Thanking Andrew Carnegie For Freeport's Library Grant

My friend and I obtained the Carnegie correspondence by writing the Carnegie Foundation and borrowing the microfilm.  In the early years Andrew Carnegie's private secretary, James Bertram, who handled all the library grants for Mr. Carnegie, did not save the letters sent to the recipients of the grants.  Therefore, I have only the letters from Freeport citizens to Carnegie.

The following is the third letter to Mr. Carnegie thanking him for the increase in the grant amount from $25,000 to $30,000.  The letter was sent on March 13, 1901 and follows:

Mr. James Bertram
Private Sec'y,
New York City,

Dear Sir,

Your favor (of the) 8th instant received.  We wish to thank Mr. Carnegie very heartily for the increase of donation to $30,000.00 as well as for the original donation and to accept the same.  We have thought it wise to ask Mr. Carnegie to appoint the presidents of the five Freeport banks or, in the absence of any one of them, the cashier, as a board of trustees to handle these funds and to appoint such committees as may in their judgment be necessary to provide for the proper carrying out of the plan.  We make this suggestion because we believe such action would be a guarantee to our people that the money would be not only honestly but intelligently used and this would lend an enthusiasm that will be a great assistance in raising money for the purchase of a site.

Knowlton Bros' bank is not incorporated but Mr. D. A. Knowlton is the senior member.  The tax levy for the support of the public library has run from $2074 in 1891 to $3118 in 1895 and $4236 in 1900.  We think there can be no doubt that the city council will adopt a resolution at its next meeting that it is the sense of the council that the levy of two mills per hundred dollars for the support of the library should be made each year.  The law authorizing such a levy was passed some years ago through the efforts of the representative and senator from this county and the law is a very popular one here through their connection with it and the future support of the library is in our opinion amply assured.

If these suggestions meet with your approval we should be glad to have you signify that fact as promptly as possible that we may get under way very early in the season.

yours truly,

C. F. Hildreth
O. B. Bidwell
Oscar E. Heard
C. W. Harden

Second Letter to Andrew Carnegie

Unlike most of the entities that received grants from Andrew Carnegie for public libraries, Freeport was able to convince Mr. Carnegie to raise the amount of the grant from $25,000 to $30,000.  Here is the letter that turned the trick, the second letter to Mr. Andrew Carnegie, written in late February 1901.

Mr. Jas. Bertram
Private Secy.,
New York City

Dear Sir:

We desire to thank Mr. Carnegie very heartily for the offer contained in you letter of the 21st. to Mr. C.F. Hildreth.  While we are acting in an unofficial capacity we hereby accept that offer on behalf of the people of Freeport.  We have thought it wise before making this matter generally publicto again call your attention to Freeport conditions and to ask fi, in view of these statements, Mr. Carnegie is still of the opinion that $25,000.00 is sufficient to erect a suitable building.

The population of the city proper is 13,250 but including suburbs naturally dependent on the city will easily reach 15,000 people.  Thirty-one mail trains arrive and depart daily from the city, the largest number of any city in the state, Chicago excepted.  Freeport is growing rapidly and in our judgment should double its population in twenty or twenty-five years.  This belief is warranted by the city's locations in a rich farming country, its excellent rail-road facilities and the manufacturing establishments now here and rapidly increasing in size and number.  We have no large towns within 25 miles to dispute our growth with us.  There seems to be no reason to  question that $25,000 would erect a suitable building that would amply answer for some time to come but we incline to the view that this building ought to be on a scale sufficiently large to anticipate the reasonable needs of the next fifty years.

A suitable site will in all probability cost not less than ten thousand dollars and if the site that seems generally preferred is used it will be a piece of ground 140 by 155 feet, beautifully as well as conveniently located  and we are agreed that the building should be  commensurate with the size and beauty of the grounds.  As before stated to Mr. Carnegie the city is now providing and annual income of $4200.00 or ten per cent of $42,000.00 and as this sum is likely to be further increased with the growth of population and the increase in taxable property there is no reason to doubt that we shall be able to provide ample support for such a building as we now favor.  We should like to have this building compare favorably with our $100,000.00 court house, our $75,000.00 city hall and our $30,000.00 Y.M.C.A building as well as the contemplated government building for which an appropriation of $75,000 has been made.  We do not wish to be over persistent in presenting our views of the case and if, after consideration of these facts, Mr. Carnegie should still think that $25,000.00 would properly provide for our needs we shall, of course, defer to his greater experience and riper judgment and be perfectly satisfied with his decision.

Yours truly,

This letter contained the signatures of the original three as well as at least a dozen more Freeport men, including O. B. Bidwell, D.A. Knowlton, D.C. Stover, Dr. Caldwell and others.  Here is picture of the signatures on the document as well as a picture of a local newspaper account of the letter and signors.

A Couple of the Many Postcards Depicting Our Carnegie Library

The Original Letter to Andrew Carnegie, February 1901

Mr. Andrew Carnegie,

New York City,

 

Dear Sir,

 

We beg, as a self appointed committee of citizens, to call your attention to Freeport's need of a public library building.  Our present quarters are a room in the Y.M.C.A. building which the library has outgrown.  So far as we can judge there is no prospect of the city's being able for many years to put up a suitable building for this purpose although a room intended for the library was provided in the new city hall building but this room is no larger than the one now outgrown and has never been finished off as it is manifestly unfitted for the purpose intended.  In the opinion of those qualified to judge the library will never be moved there.  The library consisted on July first last of 16,307 volumes including many standard reference book and tables are supplied with the leading periodicals as well as the latest local newspapers.  It is kept open every day and every evening except Sunday and its benefits are shared in by our citizens free of charge of any kind.  According to the last annual report there 6862 patrons and the circulation for the year was 48,262 volumes.

 

The library is supported by taxation under the provisions of the state law and its revenues from the source last year were about $4,200.00.

The revenues have increased from year to year with the steady growth of the city.  Freeport has a population of 13,250 and including suburbs of approximately 15,000.  The library is free to suburban residents or, in fact, any residents of the county who are tax-payers in the city.

If  this should appeal to you as a worthy object we feel certain that we should be able to comply with the two requirements we see quoted frequently, the furnishing of a site and the continued support of the library after the erection of the building.  No public action has been taken here in this matter but we are certain that our citizens would respond very freely to an appeal for funds to purchase the site and we are just as certain that an ideal site that would meet with the unanimous approval of our people could be obtained at a right price.  We have read with much pleasure of your munificence in this direction in many places and hope that this presentation of our case will command itself your careful consideration.  We shall be glad to furnish you with any further information that you may require and to comply with any rules of action that you may have laid down.  As to our standing in this community you are at liberty to refer to any of Freeport banks, to Congressman Robert R. Hitt or to any other sources of information that may be at hand.  It may not be amiss to add that we are business and professional men with no other end to serve than the good of the city.

An early reply will be appreciated,

Yours truly,

Oscar E. Heard

Attorney at Law & Sec. Library Board

C.W. Harden

Wholesale Cigars and Tobacco

C.F. Hildreth

Insurance Loans & Real Estate