Early Beginnings
A Weekly Wymorean report from December 15, 1900, marked the completion of the library’s first year. In that short time, the library welcomed 10,296 visitors, held 478 bound books, 36 unbound books, and received 8 periodicals regularly. It recorded 1,282 loans, collected $595.75 (all used for operating expenses), and paid the librarian, Laurie M. L. Vance, a salary of $180.00.
According to the Arbor State (November 1955), the first library in Wymore was located in the Greenwood building—part of what is now the dance hall—above the bank, with Mrs. L. L. Vance serving as librarian in the early 1900s.
The library later moved to the Pennington Store, a general store in an L‑shaped building that wrapped around the bank. The library occupied the second floor on the F Street side. Tragically, this location was destroyed along with the bank in the 1914 fire.
Rebuilding and Carnegie Support
The earliest surviving minutes of the next library board date to January 1917, listing nine board members but no librarian. That same month, members of the Fortnightly Club wrote to the Carnegie Foundation requesting support for a new library building. The foundation granted funds for construction and donated several children’s books. The club’s original meeting gavel and several of their wooden rocking chairs are still preserved at the library today.
By April 1917, plans for the new building were underway, and architect A. W. Grant of Beatrice was selected. His plans were approved by the board in May and sent to the Carnegie Foundation for final approval.
Initially, Burlington Park or Rawlings Park were considered as possible building sites, but Mr. Whitson offered the present location, which the board accepted. Construction began in November 1917, and the new library officially opened on May 15, 1919. Miss Lulu Williams was elected librarian. Library hours were 2:30–5:30 p.m. and 7:00–9:00 p.m., fines were 2¢ per day, and magazines had to be at least two months old before they could be checked out.
Growth and Community Support
The Friends of Wymore Library (FOWL) formed in 1979, and the Wymore Library Foundation followed in 1996, strengthening community support for library programs and improvements.
In the spring of 1999, an anonymous donor funded a major addition to the library. Groundbreaking took place on October 12, 2000, and by August 2002, the library moved into its expanded space. The building became fully handicapped accessible, complete with an elevator.
The Foundation held its first annual “Celebrate Your Library” Banquet in 2000.
With a generous gift from the Jones families, the library opened the John S. and Ann Lloyd Jones Memorial Heritage Room in 2003, dedicated to genealogy and local history.
A Community Showplace
During Sam Wymore Days in 2004, the library dedicated its Memorial Garden. Landscaping, including an underground watering system, was completed at that time. Today, the library is considered “quite a show place,” reflecting decades of community investment, resilience, and pride.
Some excerpts of the above text were taken from the
Wymore Diamond Jubilee 1881-1956.
