Civic Pride in a Lost America: Library Postcards
Carnegie Libraries of Ohio
Cities G-K
Divided from D-F in June, 2025.
Galion
Did you know that the library began in a log cabin?
The Carnegie grant came in 1904. Expansion of the lovely Carnegie building came in 1991.
(L) Monochrome card printed by Albertype for J.M. Miller.
(R) Postcard scan courtesy of the Galion Public Library.
Galliopolis
Built in 1905. Replaced in 1978. Now serves as the Gallipolis City School District Administration Building.
Rotograph card bears an entire back, therefore, was published within two years of construction.
Geneva
1908 grant. In a weird career change, after being replaced in 1997, the Carnegie building became a courthouse. There must not be much crime in those parts.
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Tichnor brand postcard, printed for Stiles Paper and Twine. Never mailed.
Germantown
1904 Carnegie grant, per Bobinski. Waymarking gives its date as 1907. Replaced in 1984.
The building houses the Historical Society of Germantown today.
C.E. Smith card was mailed in 1908.
Greenville
There are several totally different postcard treatments of this 1901 building.
(L) Unknown publisher.
(R) Undated Rotograph card. There is also an uncolored version extant.
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1901 grant. Its precursor was the 1889 Free School Library. This building was recently renovated. It's huge!
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Kent
1901 grant, with a 1903 grant for furnishings. Built in 1902 by A.C. Stambaugh. The building, now called the Carnegie section, contains a genealogy room, the Keller Room, and a quiet reading room.
(L) Vignette-style card, mailed in 1908.
(R) German 'Blue sky' type card, mailed in 1909. The library windows look strangely blank.
Kenton
1902 grant; Richards, McCarty and Bulford were its architects. Opened 1905. Renamed 'Hardin County District Library' in 1936. Replacement building dedicated 1969. Renamed 'Mary Lou Johnson - Hardin County District Library' in 1977.
Building now used by Kenton Dental Care, per Shari Laster.
(L) Huntzinger Photo postcard. It sold for 5 cents.
(R) Chrome postcard mentions bookmobile service. The card dates to the early 1960s.
Kinsman
1911 grant. Lot obtained, 1913, which is unusual in that normally the site needed to be procured before the grant was made. The Library is still in use.
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The postcard was from Eastern Illustrating Co. in Belfast, ME. It is unusually western for the company.