The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 223, Ed. 1 Sunday, July 6, 2003 Page: 19 of 87
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: The Baytown Sun and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Sterling Municipal Library.
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Libraiy:
Continued from Page 1C
System.
Colonial America owes Ben
Franklin a great debt. We know
about his flying a kite in a thun-
derstorm; however, librarians
most remember him for having
established the first subscrip-
tion library in 1731 in
Philadelphia. But many mem-
bers of the library could hot
have taken advantage of the
works housed there without
another of Franklin’s great
inventions — bifocals.
The first public library in
America was founded in
Peterboro, N.H. in 1833 and
holds the claim of being the
oldest free library in the world
supported by taxation.
Because of the foresight of
civic leaders, the common man
in America can take advantage
of life-long learning through
tax-supported, free libraries.
Even today, there are areas of
the world where such public
benefits do not exist. .
Which brings us to Baytown.
As we celebrate the Sterling
Municipal Library’s 40th
anniversary this year, it
behooves us to know the histo-
ry of our own “people’s univer-
sity.”
This area was salt grass
prairie until oil was struck in
the Goose Creek oil fields.
Harris County Librarian Lucy
Fuller Gross began to bring
books to Goose Creek in boxes.
She is credited with establish-
ing the first county library in
Texas at Goose Creek.
You had to be a strong armed
librarian in those days. The
roads were just shell, and if
your car had a blowout, you had
to change the tire yourself.
Young boys would ride in on
horseback to meet her with
books in a flour sack and
exchange them for others for
their families.
Books would be stored wher-
ever there was room — a drug-
store, a post office, a dry goods
store. But when supplies were
high, books were removed from
the shelves.
Gross decided that the coun-
ty library needed its own loca-
tion. Enter Ross Sterling.
Well, Gross went to see
Sterling who was then presi-
dent of Humble Oil and asked if
Humble would pay rental on a
place for the library. He looked
at Lucy and said, “Wouldn’t
you like your own building?”
Then, he called in someone and
said, “We want to plan a libraiy
and build it right away.”
So, on Dec. 31, 1925, a 25-
by-33 foot building located on
a 50-by-100 foot lot on the cor-
ner of Texas Avenue and Jones
Street commenced construc-
tion.
Those of you “local yokels”
will remember this as the fin-
ished building. It was made of
deep red brick, probably Cedar
Bayou brick, though that could
not be documented. In the orig-
inal deed, it was stipulated that
if this property were ever to be
disposed of, it could only be
sold to the Citizens National
Bank & Trust Co. (which is
now Southwest Bank of Texas),
and the proceeds must be
invested in public library facili-
ties or revert to the Sterling
Estate. This ultimately proved
to be advantageous because
when Sterling Municipal
Library became a reality, the
property was sold to the bank
for $50,000.
This facility served for 40
years as a library, from 1925
until 1963. The population at its
dedication was 3,000, and it
served until the population
exceeded 40,000. The building
stayed in existence for some
years, even after the bank pur-
chased it.
The library was callfd the
Goose Creek Library. It had a
reading room, which also
served as the circulation area.
The desk at the back of the
room was the circulation desk.
There was no air condition-
ing at that time; therefore, win-
dows had to remain open.
Libraries must maintain 55
percent humidity and at tops 72
degrees in order to thwart the
growth of mold on book bind-
ings.
Around 1948, Mrs. C. T.
Shewell, approached Mr. Hugh
EcHols, President of the
EUNICE SMILEY is shown at the Sterling Municipal Library Wednesday with her nieces, Natalie Gonzalez, Yvette Garcia, Stacy Palafox and Melanie Olvera. At right: Destinee Bolin,
6, tries her best to get past a tree character while she plays a computer game Wednesday at the Sterling library. The Friends of the Library’s 40th anniversary gift is redoing
the children’s furniture in the present facility. i '
readers who bring stacks of
materials to the circulation
desk. However, rather than the
hand stamping which occtirred
in 1963, Patrons enjoy the
speed which automated circula-
tion can provide.
Again, while crowds of stu-
dents queued to utilize the man-
ual card catalog to locate mate-
rials, crowds now utilize an
automated catalog with frill
Internet access and subject
databases which lead them to
resources.
j In 1963, state-of-the-art
audio-visuals meant phono-
graph listening stations and
16mm motion pictures.
Today’s patrons are treated to
children's learning software,
videos, and compact discs.
Library service was never
confined just to a building.
From earliest days, book
wagons took materials to farms
throughout America. And, as
horseless carriages became the
rage, librarians learned that
they could take their books to
farther areas much faster.
In 1970, the library’s first
bookmobile was a Volkswagen
camper. It was the personal
vehicle of Wilhite and was dri-
ven by members of the Service
League who carried books in
cardboard boxes and on book
trucks.
The service was so popular
that in 1972, Sterling purchased
a true bookmobile for the sum
of $20,000, which was raised
from private funds. The tradi-
tion of the bookmobile appear-
ing in city parades began dur-
ing that time.
Fritz Lanham reported that
vehicle spent almost as much
time in the garage as on the
road. So. in 1978, the city pur-
chased a bookmobile from
Gertenslager, which was the
premier vendor at that time.
Children could watch 16mm
films during story hours and sit
on padded stools over the wheel
wells.
