Centennial of original library begins Monday

On June 30, the Mountain Home Historical Museum will be commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Carnegie building, which served as the city library for 66 years and presently houses the Mountain Home Museum.

The event will feature speeches from staff at the Mountain Home Public Library, the Women's Civic Club and special guest Charles F. Hummel, grandson of one of the library's original architects and representing Hummel Architects out of Boise.

To aid in the festivities, the museum staff will be holding a new flag ceremony with Carolyn Strom singing the "Star Spangled Banner" and local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts raising the flag.

The event will also feature a free ice cream social. The ice cream was donated by the Idaho Dairy Association.

When the building was originally dedicated the village band performed. At the rededication, the Mountain Home High School Marching Band will perform.

The event also will have a 1924 Model T Ford and a 1904 "family buggy" on display.

"Reading the history of 1908, it shows the unity in the community toward getting this library and I still see it is a valuable part of our community in 2008. We invite the public to come walk into history and celebrate the 100 year history of our library," said Mountain Home Museum Director Nancy Marshall.

"It is also gratifying to know that the Carnegie Building has been maintained and used for these past hundred years and is also being restored with the assistance of the Idaho Community Foundation, the City, and the Mountain Home Historical Society," said Hummell in a letter to Marshall.

"The work of our distinguished predecessors lives on thanks to the fine citizen and community interests for history and the liberal arts like you have in Mountain Home."

The library started to come into existence in late 1907, when Mrs. Ella Caldwell, secretary for the first established library board, petitioned the Andrew Carnegie Foundation for $6,000 to construct a permanent facility.

Carnegie agreed to the request if the building site was obtained by the city and the council would guarantee to provide matching funds equal to 10% of the amount being requested.

From there one of three floor plans were submitted by Tourelette and Hummel of Boise. One was selected and the construction company of Berg and Johnson was awarded the building contract.

Once negotiations were settled, a two-story Carnegie Library, equipped with only a furnace, was dedicated on Nov. 19, 1908.

Mountain Home gathered donations for the library, including books, as the board worked to host various community events that would be used to pay for shelving and reading room tables.

In 1908, the library had 700 books. By 1915, the library's collection had grown to 1,511 volumes, which were being enthusiastically read by approximately 400 card-carrying patrons.

In 2008, the modern Mountain Home Public Library currently holds 36,210 books.

In 1973, the community passed a bond to construct a new building at 790 N. 10th East St. Claire Wetherell, at the time a member of the Mountain Home City Council, worked with library trustees to provide Mountain Home with an 8,000-square-foot facility that included ample wings for the juvenile and adult collection, reading and study space, and a public use meeting room.

The city took ownership of the new library in 1976 with Mrs. Joy Hines as librarian and Mrs. Saxon Ruberry as assistant librarian. In 2006, following a bond passed by the voters, that building underwent a major remodeling and was doubled in size.

Currently the Carnegie Building is home to the Elmore County Historical Foundation.

The Mountain Home Public Library will commemorate the Carnegie Library's 100th birthday of its opening with a second celebration event at the library on Nov. 15.