Though the Chadron Public Library will be in its current location for more than a century, the library actually had its foundation in 1889 with a book drive organized by Fannie O’Linn and Mary Hayward.
From about 1889 to 1909, the library was very active, Library Director Rossella Tesch said, but then it virtually disappeared. “For 10 years there is no record of the library,” she said. Instead, there are records of other intellectual organizations and clubs that were very active. Every month or so, they would get together to read or perform Shakespeare, but there was no presence of the library.
In 1907, a Library Association was founded Chadron Mayor James Finnegan wrote to Andrew Carnegie for financial assistance. Though Carnegie helped with the building, he also made sure the City agreed to maintain it. There was some controversy about where to place…
