced shortly after the building's
completion and mailed in 1906.
(R) The tinted card postdates 1907.
Not just a mall in Rockford, Illinois.
1912 grant: opened 1913. Still in use with very limited hours.
Another utilitarian library, but the windows are rather attractive.
This postcard seems to confirm the hypothesis that 'Black and White' was another Curt Teich brand, as this 1929 card has 'C.T. American Art Black and White' written in the center divider on the reverse side.
Late 1909 grant. Still in use, but a major renovation is in the offing. Seems, however, that the 1912 plans are missing. A little overzealous weeding, perchance?
Utilitarian building that is rather ochre, not gray.
Commercialchrome card.
Grant from 1907: building completed 1909. Building outgrown by 1969 and eventually replaced.
Now houses the Cloud County Historical museum.
Notice the stone blockwork which presages the 1950s, when lannon stone
facings reached a near-craze in the Milwaukee, and to a lesser extent, the Chicago suburbs.
Card mailed in 1925. Someone in the Commercialchrome retouch department thought this winter shot needed to feature willows and roses.
Gardiner calls this 1905-7 building 'Free Style' or 'Free Eclectic Style.'
I call it the spiffiest use of cement west of Wright's Unity Temple. I haven't seen a post-1937 picture: Dodge City snagged a WPA project to build an addition.
This is a Fred Harvey card. I imagine there were parts of the West where the library was the most exciting structure.
A Classical Revival building designed by John F. Stanton and built in 1912.
Replaced, and turned into offices in 1987.
This Curt Teich American Art postcard was mailed in 1919.
Built in 1906, after the persistent Mrs. Amanda Wicks, librarian, decided in 1901 to pursue a Carnegie grant. Building replaced in 1979, and now houses the Lyon County Historical Museum. Furthermore, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.
(L) Fred Harvey card with divided back. Note the total lack of landscaping.
(R) E.C. Kropp card, never postally used.
1901 Carnegie grant: built in 1902. Second Renaissance Revival building on National Register of Historic Places.
Apparently this building is still in use.
This sepia monochrome card by an unknown publisher was mailed in 1910.
1909 grant. Moved from the Carnegie building to the old post office in 1964. Became the Finney County Public Library in 1983, prior to a new library facility being built.
Built in 1913. Replaced in 1975. Now the Carnegie Arts Center.
Per Gardiner, the special 1909 election that brought it into existence was one in which women were allowed to vote. Goodland was also another of those towns that didn't want to take 'tainted' money.
C.T. Blue Sky card from 1935.
1906 grant: 1908 Eclectic Neoclassical building.
Does Eclectic = shoddy roof? Persistent water damage to the second floor doomed this Carnegie building in 1963. There must have been a lot of pondering--and mold growth--going on, because it took until 1971 until its demolition.
Commercialchrome card was used as a salesman's record. In 1923, 2000 cost $6.00.
Opened 1904. In 1946, became the Union Labor Temple and the library moved to a new building.
You can't help but wonder what monstrosity was cropped from the left side of the photograph.
Opened 1907. Air conditioned 1956 (hey, it's important to me!). Still in use.
Beautiful 'LITHO-CHROME' card printed in Germany for the South-West News Company, Kansas City, Mo. Never postally used, it must date before 1914.
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1906 - 1966
Slightly unusual design.
Gardiner states that it was built of concrete blocks from a local cement factory.
Perhaps that savings enabled it to be large for the size of its community. Still, it was outmoded by 1965.
(L) Early divided-back card, sent late 1907. Notice the size of the trees among the three cards.
(C) Card sent 1912 by Ina C., who was 'tatting a streak.'
(R) Impressive photo card sent 1913.
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(R) Huron Park and Public Library
Built ca. 1902.
This was a Carnegie library, according to
a Kansas City (KS) Public Schools site, page no longer available.
It was torn down in 1958. Another KCKS branch, the Argentine Carnegie Library,
is pictured on a commercial (watch for pop-ups) site. As of 2010, it appears as if this branch may move.
