Chronicles of the Weston County Library

Part I
By Bri Brasher 
with Leonard Cash
NLJ Reporter
 
The first reports on the Weston County Library appeared in the News Letter Journal on Nov. 7, 1890, according to local historian Leonard Cash’s records. 
“Newcastle ought to have a public library. Either the city fathers, the school board, or some citizen ought to see that a good library is secured for use of the town,” the newspaper reported. 
The spring of 1891 brought another call for a library, as funding started to accumulate. It was reported that the town could find about 75 to 100 subscribers, and if each subscriber paid one dollar every six months, the library would be off to a good start with about $175 to start with, including a $40 donation.
The story continued into the summer of 1896 when a library society was organized. Then, on August 28, 1896, a local news article surfaced. “The ‘Owl’ Reception” reported that the recently established ladies’ literary society had its first reception at the Antlers Hotel, where a crowd of about 50 people gathered to enjoy “the very pleasant literary and musical program, and to partake of the hospitality of the ‘Owls’.” 
The 21st Century Club is the current Owls association in Newcastle, according to Cash. His records then jump to December 23, 1898, when the press reported that “the first installment of books of the traveling library have been received and Postmaster Waite appointed as librarian. Those holding membership certificates can secure books at any time. 
It seems that Waite managed the traveling library until January of 1900, when it was announced that J.K. Chandler was taking charge of the “circulating library.” It was reported that Ms. Waite no longer had the time. Records then skip ahead to August 17, 1906, when the News Letter Journal said that a reading room, where the public was invited to “spend their leisure moments,” opened in Newcastle. The room was formerly occupied by Midwest Restaurant, according to Cash, who said the space was in block 11. Cash added that the creation of the space was primarily focused on the young people to give them a place to go off of the streets. According to Cash, the Rev. Linn, the Presbyterian minister of the time, was the “big wheel really pushing” the reading room.
Cash also found records of the library being in the McLaughlin building, which was also recently covered in the News Letter Journal’s History on Main series. The library was located in a room of the McLaughlin building during its time as the courthouse, according to information Cash uncovered in the Owl’s records. The exact date of the move from block 11 to the McLaughlin building is unknown to Cash, though he said the library was located in the McLaughlin building until the current library was built in 1911 and 1912.
The timeline of library events continued three years later on April 30, 1909, when the News Letter Journal reported on a meeting of the Commercial Club where a committee was appointed to start working on a Carnegie Library building. According to the article, the committee was made up of W.O. Carleton, J.O. Marts, and Hon F.W. Mondell. The board of commissioners began assisting with the project in May of 1909 in terms of adopting the maintenance of a library for the purpose of the county and making a donation for the building’s construction. 
“With the assurance that the citizens of Newcastle will subscribe a small sized amount of money to put into the books, there is no question of a doubt that a Carnegie Library building will be given to the town and with this as the only condition to securing the building, the committee having the matter in charge are getting busy and soliciting pledges of contributions,” reported a Jan. 7, 1910, article in the News Letter Journal. 
Donations were starting to come in at this time.
However, library plans hit a speedbump in the spring of 1910, when the committee learned that a public library had to be established and maintained as a public benefit, otherwise, according to the News Letter Journal, “the need or the deserving of a building can hardly be made apparent.” The same article from May 20, 1910, noted that “at a meeting of the library committee a few evenings ago, it was decided to ask the people to get together, talk over the project and see if a concerted action can be made for the establishment of a public library. We can do this thing easily if we unite in a determined effort.” 
In order to get the community together, a public social was held at City Hall, where a light lunch was served for a small fee. Additionally, the event hosted a book shower, where community members were asked to donate a book(s) to the public library. 
A follow-up article indicated that the social was considered a success in that it was well attended and “enthusiastically endorsed,” especially the piano solo by Ruth Schoonmaker, a reading from Mrs. Jefferis, a piano solo by Mrs. J.C. Baird, and a paper by Mrs. Roadifer titled “Educational Value of a Public Library.” Officers of the library association were also elected, and 200 books were donated at the book shower with more promised.  
Next, on Nov. 25, 1910, the local newspaper announced that before leaving for Washington, D.C., Mondell turned over the subscriptions to the library to treasurer of the library, Ms. Anna Miller. Donations and subscriptions totaled $1,000. The article also called for monthly pledges to equal the $50 needed to keep the library running until the county commissioners could take over: “With the library thus under way, it is hopeful that we may be able to secure sufficient funds from Mr. Carnegie, for the erection of a building.” 
Book donations were still being collected by the committee at Mondell’s office in December of 1910. Then on Dec. 30, 1910, the press announced the opening day of the Weston County Library. The date was set for Jan. 2, 1911, and special arrangements for a noon reception were made for anyone coming in from Cambria on the morning train, and the ladies of Newcastle hosted an open house at the library room from 1 – 10 p.m., serving coffee and cake. The article ended with the following: “Every man, woman and child in Weston County who possibly can are urged to be there to make the opening of the library which means so much to us all a day never to be forgotten.” 
The date of Jan. 13, 1911, brought another update on the library, including a generous donation of a hundred volumes of new books from the private library of Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Mouck. The same article in the local news also indicated that book donations from the community were still coming in. A week later on Jan. 20, 1911, an announcement was made that ladies would keep the library open until nine each evening. 
“See what they did, the different ladies took different days. They volunteered their help, and most of them were OWLS,” Cash said.
“The latest newspapers, books, magazines, etc. will be found there for those who desire to read them. You will be made welcome if you call,” concluded the Jan. 20, 1911, article. Generosity continued into the next week when Miss Gretchen Manahan donated 45 volumes. Also on Jan. 27, 1911, it was noted that the Weston County Library – in the library room – was open and in full swing with new books arriving daily.
Cash then has a record of a Feb. 10, 1911, article in the News Letter Journal, which states that the Weston County Library received and placed 600 elegant new volumes, and the library room’s space was starting to fill up. The need for a bigger space was increasing. However, the people of Weston County did not want for long, as their congressman, Mondell, sent a message to the News Letter Journal that Mr. Carnegie “had consented to donate a public library building for Weston County to cost $12,500,” without expense for the county.