2IO HISTORY OF PASADENA. 



be completed without incumbrance, in accordance with his original offer to 

 the now defunct lyibrary Society. 



On December ii, 1889, a special committee consisting of city trustees A. 

 G. Throop, and W. W. Mills, and city attorney F. J. Polley, reported to "the 

 council that they had invoiced the books, fixtures, etc., of the lyibrary 

 and valued them at $3,042. Then on April 19, 1890, the city council pur- 

 chased this property from the syndicate trustee, J. B. Corson, for $3,000, 

 payable in city bonds. The post of librarian now became a city office ; and 

 on April 21, Mrs. S. E. Merritt was duly appointed by city authority to the 

 same place she had filled ever since the library was started in 1883, and 

 which she holds yet, 1895. 



The syndicate had paid out, besides the original $6,000, about $1,100 

 to meet outstanding liens, judgments, and other legal claims against the 

 lyibrary property, and about $1,000 of interest on their note — making a 

 total of $8,100. And in return they received $3,000 of bonds from the 

 city, and finally $950 for the old lyibrary lot on Dayton street* — a total of 

 $3,950; so that these twenty citizens had thus contributed $4,150 outright, 

 in their public spirited work to save and firmly establish the free Public 

 lyibrary.f Charles Legge also generously co-operated with them and is en- 

 titled to equal credit. The city clerk in February, 1894, reported the 

 Library property valued thus: lot and building, $25,000; books, maps, 

 documents, etc., $6,500; furniture, $300. Total, $31,800. 



On April 29, 1890, the first board of City Library Trustees was appoint- 

 ed, consisting of J. W. Vandevort, C. T. Hopkins, Mrs. Jeanne C. Carr, 

 W. U. Masters, Geo. F. Kernaghan. The new Library building was com- 

 pleted by the city, and fitted, furnished, and books moved into it, so that on 

 Admission day, September 9, 1890, its doors were first officially opened to 

 the people of the city, with speeches by Abbot Kinney, T. P. Lukens, 

 " Father Throop," and others. 



The only historic episode in Library history during 1891, was on Octo- 

 ber 23, when the eastern members of the National Librarians Congress at 

 San Francisco visited Pasadena on their return trip. They had a special 

 train of five Pullman cars. The Daily Star oi October 23, gave a full list 

 of their names, places of residence, and official positions. The Board of 

 Trade and City Library officers gave them a ride through the city, a floral 

 reception in the Library building, and a banquet at Hotel Green. 



The city clerk's annual report for the year ending February 28, 1894, 

 gives some statistics which will serve to show how the Library is managed 

 and its expenses met by the city. The library officers for 1894 were : S. 



*C. E. Langford bought their interest ill the lot and building for $950 only a few weeks before his 

 death. The two secret Orders of A. O. U. W. and I. O. G. T. owned the second story of the building for 

 Lodge rooms. 



tMarch 20, 1805, T. F. Croft, T. P. Lukens and J. B. Corsou met as a committee to make a final 

 closing up of the affairs of the library syndicate, and found a balance of $2.25 remaining for each one of 

 the original twenty signers of the $6,000 note which saved the library iu 188S. 



