Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Carnegie Libraries of Minnesota
Cities T-Z
With the advent of the Placeography website, some missing details (primarily pertaining to architects of record) about the Carnegie buildings have been added.
I'm also indebted to a correspondent, Tucker Nelson, that assisted with the Virginia section.
Thief River Falls
This is a great section to compare the quality between two major postcard manufacturers of the Midwest:
(L) E.C. Kropp of Milwaukee, with a blue sky linen finish card from the 1930s or 1940s, and
(R) Curt Teich of Chicago, with a 'Photo-Cote' line card from 1954. Teich also included a brief description of Thief River Falls.
Its Carnegie grant was in early 1914, and it appears that construction was done by year's end: no mean feat. The Library has moved on, but the City Hall functions now occupy the Carnegie building, which the City is hoping to restore.
Two Harbors
(L) Enlargement of upper left corner.
(R) E.C. Kropp card, mailed 1927. Clockwise, from upper left are: Carnegie Public Library, Presbyterian Church, Salvation Army Building, Lake County Courthouse.
Two grants (February and August, 1908) are most appropriate for this city. The library is still in use.
Its architect was Austin Terryberry.
(L) E.C. Kropp rides again, with a single view postcard with only the sky tinted.
It's just as well.
Virginia
In use: 1907-1912.
Yes, you read that right.
5 years.
Placeography attempts to explain the contempt. It was outgrown by 1911 and the second grant proposal failed.
(L) Message on the E.C. Kropp card:
Dear Wilbur-this is our $10000.00 Carnegie L-. We are all well-having beautiful weather-everything fine come and see us. Love to all Kittie-
NB: Kittie had the figure spot on.
(R) Strange tints on an unmarked postcard.
So was this little stucco building torn down right after replacement?
Mercifully, no.
First it went to the Canadian National Railway; then it housed various charitable organizations before housing a wine house. It was demolished in 1953 for the Water and Light Department's expansion.
Walker
1910 building, lost to a 1976 fire. The Library is now part of the Kitchigami Regional Library System.
There is no publication information on the postcard, but it is most likely the same as that as the Redwood Falls card.
Willmar
Early 1903 Carnegie grant. Built in 1904; replaced in 1966. Demolished in 1967.This was an example of a small Carnegie building built on a corner lot.
(L) Poor quality card mailed in 1906.
(R) Notice the details of people and a fence across the unpaved street. Mailed in 1908.
Worthington
1903 Carnegie grant; card postmarked 1916. Demolished in 1966.
(L) The card, again, possibly by Massure, was mailed in 1916.
(R) Photo by Blume, who may have been the one to misspell "library" as "libary."
Zumbrota
Per Placeography, the smallest (and alphabetically last) Carnegie building in Minnesota.
Late 1906 grant. Damaged in a 1924 fire. Replaced in 1995: the pictured building serves as an art gallery and pottery studio today.
(L) RPPC, only identifiable via comparison of the distinctive 07 shield with ornament to other photographs. I believe this to be contemporaneous with its opening.
(R) Photo postcard, probably by L.L. Cook.
