Riverside County CA Archives History - Books .....Riverside Public Library 1912
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Book Title: History Of Riverside County California

CHAPTER VIII. 
RIVERSIDE PUBLIC LIBRARY
By E. W. Holmes 

   It was natural that the early colonists, being of the stock which has
impressed its characteristics most strongly upon the nation, should, at the very
outset, as soon as schools and churches were organized, undertake to provide
themselves with a public library. But the little company which located so
hopefully upon the arid plain, found that the work of transforming it into the
ideal spot it was their ambition to make it, left neither time nor money with
which to achieve success in library making, and that this most desirable feature
must wait for more favorable conditions. These were afforded when the successful
horticultural development of the valley induced a rapid increase in the
population and wealth of the settlement.

   In the year 1879, through the efforts of A. S. White and E. W. Holmes, the
settlers organized the Riverside Library Association, out of which has grown our
present free public library. Any citizen was privileged to become a member by
paying $3, and such dues or fines as should from time to time be ordered to
provide for the library's maintenance. The fund raised in this way being
insufficient to provide such a library as was desired, Mr. Holmes organized a
dramatic club and gave the first drama ever presented to a Riverside audience. A
stage and benches were improvised in the room on the first floor of the Odd
Fellows' building, then near enough to completion to make its use possible. The
play selected was "Better Than Gold," and the two-night performance netted the
(for those times) handsome sum of $150 to add to the library fund. It seems
proper, to record the names of those who took part in this affair. The cast
included Mr. Holmes, Frank Emerson, Frank A. Patton, R. P. Waite, D. C. Ross,
Miss Marion H. Harris, Mrs. G. M. Skinner and Mrs. W. P. Russell. The music was
furnished by Dr. C. W. Packard, D. S. Strong, John Bonham and W. E. Keith.

   The first meeting of the association was held July 15, 1879, when the
following officers were chosen: President, Dr. C. J. Gill; vice-president, T. J.
Wood; treasurer, Dr. J. P. Greves; secretary, Walter Lyon. The management of the
library was placed in the hands of an executive committee composed of A. S.
White, E. W. Holmes and A. J. Twogood. Later Mr. Twogood resigned and James
Bettner was chosen in his place. About a thousand volumes were purchased and
James H. Roe made librarian, and the books were kept in Mr. Roe's drug store
until he sold out his business. Later another druggist, J. W. Hamilton, was
elected librarian, and the institution prospered until a fire occurred, which
resulted in the injury of many volumes, and the books were stored for a while.

   Meanwhile the steady growth of the settlement had made advisable its
incorporation as a city, which was effected in October, 1883. In April, 1888,
Mr. Holmes, being at the time chairman of the city board of trustees, obtained
the consent of the stockholders, and offered the books to the city upon the
condition that the city should organize and maintain a free public library under
a recent statute giving municipalities power to take such action. The city board
promptly accepted the gift, and appointed E. W. Holmes, A. S. White, Dr. C. J.
Gill, N. C. Twining and Rev. George H. Deere, trustees. Dr. Deere was chosen
president of the library board, which position he held for fourteen years.

   The city used at that time the second story of a building located on the
north side of Eighth street, between Main and Orange, as a "city hall," and two
small rooms in the rear of the building were set apart for the use of the
library. Mrs. Mary M. Smith was placed in charge as librarian. The choice proved
a fortunate one, for she brought to the work exceptional ability and enthusiasm,
and to her conscientious efforts in organizing the institution is largely due
its success. Her assistant was Mrs. Frank T. Morrison.

   At the outset there was no reading-room provided, and the library was only
open to the public upon three afternoons and one evening of each week. When the
city leased rooms in the Loring building, a year or two later, ample quarters
were assigned the library in the central portion of the second floor. From this
time a generous annual appropriation made possible the steady enlargement of the
library, and, with the rooms open practically every day in the year, the
institution became one of great value, the circulation being always
exceptionally large.

