History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

265

The origin of the association and its struggles for existence during the
earlier part of its thirty years of life make interesting history and show
forth the unselfish devotion which has made the library a possibility and
a fact. In May, 1882, the association was founded by the younger women
of the city. Mrs. Byron Stout was one of the leaders in the movement,
and was for years interested deeply in literary work of all kinds. She
was ably assisted by Misses Louise Parker, now Mrs. Mark S. Brewer,
Flora McConnell, now Mrs. Butts of Ann Arbor, Ella Green, Belle and
Effie Harris, Mary Crofoot and Mary Dawson Elliott, all of whom devoted many hours of hard and conscientious work to the project. They
were aided by a number of the married women of the city, and received
very material assistance from the merchants and other business men of the
city.
In July, 1882, the library was opened in one of the second floor rooms
of the old Gazette building on East Lawrence street. A little catalogue
compiled and prepared by Mrs. Stout has been printed, giving a complete
list of all books belonging to the library at that time. The patronage was
small at first, and the finances of the little association were too often in
a precarious condition, but they managed to weather the lean years by giving frequent entertainments, catering at banquets and in various other
methods, not finding any work too difficult for their cause.
The erection of the present library was due to the kindly interest of
Mr. and Mrs. Byron Stout, each leaving to the association sufficient money
to make the building a possibility. Mrs. Stout left the association the
brick building at the corner of Auburn avenue and Saginaw street with
instructions that the management should sell it and use the proceeds toward the erection of a library building. When Mr. Stout died a few
years later, he left in his will a provision that the association might have
his life insurance of $5,000, which, in conjunction with the bequest of his
wife, was to be used in the erection of a building for the library. The will
also contained the clause that if the building was ever used for other than
library purposes, it should revert to the Stout heirs. This fact has given
rise to a problem which the association has often discussed. For the
present there is no necessity for larger quarters, but if at any time in the
future the location should become undesirable, or for any reason it might
be deemed best to move it elsewhere, the association would be powerless
to realize anything upon the building or secure anything for the improvements which it has made upon it from time to time, and expects to make
in the years to come.
At the present time the library has an endowment fund of $2,000, the
interest of which is only used toward the support of the library. Mrs.
D. C. Buckland left the association a gift of $i,ooo at her death and Mrs.
B. A. Palmer made a similar gift when she died.
The present officers of the association are: Mrs. Joshua Hill, president;
Mrs. A. F. Newberry, vice president; Mrs. F. S. Stewart, secretary; and
Mrs. Charles H. Going, treasurer. These, with the following named
ladies compose the executive board: Mesdames F. E. Starker, Joseph Newbiggins, E. D. Benjamin, J. W. Lossee, George W. Smith, C. V. Taylor,
John Dudley Norton, G. H. Drake, A. L. Craft, and the Misses Addie
Jewell and Mae Woodward. The book committee is composed of Mes