The Portland daily press., 1870-02-22
The snte President of the Portland En.
siifMIn md i,niIio Imam

" "'hS SsH fuDfic Library.
10 the tastes and pursuits OF The scholar
and author, Mr.. Willis joined an admirable and
healthy public spirit. He took deep and
abiding interest in everything that would tend
to strengthen, improve or adorn our city and
Stale. Every great enterprise, every noble
movement in the interest of education and
Philanthropy found in him an intelligent and
untir1ng friend. 1t was the rare combination
CT these qualities $50 seldom unted) that made
the strength, beauty and completeness of his
chatacter,o one of the finest, because at the same
time, one of the most useful, and most
charming that has ever come within the
range of our observation. The Atlantic and ST.
Lawrence Railroad, the European, and Nortn
American Railway, the plans for deVeiopihs
the extensive and fertile district oil the ARGOS
tod, had each in It's time, his earnest and eff
ficient sympathy and support. In later days,
when it seemed necessary to the progress of
our city to extend the Portland and Rochester
Railroad so as to effect direct communication
between Portland and New York,-to reach
the commerce of the great lakes by railroad
through Northern Vermont to Ogdensburg,-
10 strike at other points in the West by the
Portland and Rutland railway.-he was the
early, steady and active promoter of all these
enterprises, never allowing one to antagonize
another, looking, as he did, always and stead
lastly to the growth and prosperity and glory
fthe city he had so early adopted and had low
ed so unselfishly and so WELL The last work
which had interested him was in the cause Of
humanity. We refer to the Maine State Hospi-
tain which he took an interest which the
feebleness of age and the weakness of disease
could not abate. Among the last acts he was
permitted to perform was to make generous
contribution to its foundation.
But the Portland Institute and Public Ii
brary was undoubtedly the browning work Of
his life, and the one which in the future will
be regarded as his peculiar monument. After
the destruction, in the great fire of 1866, Of
all the public libraries in this city, Mr.. Will
lis felt strongly the need of new organiza-
ton for public library ON broad and popu-
lar foundation. He desired to see library OF
choice and valuable books accessible to every
man, woman and child in Portland. He
hoped, too, for the establishment of an insti-
tuition that should grow to be gallery of
art and home for science and the most gen.
erous cultnre-a light, a blessing and an hon
or to our city.
He drew the bill, which, by the action of
the Legislature, became the charter of this
corporation; he prepared its regulations and
bylaws; he attended all its preliminary meet
iAgs; from his graceful pen came the several
appeals that have been made from time to
time to the city government and the public
for material aid he was its first, and has been
its only, President; and since its organization
he has given his time, his care and his
thoughts that its prosperity and success
might be assured. And he was permitted to
live until he saw its shelves filed with more
than ten thousand volumes of useful and in
teresting books, its walls hung with many
works of art, and its advantages recognized
and enjoyed by thousands of our citizens.
Long will his memory be cherished in this
community for his many good works and for
his blameless life, freshly and lovingly will he
be remembered as the historian of Portland
and the biographer of her worthless; but our
children's children will honor him as the
Founder of their Public Library!