The trust agreed to give $1 for every $2 that the board would raise in the next 90 days through other contributions, up to $5,000. More money had to be raised, and the board asked the Helvering Trust for help. City employees became carpenters for the renovation, gutting the interior and starting from scratch. The city owned a vacant building on Main Street that had once been an IGA store owned and operated by the Glynn family for many years and then later by Jerry and Ruth Vaughn. Now, the time had come to stir up interest in a new home for the library. This was an incentive to start thinking about a new home for the library.Ī big surprise came in the fall of 1998 when the library was informed it would receive a $40,000 bequest from the estate of Marie Risdon, a retired school teacher. In the mid-1990’s the library received $5,000 from the will of Ruth Conz. Volumes grew in number, but the room did not grow and the library began having growing pains. The library took on a new look with a microfilm reader and printer with reels of Frankfort newspapers dating back to the 1880’s and several reels of census reports. New carpeting was installed, walls were painted, new shelving purchased and a handicap accessible ramp was built at the front entry. The room was extended to the east to make room for a handicap accessible restroom and a new heating and air-conditioning system. The library received a state grant in 1989 for 40 percent of a $16,000 renovation project in the section of the city building used by the library. Considering converting the old house into a library to be an extremely costly project, the city declined the offer. The city governing body weighed the advantages and disadvantages of moving the library. It was learned in the mid-1980’s that Miss Anna Brawley, daughter of the founder of the library, had left the Brawley home to the city for a library. Also available for the readers were rotating books from the book van every other month, large print books and books through interlibrary loan. The library ended its first century in November 1986 with 5,000 volumes and 400 card patrons. An Open House was held to acquaint the people of the community with the Library and the Librarian, Ivan Lewis. It became the Frankfort City Library supported with a 2-mill tax levy, state aid and donations. It was accepted and presented to the city in a formal ceremony on April 26, 1969. There was a loss of books from water damage in the 1959 flood, but despite adversities and meager budget the library continued to grow under aegis of the Tuesday Club.Īfter maintaining the library for more than a half-century the Club offered the library to the city in the fall of 1968. Operating funds came from one-half the club’s membership dues, 25-cent book fee for three months, overdue book fines, donations from organizations, memorial gifts and help from the city for library furnishings. It was operated by a board of directors and staffed by the Tuesday Club volunteers on Saturday afternoons and one weekday. Kansas Avenue, which was the library’s home until March 2001. In 1911 the Tuesday Club purchased the charter from the Ladies Library and moved into the rent-free and utilities paid city building at 107 N. For the next 25 years, so many life memberships were sold that funds did not accumulate and the ladies struggled to keep the library open one day a week. The membership fee was $1.00 per year and a life membership was $5.00. Shumate’s real estate office (located over the Kansas Power and Light office, 119 North Kansas Avenue). The first library was located in a small room of Mr. A charter was formed and books purchased. Weston, May Reed, Carrie Brown and Carrie Warden. Those who met to organize a ladies library group were Mrs. The Frankfort Library came into existence in 1886 in the home of Mrs.
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