Tremonton Municipal Library

History of the Tremonton City Library Tremonton City, Utah made up of embryonic German immigrants from Illinois and successive Latter Day Saints has a population of 8,882 (2018) and is located 74 miles north of the state capital of Salt Lake City, Utah. At the center of its hub is an Athenaeum filled with books, periodicals, media, computers and other types of educational materials. The love of reading, learning and the adventures found within its walls began its quest from the establishment of the Economic Club, the mother of the Tremonton Public Library, in 1914. This led to the building of the initial public Tremonton library, located on 210 North Tremont Street, Tremonton, Utah, in 1929 and the addition in 1988. The ladies of Tremonton, German immigrants of other faiths as well as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, met together at the Latter Day Saint Church in June of 1914 forming the Economic Club which would be the leading force behind the current library as they established the library committee on June 10, 1914 with Mrs. Bland, Mrs. Chas McClure, Mrs. Eli Winzler, and Mrs. A.B. Frisby in the presidency. Sixteen days later, another meeting was held to discuss the establishment of a reading room and efforts were made to find a location without success. In 1915, a new library council presidency were voted in, Mrs. J.A. King, Mrs. C.C. Wilson, and Mrs. A.P. Wilcox, who was able to gain the support of the members, raised $75 for library funds, initiated “book showers” (where the public donate personal books for a reading room/library), and opened the first reading room/library (Law, Reuben D., 1929). As for a location, present day 93 year old Tremonton, Utah resident Roberta Fronk states, “Mrs. Kate Frisby, who owned a Millinery (hat-making) shop between current day second and third west, was approached by the committee about using a small space in her store. She agreed and was also willing to exchange books from borrowers as there were no funds to pay a librarian. She thus became the first unpaid librarian”. In 1916, due to the success of the reading room/library, a new advisory group approached the Town Board and Commercial Club concerning the use of their rooms, chairs and tables; rent free. The offer was accepted, appreciated, and the site was moved to the rooms above the present day Northern Furniture located on 1 East Main Street, Tremonton, Utah with the entrance located on the street at the back side of the store (see photo of Northern Furniture and entrance at back side of store and front side of store with pictures above the store). The Economic Club bought materials to make bookcases and members volunteered their time to assist with its operation. The public continued donating through book showers, bake sales and other means. The growth was exponential, demanding a great deal of time from the ladies responsible for it. So in 1917, they approached the Town Board requesting a small $10 per month salary to pay the first librarian, Miss Verley Hudson. Due to the expansion of the reading room/library, the club women provided room, board and supplies in order to have someone with professional knowledge come teach them. They received three weeks of valuable insight and training (Law, Reuben D., 1929). They also began paying one-third of the rent. “The time then came when the ladies in the club felt that the burden of financing the library should be borne by the city; so, through the Economic Club and City Council, a call for one mill tax (one one-thousandth of a dollar) tax was voted upon and carried May 19, 1918. The library was accepted from the club and has since been handled by a library board now composed of six members and the mayor as president of the board. The first library board appointed by Mayor Charles McClure in 1918 was Mrs. J.A. King, C.C. Wilson, Mrs. W.H. Stone, and Mrs. H.T. Woodward. The first librarian after the library was taken over by the city was Mrs A.A. Furse. The first tax money after the levy of one mill was received in January 1919 amounting to $424.64. Some of the books were badly worn; thus, one-hundred were rebound that summer. This was the first repair work done on the books since the beginning of the library’s organization (Law, Reuben, D.)” Although the library was billetted above the modern day Northern Furniture initially for free; then subsequently for only one-third of the rent, there were drawbacks. The doorway to the inside staircase which took patrons up to the rooms was located on the street at the backside of the store (picture of door at backside of store 20 North Tremont Street). Many did not want to climb the stairs or step foot on the entryway during the winter due to the ice and snow. Because of this, in 1922, the Tremonton City Council rented the south annex of the bank (the rooms above modern-day Domino’s Pizza--see pictures of Modern Day Domino’s) to house the library. This was the most desirable spot up to this point as it was well-furnished and had a restroom (Westgard, Rowane). The following year, 1923, the rent was raised, and they again moved to a room upstairs above the Waldron Building (modern-day Hamilton Drug). According to Roberta Fronk, the last part of 1927, contractors Pope and Burton built the Latter Day Saint Church located just across the street to the south of the current library building (picture of LDS church). They too always had the desire to build the library; thus, through the $3,000 donation from the Economic Club, they designed and constructed the original portion of the library in 1929 (picture of original portion of library). For this reason, if you look at the two buildings today, you can see similar features in each. “In 1930, the library was dedicated (www.tremontoncity.com/library.main.html, Accessed 5 Dec 2020).” Due to the increase in population and circulation of the books between 1960 and 1988, the people in the valley could see a need once again to enlarge the library to accommodate growth. Thanks to Jay Dee and Alice C. Harris, affluent and generous residents of the community, the dream became a reality in 1988. The new addition and remodeling of the existing building took place (show new addition picture). This doubled the space of the library we currently enjoy in Tremonton, Utah today (Fronk, Roberta, 7 Nov. 2020). From 1988 to present day, with the advancement of technology, “computers for accessing collections, checking in and out material and internet computers available to the public” (www.tremontoncity.com/library.main.html) have been added. Works Cited Fronk, Roberta. Face-to-face interview. 7 Nov. 2020. “History of the Library.” Tremonton City Library. www.tremontoncity.com/library.main.html, Accessed 25 Oct. 2020. Law, Reuben D. History of Tremonton: Seminar in United States History at the Utah State Agricultural College, Winter and Spring Quarters. Utah State Agricultural College Press, 1928, pp. 50-55.

