Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-08-13
DAVENPORT LIBRARY As.
GOCIATloN.


Aided BY the present officers Of the AS
sociation We are permitted 10 give con
densed history OF what has now become
one Of the most succsssful and popular Of
eur city institutions.
On the llth Of July, 1860, IT No, Z, For>
rest Block. Messrs. H. W. Bennett, John
Ackley, W. 8. Kendall. H. NJ Smith and
A. o. Hoffman met together for the pure
pose Of organizing . Debating Club. On the
18th day Of August, A. D. 1860. they held
. meeting At Mr.. II. II. Smiths Variety
Store. and adopted . constitution, elected
Mr.. II. W. Bennett President, and styled
themselves the Young Mems Debating Club.
Meetings were held in Hoffman'a Block ev>
cry Friday evening. and questions Of litcr>
ary, historical a.d political interest discuss>
ed. The first discussion noted in the old
books Of the Club was upon the query Of
the Wonders Of the Old Wcrld a. compared
With the New. The membership Of the
Club increased rapidly. and the interest in
The debates used to fiji the club rooms all
most every week. They were finally eom>
PEELED TO take larger sooms, which they se>
cured in the third ssory Of the marble bsnk
building.
On the 7th Of August. 1868, the Young
Mems Debating Club adopted new consti-
,ut,on-chsngsd the name Of the Associa
tion TO the Associated Congress" and
elected e. Z. Cook speaker. Up to this
time the Association did not own library.
Al the meeting Of Sept. II, 1868, Messrs.
Sully, Smith and Bennett were appointed .
committee to purchase the library Of the
Young Mems Literary Association, (then
defuncs,) which they succeeded in doing,
and Incorporated themselves on the 3Oth
day Of October. 1868, by the election Of the
following Board Of Directors and officefs
thereof: A. Sully, President E. E. Cook,
Vice President; H. w. Bennett, Secretary:
E. A. Oliver, Treasurer; John Chamberlain
Librarian. A course Of lectures We pro>
posed. but the public taste did not call for
them until the following year.
In February, 1867, the organization again
changes ito name, and adopted . new set Of
articles Of incorporation. and became the
present Davenport Library Association,
with our friend Edward E. Cook - its Pres.
ident.
This Association has surmoun.ed great
difficulties. Until they had purchased their
library. opened il to the public and we're
running it in full blast, they bad never re-
ceived dime Of assistance from any citi>
zen Of Davenport. A public fair, man
aged and controlled by the ladies Of
Davenport, and a donation Of books with
proper bookcase from our public spir>
tied townsman John l.. Swits. is all the
aid the citizens of this town have given the
Association. except in patronage of lec,ur'
ers, when they expected to get their mos
ney's worth. In spite Of all this, the insti
tuition has grown, and prospered and t!our>
ished Managed and controlled by young
men, il has become the pride of our city
and upon next Thursday evening, August
10th, at their rooms in Fassaud's block,
they propose celebrating their Seventh An
niversary.
All those who have assisted the Associa-
ton by words Of kindness, acts or deeds,
gifts or donations; oil who have patronizsd
it; all who arc its friends; oil the ladies
who took part IN she fair; oil who desire III
success; IN short, everybody who wants Il
have good time are requested to attend
the Reception given BY the members in
commcmoration Of their Seventh Anniver.
sary. Music of oil kinds-vocal, instru>
mental and soul fuH-will be furnished
Refreshments for oil will be generously pro
vided by the officers and members Of the
Association. Any person desirous Of test.
ing the elocut,onary abilities of the mem.
bers. will be allowed an opportunity.
Let all 60 then, feeling assured that tn,
officers of the Association, on behalf of the
members, will do oil in their power to make
tho occasion the most delightful Of the sea
son.