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.