This Month's Library News (a Century Ago)

As part of our 100th anniversary celebration during 2012, we will be looking back a century to see what library news was breaking in Mooresville, Indiana.

The proverbial ball was rolling in January, 1912, as concerned citizens were circulating petitions for signature demonstrating public support for construction of a new public library in Mooresville.  This public push began in October, 1911.  The Friends Aid Society met at the home of Mrs. George Carter to campaign for a new facility. On December 12, 1911, a meeting was held at F. E. Carlisle's furniture store with representatives of local organizations, including the Likely Literary Club, Bay View Club, several churches, the Board of Education, and the school superintendent, A. C. Payne. Carrie E. Scott, librarian and a representative of the Public Library Commission, presided. Enthusiastic support prompted a public meeting on December 18, 1911 at the Methodist Episcopal (M.E.) Church, which is now the Mooresville Town Government Center. Jacob Dunn, president of the Public Library Commission, and library board members from Plainfield and Martinsville encouraged Mooresville's efforts to reestablish its library.  By January, 1912, efforts were well under way to garner public support in town and surrounding Brown Township in Morgan County.

Apparently, public officials were confident that a new public library would be built, because local carpenters (and undertakers) Rusie & Son mailed this postcard (below) to Orleans Cabinet Company on September 19, 1911, requesting delivery of a table order for the library.  These tables were initially used in the library's temporary quarters (1913-1915) and were subsequently moved to the completed library during its construction in 1915.  One of the original tables now resides in the MPL Indiana Room.

Postcard dated 9/19/1911 from Rusie & Son to Orleans Cabinet Company

requesting delivery of library tables

(postcard courtesy of Ron Moon)

(Click images to enlarge)

Want to see what a hundred-year-old-plus library table looks like?  Drop by the MPL Indiana Room, or click the photos below.

 
As for the library's temporary quarters:  On April 18, 1913, the library leased space for a reading room in the Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) Building, which was where 8 East Main Street would be today.  (2017 UPDATE:  Mooresville Bicentennial Park is now situated at this location.) This was the temporary quarters for the library until the new building was completed.

I.O.O.F. (Odd Fellows) Building

(Photo taken 7/18/1920 by Manley Brown)

Why did Rusie & Son order the library tables so early?  Mooresville's Hovey Institute and Workmen's Library (1855-ca. 1885) had leased rooms in the old Holman Johnson Building (at 9 West Main Street) during the 1870s-1880s, and although this was a subscription library that was disbanded circa 1885, the space was probably still used in 1911 to store library furniture, shelving, etc., when the building was owned by F. E. Carlisle, undertaker and furniture maker, who operated at the location from 1895 to 1948.

F. E. Carlisle owned the "new" Holman Johnson Building (built in 1895)

where library tables purchased in 1911 were probably stored.  The building is just to the left of Pace Thompson, who stood in front of his dry goods store
(not too far from the horse and buggy).  Ignore the white arrow at the top,
which points to Pace Thompson's building (ca. 1910 photo by J. P. Calvert)

1912 view of West Main Street (looking west from the intersection

with Indiana Street) in downtown Mooresville, Indiana.

The new library would be built on the right,

where the second stand of trees is visible

In the photo above, the word bank was traced in ink on the sign above the entrance to Farmers State Bank.  To see additional photos of downtown Mooresville during this time period, click here and here and here.  For yet more history about downtown, just browse this blog's archives.

In January and February, 1912, officials of the town government began searching for prospective sites for the new library.  Stay tuned to learn some of the surprising possible locations that were initially selected, and the resultant public furor that shaped the final decisions.

McCracken Hotel & Restaurant (1912)

Here's a teaser:  The eventual library locale was directly across from this popular restaurant.

Want to take a walking tour of downtown Mooresville? Probably not in January, but here's some information, anyway. Watch our local history trailer, too. Too busy to take the downtown walking tour? We have a virtual alternative.