Manistee County Library

Library Showcase:

100 years ago…

• The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
• Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
• Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
• A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11.
• There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
• The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
• Alabama , Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated than California.
• The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents per hour.
• Sugar cost 4 cents a pound.
• Eggs were 14 cents a dozen.
• Coffee was 15 cents a pound.
• Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
• The leading causes of death in the U.S. were pneumonia and influenza, tuberculosis, diarrhea, heart disease and stroke
• The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Alaska hadn’t been admitted to the Union yet.
• The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30.
• Two out of every 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
• Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. http://www.oaklandchamber.com/chamber_100years_first100_news.shtml
• The Manistee City Library opened its doors.

This year, the Manistee County Library celebrated their centennial. “In 1885 a group of Manistee Ladies formed the Lakeside Club, whose primary goal was to create a library. In 1902 the club joined forces with the local literacy society and successfully campaigned for a public library. The Andrew Carnegie Foundation funded the construction. The Manistee City Library opened in 1905. Designed by Port Huron architect George L. Harvey, the building, with its grand entrance pavilion, reflects the Beaux Arts Classicism. The library is listed in the National Register of Historic Places” Michigan Historical Marker at Manistee Library

To celebrate their centennial, events were planned throughout 2005. The main event was the re-dedication of the building in April at the Ramsdell Theatre, where the original dedication took place. “Vintage cars lined the streets, attendants wore period clothing and a singer entertained the crowd with era songs. The Lakeside Club held a tea party after the re-dedication ceremony.

Manistee Michigan is known as Michigan’s Victorian Port City. Both the City Hall and the library building are historical buildings built around the same time. When visiting the library, patrons experience the past and present. They check out at the original circulation desk and besides the addition of an extension for an elevator in 1974, the exterior of the building is the same as it was in 1905. On the interior, the library has all of the modern necessities that patrons require; wireless internet access, public access computers, Videos, DVDs and an online catalog.

Since, there are more than 8,000 cars in the United States now; the library found that their parking lot was not adequate. They just finished the process of expanding and resurfacing their parking lot from having 12 spaces to having 25. To keep with the spirit of the building, the parking lot has four Victorian lampposts and landscaping.

The communities surrounding Manistee have come together to create their own libraries. Arcadia, Bear Lake, Kaleva, Onekema and Wellston branch libraries were built with funds from their communities. The Manistee County Library handles the financial administration of the branches. Each branch has one staff member, the Branch Manager, who runs the entire library. Each October, Manistee County residents have the opportunity to “leaf” through each branch. “Leafing Through the Libraries” takes place next Tuesday, October 18. Prizes, refreshments, and a free tour of the fall colors on a Dial-A-Ride bus are provided free of charge.

This month marks the one year anniversary for Sue Wess as the Director of the Manistee County Library. Her projects have included a thorough weeding of the library collection, upgrading of the restroom facilities, and migration of their automated catalog to Verso. Personally, she has become acclimated to historical the Northern Michigan city and enjoys the Manistee River and the close proximity to Lake Michigan.

Over the last hundred years the library has retained the sentiment and values of 1905 while serving the needs of their patrons in the modern era. We salute the Manistee County Library for all they have done for their community and are proud to have them as a member of the Mid-Michigan Library League

Mid-Michigan Library League- 210 1/2 N. Mitchell- Cadillac, MI 49601
Phone: 800-968-0046 Fax: 800-968-3297

Website design: Holly Mercer
Last Update: March 29, 2007