Last of Its Kind

The Marlette District Library

Date Visited:  August 3, 2019

Stop:  #43

We were heading into the homestretch for our Michigan Wines and Signs odyssey.  As we left the Village of Cash, we had one last destination that included three historical markers.  It was nearing 5:30 as we headed south on Cash Road and headed towards Marlette, Michigan.  Marlette is our symbolic half-way point between our main residence and our place in Caseville, and have driven through it hundreds of times over the years.  It is the location of 3 of our favorite stopping points as well:

• Hilltop Coney Island – this was Kathy’s and my favorite place to stop for dinner on our Friday night drives up to Caseville.  At least it was until the pups came along!!
•  McDonald’s – our favorite place to stop to get a quick dinner to eat on the road when the kids were younger and going with us on our weekend escapes, and
• Moore’s Ice Cream – favorite place to stop for ice cream on our way home from Caseville when the kids were younger.

There were other places we would stop as well – a small family diner on the corner of Ellsworth and Van Dyke (M-53) which is now closed, the Subway at the Clark gas station, the Speedway gas station, and most recently, the Little Caesar’s across the railroad tracks from Moore’s Ice Cream.  But one place we had never stopped before, although we had passed it and seen it standing there hundreds of times before, was the historical marker at the Marlette District Library.

It was a 16-mile drive from the Village of Cash to the Marlette District Library.  As we headed west along Marlette Road, the late afternoon sun made it difficult to see.  The marker itself is located 2 blocks (730 feet) south of Marlette Road on the west side of Van Dyke (or Main Street or M-53 – take your choice).  The same sun that made it a difficult drive also made it very difficult to get good pics of the library seeing as we had to take shots in the direction of the sun.  Of the 23 images we took, 8 were either too dark or too washed out.  I found myself taking pics from odd angles, or from under tree branches or behind shrubs just to be able to counteract the effects of the sunshine.  Of course, that is not too bad of a problem to have.

The library was closed at this time, which was difficult for Sarah, being the book-worm she is.  She has never found a library or a bookstore that she did NOT want to walk into, so I know it was tugging at her heart not to be able to go in.  I can tell you that they are open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 am to 6 pm, and Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.  They are closed on Sunday.  I can also tell you that the collection of the library contains 20,142 volumes and it circulates 40,397 items per year. The library serves a population of 5,241 residents.

The historical marker is along M-53 just a few short feet off the road.  The sign explains that the idea for a library in Marlette came about in 1914 by women of the community who belonged to the Marlette Research Group.  The club contacted the Carnegie Corporation for a grant to build the library.  There were rules that had to be followed when applying for the grant, including raising funds for the maintenance of the library, which they did by instituting a quarter-mil tax. The grant was finally approved in 1918, and it wasn’t until 3 years later that construction began on the simple brick building.  According to the sign, the building has a “hipped roof and a portico of classical design.”  The library was the last in the Midwest to receive a Carnegie library grant and the second to the last to do so in the country.  The Marlette District Library is one of fifty-three Michigan libraries funded by the Carnegie Corporation.

As so often has been the case on our quest today, additional historical information about the building has been scarce.  I did find a source that explained a little bit of history behind the cannon that sits in the front of the library (see image below, lower right corner).  It has been a part of Marlette’s history since 1899 when it was brought to Marlette from Fort Monroe in Virginia.  It was obtained by the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.).  Research of the markings and numerals on the cannon indicate that it was cast at the Tredegar Foundry in Charleston, SC, in 1859.  The 'US' on the top of the cannon indicates it was cast on order from the Government, probably for use in the Civil War.

Again, we spent a fair amount of time taking in the sunshine and walking about the grounds, which are beautifully manicured.  Kathy found the plaque commemorating the date of the library and identifying it as a Carnegie building (see image below, upper right).  It was nice to finally stop at a place we have seen so many times before, but it was time to head to our next destination, which was only a couple of blocks away.

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