Opened 1904. Replaced 1972.
Today the Carnegie building serves as the Lawrence Arts Center, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sepia-toned German card sent in 1908.
September 24 postmark combined with a Happy New Year message leads me to believe that this was used to celebrate the Jewish New Year.
Update: the above card has found a new--and more appropriate--home.
(L) Carl W. Mettner postcard, printed in Germany.
(R) Black and White brand card.
1900 grant. Replaced 1987. Current use unknown.
Isn't this an especially dignified building? The placement of the white border leaves an ambiguity whether the library was built on a hill, or the photographer had found a really unusual angle.
German 'Litho-Chrome' card in really poor condition.
Grant received 1903. Building built in 1904, and it now houses the County Attorney's office.
It's a lumpy building, but in an unnatural fashion.
Probably it's built of concrete blocks, but possibly of sandstone or limestone.
(L) Credit for the card is given to Guy Varney of Manhattan. This is a weird card that is
tinted distinctly green in addition to the stylish cropping.
That didn't improve it enough to use a color scan.
(R) This is an ugly card, too. Evidently the German retouchers had never seen an American flag. 10 stars?
The pole apparently is real: ropes lead from the front wall to it.
1915 grant. Built in 1918.
Impressive, isn't it?
Unfortunately, demolished prior to its 1972 replacement.
Simply exquisite PCK card.
Library's history detailed on a Kansas site. From 1903 to 1973 it was the city's library: in 1973, its deed was given to the Harvey County Historical Society. Today it houses that entity.
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| LITHO-CHROME brand card, pre Great War. |
Linen finish card, 1938. | Chrome, 1958. |
Built 1903; still in use.
(L) Another beautiful German 'LITHO-CHROME' card made for the South-West News Company, Kansas City, Mo.
(C) A Curt Teich American Art card, with the liberty of an orange and yellow
striped awning. How jaunty!
(R) A Curt Teich chrome card, wih realistic colors.
Completed in 1909.
Please visit Gardiner's site for an architectural description.
No longer in use, there are plans to renovate the building into an arts center. Actually, there's a lot of info on this beautiful building online.
Parsons has the first library blog I've run across in the course of this research.
Established 1874.
The Carnegie building, rumored to have the same plan as the Galena, IL library, opened in 1914. From the outside, it looks more like that of Savanna, IL. I see more differences than just the omission of the tile roof.
Unevenly divided back, from the Auburn Post Card Co. of Auburn, Indiana.
1903-1968
Remarkably small, and per Gardiner, outgrown by 1917!
Either this German postcard or Gardiner's photo has the negative reversed. The horse is the giveaway feature.
Built in 1917, wing added 1982. Still in use.
Black & White brand card, printed near the end of the plate's life. Usually this card series has higher production values.
December, 24, 1909 grant. (Nice Christmas present!) Built in 1911, and still in use as of 2008.
(L) Jepson photo, mailed 1913.
(R) Later photo postcard with some sort of trash wood to the left.
Information from Gardiner, and from a correspondent (thank you, G.C.!).
This Carnegie building was finished in 1915, and shortly thereafter, the librarian, Miss Katherine Cossitt, resigned in protest over furniture and interior decoration issues. She also found faults in the building's construction.
Fidelity Bank and Clark and Clay Bastian saved and renovated the building (thank you, guys!).
Information from Gardiner.
Carnegie grant, 1902. City dawdled until 1912. Building opened, 1913. The building was replaced, 1990.
The postcard was mailed in October, 1913. The building has rather a grand entryway, probably more suited to a theater.
Information from Gardiner.
Speedy grant process (application, January 10, 1910; approval, January 31, 1910).
This card features the twin towers that render it Romanesque Lite in my opinion. Someone got a little tetchy with them after 1915, the date of the card, because the whole entry area was stripped off the building. Their bad.
The reverse of this card features the mysterious 'Sky-Tint' brand and the logo for the Commercial Colortype Company of Chicago.
© 2003 - 2012 Judy Aulik
Divided 10 August 2012.
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