Minnesota Library Postcards

Minnesota – another "M" state – where 65 Carnegie public libraries were built from 1901 to 1918.

Austin Minnesota Carnegie Library postcard c1940

Austin Minnesota Library postcard sent to Ed Koetze Nov. 12, 1955

Sat. Morn. [November 12, 1955]
Hello!  Sonny & Carol Lee.  Got here last nite about 5:15 no rain or snow all the way.  Real nice here this morn.  [We] are going down to the Meyers for supper tonite.  Hope everything is fine at home.  Hope you got your deer.  Lots of love, Dad & Mom

Austin, Minnesota received a Carnegie grant for $15,000 in 1901.  The county seat of Mower County, Austin has a 2010 population of about 25,000 and is located 100 miles south of Minneapolis on I-90, near the Iowa state line.

The Carnegie building was built in the Classical Revival style with a raised basement.  The library had many "classical style architectural elements including quoining, ball finials atop the entrance-way and a decorative entablature."

The Carnegie building was damaged by a 1928 tornado but was able to be repaired.  In the 1960s an addition was completed and the original building remodeled which served as Austin's library until it was razed in 1996 according to Placeography when a new library opened.

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St. Paul Minnesota Library postcard sent July 27, 1919

Postcard to Miss Lucy Duismore, Lutsen Minnesota.  

Lutsen is 150 miles NE of St. Paul, on Lake Superior.

7/27/19
Leave for N.Y. tonight.  Took Gertrude back to Cadrys last night and they will stay there for a week more.  Everything at home was fine.  Bob has learned to swim and thereby earned a dollar.  I am in St. Paul now and leave at 8 P.M.  Hope you are having a fine vacation.  Expect to stop at the Pennsylvania Hotel in N.Y.  -- As ever, Louis

The St. Paul Central Library was built 1914-1917 in the Italian Renaissance revival style, heavily influenced by the new J.P. Morgan Library in NYC, completed in 1906.  The architect was Electus Litchfield (1872-1952), and the cost was $1.5 million.  Great Northern Railroad baron, James J. Hill (1838-1916) contributed funds as did former Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, Greenleaf Clark (1835-1905).  The rest of the money was raised through a subscription campaign and the sale of bonds.  In 2000-2002 the library underwent a $15.9 million renovation project.

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The Library Postcards: Civic Pride in a Lost America website will be of interest to those who want to see more library postcards.

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Carnegie Libraries in Minnesota = 65
Catherine's Collection = 1 (1.5%)

Total blogged to date = ME, MA, MI, MT and MN
Carnegie Libraries in those states = 209
Catherine's collection = 10 (5%)

Breakdown:
Maine (1 of 21)
Massachusetts (2 of 45)
Michigan (3 of 61)
Minnesota (1 of 65)
Montana (3 of 17)

Totals in Catherine's collection = 10 of 209