Missouri Library Postcards

St. Louis, Missouri received a $1 million dollar gift from Andrew Carnegie to build their new central library in 1901.  25¢ bought the postcard below about 100 years later.  Currently it is under a $70 million dollar restoration and renovation, expected to reopen in 2012.

St. Louis Missouri library postcard c1925

St. Louis Missouri library postcard c1925 address side mailed 5 Aug 2004 from Catherine to HHUs

Recognize this handwriting?  I wasn't around in 1925 to write the message but saved it until 2004.  Here's my exciting message of 5 August 2004:
Hi! Glad we were able to get our tickets to fly to Ohio at a bargain price ($99 one way) so close to Thanksgiving [family get together to see Kate perform in the Nutcracker].  Seems like fall already with kids back in school and we are immersed in planning fall programs.  Summer session of storytimes ends this week.  Total registration for children's reading program this summer was 11,333 an increase of 5% over 2003.  Next week is meeting to begin planning for 2005.  When do you leave for Asheville?  Love, Catherine & Gerry

St. Louis Missouri library postcard c1910

St. Louis Missouri library postcard c1910 addressed to Miss Lucy Dinsmore, Minneapolis, postmarked 17 March 1913

St. Louis March 14 – We have gone thro this Missouri Carnegie Library and while I cannot tell how many books are on the shelvles I have noticed that the children's room is considerably larger than our library.  Interior is entirely of marble and granite.  Hope you are well.  --E.L. Koch


This is the second postcard in my collection addressed to Miss Dinsmore, the other one of the St. Paul Minnesota library was sent by the same person E.L. (E. Louis) Koch on 27 July 1919 at which time Lucy was living in Lutsen, MN, about 250 miles north of Minneapolis on Lake Superior.


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The Carnegie Library in Joplin, Missouri was built in 1902.  Other views and a current picture of it with more shrubbery can be seen here.  Other older pictures can also be found on the Historic Joplin website.  According to Carnegie LIbraries of the South Central States: Unfortunately, per the library's historic views collection, the zinc roof leaked and the second floor was unable to bear the weight of its books. These were some of the reasons it was replaced in 1980.

Carnegie Library, Joplin Missouri c1905

Carnegie Library Joplin MO postcard address side postmarked 12 Mar 1907, to Miss Bertha Boothroyd from Uncle Joe

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Carnegie Libraries in Missouri = 33 Public and 2 Academic.  One of the academic libraries is Park College.
Catherine's Collection = 2 (6%)


Total blogged to date = ME, MA, MI, MT and MN
Carnegie Libraries in those states = 244
Catherine's collection = 12 (5%)

Breakdown:
Maine (1 of 21)
Massachusetts (2 of 45)
Michigan (3 of 61)
Minnesota (1 of 65)
Missouri (2 of 35)
Montana (3 of 17)

Totals in Catherine's collection = 12 of 244