History of the Tremonton City Library

Tremonton City, Utah made up of embryonic German immigrants from Illinois and successive Latter Day Saints has a population of 8,882 (2018) and is located 74 miles north of the state capital of Salt Lake City, Utah. At the center of its hub is an Athenaeum filled with books, periodicals, media, computers and other types of educational materials. The love of reading, learning and the adventures found within its walls began its quest from the establishment of the Economic Club, the mother of the Tremonton Public Library, in 1914. This led to the building of the initial public Tremonton library, located on 210 North Tremont Street, Tremonton, Utah, in 1929 and the addition in 1988.

The ladies of Tremonton, German immigrants of other faiths as well as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, met together at the Latter Day Saint Church in June of 1914 forming the Economic Club which would be the leading force behind the current library as they established the library committee on June 10, 1914 with Mrs. Bland, Mrs. Chas McClure, Mrs. Eli Winzler, and Mrs. A.B. Frisby in the presidency. Sixteen days later, another meeting was held to discuss the establishment of a reading room and efforts were made to find a location without success. In 1915, a new library council presidency were voted in, Mrs. J.A. King, Mrs. C.C. Wilson, and Mrs. A.P. Wilcox, who was able to gain the support of the members, raised $75 for library funds, initiated “book showers” (where the public donate personal books for a reading room/library), and opened the first reading room/library (Law, Reuben D., 1929). As for a location, present day 93 year old Tremonton, Utah resident Roberta Fronk states, “Mrs. Kate Frisby, who owned a Millinery (hat-making) shop between current day second and third west, was approached by the committee about using a small space in her store. She agreed and was also willing to exchange books from borrowers as there were no funds to pay a librarian. She thus became the first unpaid librarian”.

In 1916, due to the success of the reading room/library, a new advisory group approached the Town Board and Commercial Club concerning the use of their rooms, chairs and tables; rent free. The offer was accepted, appreciated, and the site was moved to the rooms above the present day Northern Furniture located on 1 East Main Street, Tremonton, Utah with the entrance located on the street at the back side of the store (see photo of Northern Furniture and entrance at back side of store and front side of store with pictures above the store). The Economic Club bought materials to make bookcases and members volunteered their time to assist with its operation. The public continued donating through book showers, bake sales and other means. The growth was exponential, demanding a great deal of time from the ladies responsible for it. So in 1917, they approached the Town Board requesting a small $10 per month salary to pay the first librarian, Miss Verley Hudson. Due to the expansion of the reading room/library, the club women provided room, board and supplies in order to have someone with professional knowledge come teach them. They received three weeks of valuable insight and training (Law, Reuben D., 1929). They also began paying one-third of the rent.

“The time then came when the ladies in the club felt that the burden of financing the library should be borne by the city; so, through the Economic Club and City Council, a call for one mill tax (one one-thousandth of a dollar) tax was voted upon and carried May 19, 1918. The library was accepted from the club and has since been handled by a library board now composed of six members and the mayor as president of the board. The first library board appointed by Mayor Charles McClure in 1918 was Mrs. J.A. King, C.C. Wilson, Mrs. W.H. Stone, and Mrs. H.T. Woodward. The first librarian after the library was taken over by the city was Mrs A.A. Furse. The first tax money after the levy of one mill was received in January 1919 amounting to $424.64. Some of the books were badly worn; thus, one-hundred were rebound that summer. This was the first repair work done on the books since the beginning of the library’s organization (Law, Reuben, D.)”

Although the library was billetted above the modern day Northern Furniture initially for free; then subsequently for only one-third of the rent, there were drawbacks. The doorway to the inside staircase which took patrons up to the rooms was located on the street at the backside of the store (picture of door at backside of store 20 North Tremont Street). Many did not want to climb the stairs or step foot on the entryway during the winter due to the ice and snow. Because of this, in 1922, the Tremonton City Council rented the south annex of the bank (the rooms above modern-day Domino’s Pizza--see pictures of Modern Day Domino’s) to house the library. This was the most desirable spot up to this point as it was well-furnished and had a restroom (Westgard, Rowane).

The following year, 1923, the rent was raised, and they again moved to a room upstairs above the Waldron Building (modern-day Hamilton Drug).

According to Roberta Fronk, the last part of 1927, contractors Pope and Burton built the Latter Day Saint Church located just across the street to the south of the current library building (picture of LDS church). They too always had the desire to build the library; thus, through the $3,000 donation from the Economic Club, they designed and constructed the original portion of the library in 1929 (picture of original portion of library). For this reason, if you look at the two buildings today, you can see similar features in each. “In 1930, the library was dedicated (www.tremontoncity.com/library.main.html, Accessed 5 Dec 2020).”

Due to the increase in population and circulation of the books between 1960 and 1988, the people in the valley could see a need once again to enlarge the library to accommodate growth. Thanks to Jay Dee and Alice C. Harris, affluent and generous residents of the community, the dream became a reality in 1988. The new addition and remodeling of the existing building took place (show new addition picture). This doubled the space of the library we currently enjoy in Tremonton, Utah today (Fronk, Roberta, 7 Nov. 2020).

From 1988 to present day, with the advancement of technology, “computers for accessing collections, checking in and out material and internet computers available to the public” (www.tremontoncity.com/library.main.html) have been added.

Works Cited

Fronk, Roberta. Face-to-face interview. 7 Nov. 2020.

“History of the Library.” Tremonton City Library. www.tremontoncity.com/library.main.html, Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.

Law, Reuben D. History of Tremonton: Seminar in United States History at the Utah State Agricultural College, Winter and Spring Quarters. Utah State Agricultural College Press, 1928, pp. 50-55.