LYONS

EARLY LIBRARY HISTORY

The Lyons Woman's Club took action to organize a library on March 31, 1903, and members gave a "book reception" in order to obtain books for the nucleus of the library. On May 8, 1907, the library received a bequest from Miss Maud Decker of nearly $4,000.00. Miss Decker had made Lyons her summer home for many years, then made it her permanent home because she "had learned to love Lyons and its clean, loyal, wholesome and unaffected people." She had made stipulations that the Woman's Club was to have a charter and a board of directors, and these stipulations were met. Her bequest was used entirely for the purchase of new books and was a leading impetus in the move to obtain a Carnegie library.

THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY

Rev. Chestnut wrote to Andrew Carnegie who offered $6,000.00 for a library building on January 5, 1909. In March of that year an election was held and the voters agreed to support the library with an annual budget of $600.00.

The plans were drawn up by E. F. Parker & Son, Architects, of Kansas City, Missouri, and were approved by Carnegie in February, 1910. The contract was awarded to A. A. Shilkett, of Lyons, and work began in April, 1910. The building was completed in February, 1911, but was not opened until books on order had arrived. The formal opening was held April 21, 1911. Miss Anna Lasley, the librarian, was retained when the new library opened.

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING

The one-and-a-half story building on a raised basement of concrete was originally rectangular with an extended entrance along the front of the library, the door being nearly level with the ground. The exterior is of red pressed brick; Carthage stone was used for the window trim and for the water-table. The roof was of Pennsylvania slate. The vestibule boasted of a tile floor while oak flooring was used throughout the rest of the building, with the woodwork of white oak. The interior walls were all decorated in frescoes, the work performed by the Topeka Decorating Company with much of the handwork done by "a Russian with an unpronounceable name but an artist in his line."

LATER LIBRARY HISTORY

The library became very crowded as the years passed, and, as the interior was "very dark," it was unsatisfactory as a library. The downstairs was also dark and crowded but was used mainly for storage. On June 8, 1985, voters were asked to approve a $100,000.00 bond issue for a new library building, but they rejected the measure.