Chronicles of the Weston County Library: Part IV

By Bri Brasher 
with Leonard Cash
NLJ Reporter
 
The detailed timeline of the Weston County Library continues with the help of Leonard Cash’s extensive records on the property, which pick up again in 1914. 
A report of new books added to the library was announced in the library’s notes on Nov. 13, 1914, according to Cash’s records. The annual library report included in the March 25, 1915, issue of the News Letter Journal is the next entry in Cash’s notes. The report states that “the Weston County Library club with this meeting completes the fourth year of its life and begins another year with every promise of increased and greater usefulness to the community. The Library Club is becoming famed as the best ‘get acquainted’ medium in this part of the state. The fact alone would justify its existence, were we to leave out entirely the question of financial returns. … Taken as a whole, the year has been both pleasant and profitable and through united effort and good-fellowship many more such years may be enjoyed.” The report also noted that the club had 109 members at that time.
Another article about the library was published locally on July 22, 1915, when attention was called to the restroom in the library building. Specifically for the ladies, the restroom was provided for convenience and open to all. Records then skip to the next year when the library debated providing a telephone for the community. According to the News Letter Journal, “hardly a day passes that some patron of the public library in this city does not have occasion to use a telephone. … It is a cinch that the convenience of a telephone in the library would be worth much more to the public each month than the cost of having one installed.” Cash said the cost of installing the telephone must have been the deciding factor in not going forward with the service. 
A few months later, the library closed for cleaning and oiling of the floors to prepare for the many social events held at the building throughout the year. The Library Club then donated money for new books in November 1916 in order to keep the library up-to-date and offering the latest books on the market. A list of titles to be available as of the first of the year was provided the next week in the Nov. 30, 1916, issue of the News Letter Journal. 
The first article of the new year in Cash’s records was published in the News Letter Journal on Jan. 4, 1917. The paper reported on the library’s New Year’s night public reception, which was said to have been very successful and enjoyable, exceeding the seating capacity. A week later on Jan. 11, 1917, the paper announced that the Woman’s Library Club of Newcastle gifted books to the public library. The library board also added books to the shelves, according to the same issue of the News Letter Journal.
The Weston County Gazette, on Feb. 7, 1917, reported that “contractor Poe built a section of shelves in the kitchen at the library Tuesday so that the dishes used for lunch by various clubs that meet in the building may be taken care of.” Not long after, the local press reported that the library was to be closed for a week “due to scarlet fever among the children.”
Landscaping preparation and work began in the spring of 1917, according to a March 8 article, with a caution that signs were placed to warn pedestrians to use the walk and avoid making a path across the grass. 
On March 22, 1917, the News Letter Journal reported that kids needed more supervision at the library because the children saw the library as a “public playground.” It was said that kids were often climbing on chairs and leaving marks with their shoes, also often scratching and marring the piano. The article also included a reminder that permission for children’s parties must be granted by the library board, and users of the library were responsible for leaving the library in as good a condition as it was found. 
Then – on April 26, 1917 – work began on the courthouse lawns, “which are already quite green and indicate that the grounds surrounding these two beautiful buildings will be very pretty during the summer months.”
May of 1917 brought a new shipment of the latest fiction, according to the News Letter Journal. The article said, “Among the new books received are two copies of H.G. Wells “Mr. Brittling Sees It Through” conceded by authorities to be the best work on the present world war.”
Cash’s records then jump to Sept. 4, 1919, in reference to an article published in New York. The article discussed Andrew Carnegie’s will after his passing, stating that Carnegie gave away more than $350,000,000 in his life and left the remainder of his fortune to friends and family.
The next article on the timeline goes back to Newcastle, dated Sept. 16, 1920. The News Letter Journal reported that white lights were installed on the front of the library building, which “greatly added to the appearance of the street in front at night” A few months later on Jan. 27, 1921, “a nickel in the slot telephone has been installed in the Library for the use of the public,” according to the News Letter Journal. Next, the paper reported that Mrs. Anna Miller took her annual vacation in August of 1922, and the Weston County Library was closed from Aug. 7 to Aug. 21 to accommodate her absence.  
Cash’s records then skip ahead to 1935, when the library board held a celebration to honor the birthday of Andrew Carnegie. The board hosted an open house the evening of Nov. 25, according to the News Letter Journal.
Then, on Sept. 26, 1936, a change in weather conditions promoted Pastor Ralph Snyder to move the Methodist Church’s services to the library. Cash said the church was being remodeled and had no heating element at that time. 
The next article in Cash’s records is dated Sept. 15, 1938, in which the News Letter Journal reported that new materials were available at the local library. These materials were “up-to-date homemaking” books for the high school home economics department, to be used by all at the library.
In October of 1938, the “The Rosicrucian Digest” was made available at the library. The News Letter Journal explained that Dr. O.B. Kongslie, a local member of the Rosicrucian Order received notice that the organization’s headquarters would send the publication to the local library each month in response to several local reader’s requests. The article explained that “The Rosicrucian Digest was a monthly periodical issued by the Rosicrucian order, which is an educational, philosophical, and non-religious fraternity. The magazine deals with discussion on many philosophical and scientific subjects and should prove of interest to many who visit the local library.”
On Aug. 24, 1939, a tourist from Columbus, Ohio, visited the library and, when returned home, donated 150 books to the Upton library, including a wide variety of well-known titles.
On Nov. 24, 1940, the News Letter Journal published an announcement from librarian Mrs. Lena Summers that library hours were from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. except on Sundays. Summers also requested that books not be brought before or after hours nor left outside. 
More information on the Weston County Library will be provided in the coming installments of the History on Main Series.