Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Carnegie Libraries of Indiana
Cities D-F
Danville
Built in 1902, with additions in 1979 and 1999. Merited a two-sided historical marker. Still in use, and still known as the Danville Public Library.
Yet another Classical Revival library on an entire back postcard, dating between 1902 and 1907.
Decatur
Current library needs are addressed by the Adams Public Library system.
Eclectic building from 1906. Replaced, and serves as a county court office.
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(L) 'Lithochrome' brand card, mailed 1917.
(R) Postcard from an unknown publisher.
Delphi
(L) Western News' 'Litho-Chrome' card, mailed in 1908.
(R) Photo card gives us the June 19, 1906 dedication date for the Library. The view is very similar to that on the printed card.
Originally organized by the Oracle Club.
1904 grant. Still in use after a 1990 addition.
Shouldn't they have known it would become too small?
Attractive, classic web site with an extensive history page. It's interesting to see that they have an interpreter/translator on staff.
It's especially essential any time there's an oracle involved.
Earl Park
1911. Carnegie grant. The tan brick building, similar to Claude and Starck's Iowa library designs, is still in use, and can be seen on the Library's Facebook page. It is now part of the Benton Count Library system.
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This 1908 card shows the interior of the library.
East Chicago (Indiana Harbor Branch)
East Chicago received two 1903 grants, resulting in the Baring Avenue Branch, heavily remodeled, but still in use, and the Indiana Harbor Branch, which appeared to be abandoned for many years. As of March, 2015, it is reborn as the East Chicago Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts.
(L) Charming scene with four girls and a man mowing the lawn.
Planters and a fancy brick foundation are Prairie architectural details.
A steep (but practical) roof destroys the effect.
(R) Sky-tint card with a park to the side.
(L) 1938 Curt Teich linen finish card, mailed in 1940. Notice the streetcar tracks in front, which help the building look just that much more like a railroad station.
(R) Per caption:
Public Library and Grapevine Street at 136th Street
Indiana Harbor, Ind.
Commercialchrome card.
Elkhart
E.C. Kropp postcard.
Manufacturer unknown, but it was sent with the compliments of Uncle Dan.
Produced for the A.D. Frank News Agency.
1901 grant: building completed in 1903. Replaced in 1963: 60 years is not a long time, considering how well these buildings were constructed. In 1969, a bank purchased the building, tearing it down in 1970.
I'd really kvetch, but this building is not all that special. It's a lot like that of Blue Island, Illinois.
Whoops, that got torn down, too.
Time to start kvetching, boys and girls.
Elwood
Endangered.
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Where Mrs. Willkie was librarian before marriage.'
She should not have quit her day job.
(R) Used to also advertise Elwood's National Book Company's publications, Wendell Willkie of Elwood, and theWillkie Pictorial Souvenir.
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Built in 1903: superceded in 1997 due primarily to wiring problems. Temporarily used as the Updegraff's Furniture Store Annex in 2006, per a high school online newspaper, until the heating system quit. Indiana Landmarks does not believe the building will make it to its 125th anniversary.
The Library is now part of the North Madison County Public Library System. These Indiana folks sure like long library names.
(L) Unattributed card mailed to Rockford in 1916.
(R) Early Curt Teich C.T. Blue Sky card mailed in 1947.
Evansville
Two branch libraries of the Evansville/Vanderburgh County Library were built with Carnegie grant money. segregated branch--Cherry Branch--also existed, but was demolished. For more Evansville cards, see my non-Carnegie library page.
(L) Uncertain as to which building this is. The card refers to it in the plural, but gives the information:
Clifford Shopbell & Co. Architects. The Wikipedia article linked does not list these libraries, but I think a contemporaneous post card mailed in 1913 is better evidence, eh?
(R) The card, mailed in 1916, was a product of Chicago's Acmegraph. It clearly states that it shows the East Side Branch.
This 1916 Curt Teich postcard of the West Side Carnegie Library clarifies the situation somewhat. It was mailed in 1920.
Identical twins, unveiled to the public on January 1, 1913. The grant money was approved January 6, 1911, per Bobinski. Even today, these buildings remain identical.
Flora
1917 grant. Still in use, with an increased service area.
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Photo postcard, unattributed.
Fort Wayne
(L) Mailed in 1911, the postcard shows a street scene.
(R) Mailed in 1908, this image had arboreal issues.
(BL) Acmegraph card.
(BC) Curt Teich postcard.
(BR) Auburn postcard.
Morphed into the Allen County Public Library, which is one of the most amazing libraries I've had the pleasure to use. Even during library construction, the genealogy collection was accessible and useable. It reminds me of the Oshkosh library--on steroids.
The Carnegie grant came in 1901. The resultant building was demolished in 1965. There is nothing in its place.
Fowler
(L) No information on this card, and its post-mark is illegible.
(R) Mulson Studio card mailed in 1953.
1906 grant. Now part of the Benton County Public Library, but I had to use Google maps Street View to learn this is the same building, after its recent addition.
Frankfort
(L) Although the card shows a dotted line evenly dividing its back, it was mailed as if it were an entire back card in 1908. The attractive card is German (Dresden-Leipzig-Berlin) and published by the Indiana News Company of Indianapolis.
(R) Dexter Press 'chrome' card, mailed in 1981.
Built in 1906. With a 1988 addition, still in use. Now known as the Frankfort Community/Clinton County Contractual Public Library. The Library's web site is quite accessible and useful. The link above will take you to its history page.
Franklin
1913 grant: no longer in use. Repurposed as condominiums. Franklin is now part of the Johnson County Public Library system.
Card printed by the Wayne Paper Box & Printing Corp. It was mailed in 1942.