History

A Community Vission (1905)

The matter of establishing a free public library for the city was first discussed at a meeting of the Madison Parents and Teachers League in November 1905. So much enthusiasm was displayed for the idea that a committee was appointed to confer with the local clergymen and to arrange for a mass meeting at the opera house the following Sunday.

That meeting was held and was addressed by nearly all the clergymen of the city. Again, the idea of establishing a library and reading room was enthusiastically received. In fact, $140 in subscriptions was pledged that very evening, and Judge D. D. Holdridge, chairman of the meeting, appointed the following committee to take immediate steps toward carrying out the project: Rev. Hugh Robinson, Msgr. Flynn, Rev. A. D. Thibadeau, Miss Anna B. Gerrig, Mrs. L. M. Tolles, and Mrs. Thomas Carey.

In less than two months, the committee had raised approximately $600. Citizens had also donated over 1,200 “good books” and a “large mass of magazines.”

Judge Holdridge was authorized to contract with Mr. John Wadden for rooms in his new bank building to be used as a reading room and library. When the Madison Free Public Library opened its doors to the public on Friday, December 22, 1905, it was above the Lake County Bank. When the Madison Daily Leader promoted the library’s opening, they wrote that it was “destined to become one of the most valuable institutions in the city.”

A Carnegie Library (1906–1907)

A seven-member committee was appointed to oversee the management of the new Free Public Library. Their goal was to have a building for the library collection. According to the January 22, 1906 issue of the Madison Daily Leader, Mr. George R. Farmer had been corresponding with Andrew Carnegie in regard to a library building for Madison. On January 22 he received the following letter dated January 16, 1906:

“George R. Farmer, Esq., Madison, South Dakota.
Dear Sir: Responding to your communications on behalf of Madison: If the city agrees by resolution of the council to maintain a free public library at a cost of not less than $1,000 a year, and provide a suitable site for the building, Mr. Carnegie will be glad to give $10,000 to erect a free public library building for Madison.
Respectfully yours, James Bertram, private secretary.”

In accordance with the statutes governing public libraries, petitions requesting that the city council levy a tax for library purposes were circulated in the city. A majority of the voters signed the petition, making it incumbent upon the council to make such a levy.

In May and June of 1906, the location of the new building was discussed at city council meetings. Two sites were considered: lots on the T. I. Lannon property at the corner of Van Eps and what was then 6th Street, and a site in the city park at the corner of Harth and 5th Street. On June 9, 1906, a ballot was ordered and the city park site was chosen. The formal requirements for the Carnegie library were completed at the June 19, 1906 council meeting.

The Carnegie Library committee—D. D. Holdridge, A. G. Schmidt, John Wadden, L. T. Love, Rev. Hugh Robinson, Msgr. Flynn, and Willis White—let the contract for the building to A. J. Gamner in October of that year. In November, the Daily Leader announced that work had been temporarily suspended due to cold weather, with the basement walls about half completed.

Work resumed in the spring, and on Thursday, November 12, 1907, at 7:30 p.m., the new Carnegie Library opened its doors. The Madison Daily Leader noted that “there would be no formal exercises, but the public was invited to visit and spend a social evening. Books would not be circulated until the following day.”

“The books have been classified according to the Dewey system and are all arranged on the bookshelves behind the delivery desk.”

In accepting the building, the city council adopted the following resolution:

“We the mayor and the city council of the City of Madison, on behalf of the citizens of Madison and vicinity, do hereby extend to Mr. Andrew Carnegie our thanks for his generous gift of ten thousand dollars for the construction of our beautiful library building. We extend our thanks not only for the living, but for future generations who will greatly enjoy and profit by this generous gift. This splendid building will always stand as a monument to the memory of this great benefactor, who has done so much to promote the educational and literary tastes of our people.”

This building, which cost $7,973 to construct, has served as Madison’s public library since it opened. In the 1960s, overcrowding led to renovations. The basement was finished, and the children’s department moved there in September 1963. On the main floor, the ceiling was lowered, new flooring installed, and new shelving and furniture added.

In the 1980s, further improvements included storm windows, attic insulation, new lighting, and a replaced ceiling.

Throughout the years, eighteen librarians managed the library, supported by the Board of Trustees and the community, contributing to steady growth in collections and services. By 1993, the collection exceeded 40,000 items, with over 90,000 annual circulations.

A Carnegie Library (1906–1907)

In the 1990s, it was determined that a larger library was needed. A telephone poll showed that 85% of residents preferred expanding the existing building rather than leaving the historic Carnegie building.

A sales tax referendum passed in 1991 funded the expansion, along with grants and local fundraising. The project generated $750,000 from sales tax, $200,000 in grants, and over $75,000 in local donations.

On April 4, 1994, the Madison City Commission accepted a $1,042,004 bid from McDonald Construction. Groundbreaking took place on April 25, 1994, with city officials and library leaders participating.

Construction began immediately, and the expanded library facility opened in spring 1995, providing a larger and more accessible space while preserving the historic building.

Source: Adapted from History of Lake County (Lake County Historical Society, 1995), pages 326-327, including City Council resolution on the Carnegie Library.