   The steadily increasing use of the library and reading-room, during the first
dozen years of its existence, demonstrated so thoroughly its value to the
community that the need of a building exclusively devoted to its use was fully
realized. Dr. Deere, Lyman Evans and others sought, through friends, to secure
aid from Andrew Carnegie toward the erection of a library building. It was the
good fortune of Mr. Evans to be the one whose communication first reached the
noted philanthropist, and brought the gratifying response that he would give
$20,000 with which to erect such a building for Riverside—upon conditions
regarding maintenance such as had already been met by the city. On September 3,
1901, the city trustees pledged the city to fulfill the conditions required, and
formally accepted the gift. The library trustees selected as a site the quarter
block on the corner of Seventh and Orange streets, accepted plans for a building
in the Mission style, prepared by Burnham & Bliesner of Los Angeles, and gave
the contract for its erection to J. W. Carroll of Riverside.

   The completed building proved exceptionally satisfactory exteriorly, and the
feature of the interior most pleasing was the spacious, well-lighted and
artistically decorated reading room, 40x80 feet in area, while the excellent
stack room and conveniences required for library work seemed more than ample;
and yet in less than ten years more room was required, and a further gift of
$7,500 was made by Mr. Carnegie—making the total of his contributions $27,500.
This sum, however, does not cover the cost of the building; since the
enlargement, city funds were required in addition.

The city also erected the beautiful branch library building in the Arlington
district, to provide special accommodations for that growing part of the city.
The total amount invested in library buildings and grounds amounts to about
$62,000, and the total value, including contents, considerably exceeds $100,000.

   The number of volumes now (1912) on the shelves amounts to about 45,000.
There were circulated during 1911 over 93,000 volumes, of which fully 18,000
were classed as juvenile. With the enlargements made there is a possible shelf
capacity for fully 100,000 volumes, and recent changes have provided ample and
modern conveniences for library work. The reading room for-children and the
enlarged reference rooms are features most valuable, and have justified the
liberal expenditures made to provide them.

   It seems proper to record the names of those who have faithfully served in
creating and maintaining this popular institution. Those who have acted as
trustees are Rev. George H. Deere, Albert S. White, Elmer W. Holmes, Dr. C. J.
Gill, Prof. N. C. Twining, J. L. Koethan, Lyman Evans, E. B. Stanton, George H.
Dole, George E. Bittenger, William L. Peters, Rev. Dr. W. F. Taylor, H. L.
Carnahan, Prof. A. N. Wheelock, L. V. W. Brown, L. A. Brundige, C. L. McFarland
and Mrs. S. F. Patterson.

   Those who have served as librarians since it became a city institution are:
Mrs. Mary M. Smith, Miss Grace Mansfield, Miss Margaret Kyle (now Mrs. F. C.
Stone) and Joseph F. Daniels. The assistant librarians have been Miss Fannie M.
Skinner (now Mrs. F. T. Morrison), Mrs. M. Stella Morrell and Miss Helen Evans.

   The growth of the library has fully kept pace with that of the city, and made
necessary the securing of the services of a trained library expert to reorganize
it on the most approved lines. The trustees were so fortunate as to engage for
this work Joseph F. Daniels, the present librarian, whose efforts since taking
charge seem to fully justify the excellent things said of him by those who had
been his associates in important school and library work in many eastern states
during the past twenty years. Under his supervision the library building has
been enlarged and equipped with all the necessary appliances required in a
modern library, an ample force of young ladies trained in the best methods, and
the foundation laid to make our local library among the very largest and best
maintained by cities of our class. Through an annual appropriation by the county
supervisors the free use of the books is now offered the people of the county at
large.

   The first money endowment to the library, known as the Ethan Allen Chase
fund, was made in July, 1912. This endowment consisted of $5,000 in six per cent
securities, four per cent to be used for books of science, biography and
history, all above four per cent to be added to the fund each year.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF
Riverside County
CALIFORNIA
WITH
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been
Identified With Its Growth and Development From
the Early Days to the Present
HISTORY BY
ELMER WALLACE HOLMES
AND OTHER WELL KNOWN WRITERS
ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME

HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 
1912


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