Friday, April 13, 1934

Dispatch-Democrat

Public invited to ‘open house’; Ukiah Library will celebrate twentieth anniversay

On next Monday the Ukiah public library will have completed twenty years of existence as a Carnegie library, following seven years as town library. It seemed a fitting time to remind the people of Ukiah of the growth of the work of the library and to make public its aims and hopes of future greater usefulness.

As the Saturday Afternoon club had been the original movers in securing the establishment of the library in 1907, and had also aided largely in securing a lot and Carnegie funds for the building in 1914, the library board invited the women of the club to sponsor a twentieth anniversary celebration.

This invitation was accepted, and in accordance with their plans, on next Monday the library will hold open house all day and every resident of Ukiah and vicinity is cordially invited to drop in and see what the library offers in services to its patrons.

The latest addition to its resources is the children’s library and those who have not already visited it will enjoy seeing the very delightful place where the youngsters may read and secure books for home use. Miss Gwendolyn Tuomey is the very charming young lady who serves the children. On every Saturday morning she has a story hour which draws many youngsters and is a source of great pleasure to them.

She will not give the usual story next Saturday but instead will have story hour at 3:00 o’clock Monday afternoon and at that time all the children are invited to come and bring their parents with them.

On Monday evening there will be musical numbers and a few brief talks by past and present library officials. William Bromley, president of the board of trustees, will give a few interesting bits of library history and tell something of the board’s plans for future good. The ladies of the Saturday Afternoon club will act as hostesses at a tea service both afternoon and evening.

The entire purpose of the day is to make better known the good things the library can do for the community and you are urged to come and see what new things are there since your last visit.

Mrs. Ester Michaelson has been for several years the very efficient librarian and all through the library are evidences of her taste and skill. She is ably assisted by Mrs. Ida L. Brown and Miss Tuomey. This competent trio, assisted by the women of the Saturday Afternoon club, will give you a warm welcome Monday.

Friday, March 10, 1916

Ukiah Republican-Press

Public library growth continues; boys must behave

The Board of Library Trustees at the regular session adopted a tentative list to be purchased and the matter is in the hands of the book committee, George P. Anderson and J.R. Thomas. Various summer work about the attractive municipal structure was ordered done and the lawn has since been mowed.

Mrs. Burrey, the librarian, reported the total attendance for the short month as 2,354, with 1454 books loaned and 101 magazines. The periodical department is becoming more important each month. Complaint is made that small boys use the lawn as playground and scamper up and down the front steps.

From Christmas gift to real estate office

On Christmas Eve of 1912, artist Grace Carpenter Hudson’s parents, Helen and A.O. Carpenter, and Carrie J. Garsey deeded the property bounded by South State and Clay streets to the town of Ukiah “upon the express conditions that the land described shall, be used solely for the purpose of the construction and maintenance thereon of a Carnegie Public Library building, and that construction shall be commenced within one year from the date hereof and completed within a reasonable time.”

Helen Carpenter and Carrie Garsey had only owned the property a week, purchasing it for $10 on Dec. 16,1912 from George Whitehorn.

The city held the property until 1975. By then, the new county library at Perkins and Main streets was in operation, and the venerable Carnegie Library building passed into private ownership.

Beverly Sanders, owner of Beverly Sanders Realty Company, purchased the former Ukiah Library building in 1991, from Wanda Turri. The building that was originally constructed with Carnegie funds had changed hands several times since 1975, but since its sale in 1991 it has been used continuously as the home of Beverly Sanders’ real estate company.

More Ukiah Library trivia

The front entrance door of Ukiah’s Carnegie Library building, and the window above it, were moved to the Held-Poage Research Library on West Perkins Street and are now in use on the Held-Poage’s Publication Building, which for many years has stored Mendocino County Historical Society publications.