Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Carnegie Libraries of Ohio
Cities D-F
Divided from G-K in June, 2025.
Dayton
The flanking images are of the Dayton East 5th and Dayton West 5th branch libraries. I don't know if the publisher was logical and put the West at left, and East at right.
Anyway, West burnt in 1979. It had the earlier grant of the two: 1902. East had a 1911 grant. The center building predated the Carnegie program.
Defiance
1903 grant: still in use after a recent renovation.
(L) Early card mailed in 1908: stamp is canceled via pencil and date.
(R) Tinted card, probably off the same original photograph.
Delaware
(L) F.T. Evans postcard. May have been printed by Tom Jones.
(R) Handcolored card mailed in 1908.
The Carnegie building now houses the Delaware County Commissioners, per a Columbus Dispatch article which also furnishes a 1926 photo of the Carnegie building.
Apparently the Delaware County District Library replaced the 1904 Carnegie building. The new building was remodeled by Triad Architects (page no longer online) in 2004. Where do they get their money?
Oh, I think I can answer this.
There is now a room dedicated to the history of harness racing.
Delphos
1911 grant: remodeled in 1960 and 2006. Still in use.
(L) 1959 card predates the first renovation, but shows the park and the library.
(R) Wm. A Wagner card shows a frontal view of the building. Its plate number indicates that it was printed by Curt Teich.
East Liverpool
Souvenir of East Liverpool, Ohio. The glitter spells it out for you.
1952 linen finish card by Curt Teich, sold by the Rogers News Agency.
Luster-Chrome card makes the library and its surroundings look quite Italianate.
1899 grant, building finished in 1902. This was the third East Liverpool library building. Some renovation has taken place since.
Fostoria
The city of Fostoria is known as one of the midwest's glass cities.
Real photo 'KRUXO' postcard, mailed in 1915.
There is a big black blur, vaguely shaped like a dog, around the side walkway. Train tracks run up the brick street. Other artifacts point to this being an amateur photograph.
Still in use, with a 1968 and a 1989 addition. I don't know about the 'Mc Clean' drinking fountain.
(L) Mc Clean Drinking Fountain and Public Library.
I smile when I see 'Mc Clean drinking fountain.' I don't know from when that dates, but the library building dates from a 1903 Carnegie grant. The attractive linen-finish card was mailed in 1949.
(R) Marchion Studio photo used on a Curt Teich card.