That vehicle was retired in
2000 when a 32-foot bus came
into service.
This vehicle is equipped with
services that bring true library
service to the neighborhoods.
Internet connectivity and auto-
mated circulation is available,
as is a photocopier and desktop
computer. Curbside program-
ming is also provided to library
users.
It is spacious and can accom-
modate several book lovers at a
time.
A service van was purchased
in 1982 to bring library service
to nursing home residents and
senior centers. This vehicle was
retired in 2001; however, the
same service to nursing homes
and Head Start Centers contin-
ues.
To commemorate the 40th
anniversary, the Friends of the
Library is selling leather book-
marks for $3. They are a limit-
ed edition.
THE STERLING MUNICIPAL LIBRARY has a 40-year history in Baytown. At top;
Residents are shown reading in the reading room in What was known as the Goose
Creek Library. In 1963, state-of-the-art audio-visuals meant phonograph listening sta-
tions and 16mm motion pictures. At center: In 1970, the library’s first bookmobile was
a Volkswagen camper. It was the personal vehicle of Flora Wilhite and was driven by
members of the Service League who carried books in cardboard boxes and on book
trucks. At left: Horseless carriages allowed librarians to take books farther and faster.
Citizens Bank, telling him that
the library building was in sad
need of repair, to say nothing of
the woeful lack of books.
Echols contacted a group of
people apprising them of the
situation, and these people in
turn went to the various busi-
nesses in the community seek-
ing funds.
About $3,660 was raised —
$1,100 was used for repair and
$2,400 to buy additional books.
This small group1 continued to
use door-to-door canvassing in
its attempt to help the library,
and in 1952 a Friends of the
Library group was formed with
the aid of the AAUW.
Membership and patron dues,
plus book reviews by promi-
nent people made up the
income, and this was spent
mainly in supplementing addi-_
tional books to the library.
The Friends group is still
working to improve the libraiy.
In fact, their^40th anniversary
gift is re-doing the children’s
furniture in the present facility.
For three years, this .-group
met and worked toward acquir-
ing a site and funds to build a
new library, but differences of
opinion within the group of
how this could be done led to
almost a complete cessation of
efforts.
In 1957, the League of
Women Voters completed a
study of the library and its
needs and went to the City
Planning Commission, which
had recently been formed, sug-
gesting a minimum figure of
$125,000 for a library to be
included in a general city
improvement bond issue. This
was done, but the library sec-
tion of the bond issue was
defeated. This proved to be a
blessing in disguise as later
events showed it to be a wholly
unrealistic figure.
Dot Rosenzweig rallied the
PHof Club and all 19 women's
organizations in town in 1959
to try again. In 1960, City
Council created a libraiy board
with Edna Gray as chair. Their
task was to rally support for a
$400,000 bond issue, which
appeared on the ballot on Sept.
10, 1960. It was passed by die
citizenry, beginning a history of -
library support which continues
Answers to libraiy trivia on Page 1C
4. It was mold. Libraries must
maintain 55 percent humidity and
at tops 72 degrees in order to
thwart the growth of mold on book
bindings.
5. Public Library Avenue
6. Free.
1. China.
2. The Alexandrian Library.
Founded by Ptolemy I, the King of
Egypt, this library was founded in
the 3rd century BC in Alexandria.
It grew to about 700,000 volumes
3. Scriptorium.
today. Twelve sites were then
considered for the new libraiy.
The selected site was adjacent
to San Jacinto Hospital on
Decker Drive. Lowell Lammers
was chosen as architect.
In 1961, whiie the library he
would lead was still under con-
struction, Hank Blasick was
hired to serve as the first city
librarian. His task was to devel-
op the initial collection for the
library at a cost of $50,000.
On Feb. 24, 1963, Sterling
Municipal Libraiy opened with
11,646-square feet and 60,000
volumes. It was rightly named
in honor of Sterling’s first
recognition of the value of
library service in Baytown, t
The libraiy board in 1963
included Dr. Max Mosesman,
president, Frank Goss, Edna
Gray, Mattie Howard and Bill
Strickler. ->
The flagpole and flag at the
new library was presented by
the American Legion. Here
Bob Chase and my grandfather,
Louis van Meldert raise a flag
for the first time.
In 1965, Flora Richardson
Wilhite became city librarian
and served in this position until
her retirement in 1997. Under
Flora, the libraiy expanded two
additional times.
In 1977, under the board
chaired by Jim Girardeau, the
libraiy grew from 12,000-
square feet to 30,000-square
feet.
The library board in 1995
consisted of Dr. Joe Floyd,
chair, Ron Embry, Marceine
Lanham, Willie Moreno,
Jimmy Creel, Mary Echols
Stewart and W. C. Smith.
While the front fifade may
not have changed, library life is
very different from that in
1963. \
The inviting foyer provides
just a hint of the vastness of the
facility and the changes which
have occurred through the
years.
There are still crowds of
Denise Fischer is the city
librarian, the third city librari-
an in Sterling Municipal
Library’s 40-year history.
Sunday, July 6,2003
Lifestyle
HfcejfclMiftM
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Cash, Wanda Garner. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 223, Ed. 1 Sunday, July 6, 2003, newspaper, July 6, 2003; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1051924/m1/19/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.