While this 1965 photo of the former Enumclaw Library is neither grand nor imposing, the story of its development is a testament to the hardy pioneers who populated the town with both commerce and community spirit. Like much of its early history, the town’s founders, Frank and Mary (Fell) Stevenson played a starring part. But so did the sizable number of Scandinavian immigrants from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. In fact, it was Danish citizens who originated the first lending collection, described as “a Danish Community Library” containing 450 volumes, a fair number brought from Denmark.
When the town was incorporated in 1913, Enumclaw’s Civic Club held a public meeting to discuss building a public library. At the time, J.J. Smith School held an extensive collection that town residents could utilize. The following year, Rev. Joseph Cleland of the Calvary Presbyterian Church contacted the Carnegie Library Association. Cleland sought matching funds from the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who during a 45-year period built over 2,500 libraries throughout the world. Unfortunately, the local fundraising drive was unsuccessful so efforts turned inwards. The Presbyterian Church provided space in its building for the growing collection.
In 1921, the same year Enumclaw City Hall was built, the town’s first Library Board was appointed by Mayor Anton Johansen that included notables such as Bryon Kibler, John W. Blake, Marie Melsness, and Elsa Ulman, wife of Dr. Ulman. The first city-owned library opened in March 1923 at a room in city hall. Dues were set at 50 cents a year.
After the town’s father, Frank Stevenson died his widow Mary married Whitfield Yerxa. When Mary Stevenson Yerxa passed in 1928, she willed their home at 1706 Wells Street plus $100 to the Enumclaw Library. The 4,000 books in the collection were moved across the street to their new home in the town’s oldest structure. During the Great Depression years, library usage surged as borrowed books became a source of entertainment that everyone could afford.
By the early 1950s, the Stevenson-Yerxa house was in desperate need of repair. The Library Board hired Klontz & Associates to design a new building and submitted a bond proposal to the voters, which was approved by a 78% yes vote. Weyerhaeuser Timber donated an additional $5,000 to the building fund. The Stevenson home was demolished in March 1953 and the new building, pictured above was completed in November 1953 by the Enumclaw firm of Petersen & Jensen at a cost of $42,500. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Campfire Girls moved the collection into the 5,432-square-foot structure (including a basement) at that same corner of Myrtle and Wells. Mayor Robert Stobbs cut the ribbon at the grand opening on Sunday, Feb. 7, 1954, with an estimated 500 citizens in attendance.
In 1962, the library received a $25,000 endowment from the estate of Herman Schlofeldt and his wife, the former Louise Bartman. Civic virtue grew. The Ladies Musical Club established a music library offering records and albums. The Camera Club donated a movie screen with a 16-mm projector. A story hour for children sponsored by the Friends of the Library became a regular series. When this King County Assessor photo was taken on July 9, 1965, a number of Enumclaw ladies worked as librarians, including Helen Absher, Ruth Baldwin, Martha Collins, Vera Garnier, Jean Haines, Mildred Hotton, and Charlotte Locke.
In the early 1980s, the city of Enumclaw acquired Burlington Northern Railroad’s 300-foot right-of-way through town, upon which a new library was envisioned. A $1.25 million bond was submitted. On the third try in May 1989, it was approved by 72% of the voters. Just over 20 years later the citizens of Enumclaw, following a heated debate approved the annexation of the town library into the King County Library System. KCLS.org has consistently received Five-Star ratings and is among the best-performing libraries in the United States, and number two for its digital collection.
This column is indebted to Linda Holden Givens, Mark Hotton, Charmayne Zydek, and Jan Locke Crawford for information about the heritage of the library and its librarians who remain dedicated to literature and learning through the written and spoken word.
