The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-01-24

The visitor TO our beautiful little
town Of Belleview, after viewing the
lake, the grottO, the paved streets. |
bordered on either side with beauti-
full and majestic oaks, interpreted
with a few stately pines. sees the pub
lie buildings, admires the large and
well kept public school house, Won
ders how the BapUists maintain such
q large, cOmmOdiOus church, express
es surprise at the neat, well kept and
well furnished Methodist church, and
inspects a town hall that would do
credit to a town FIVE or six times the
size of Belleyiew, and is filed with
wonder at the public spirit manifested
on all sides, and upon swinging
around a corner We come upon pile
Of rock, real genuine Florida raised
rock. and a little beyond We see the
foundation and walls of a gOOdly sized
building being built out OF this self
same rock. Upon questioning the
builder. whom We find to be a Mr.. W.
A. Cowles, from the brassy town Of
Bridgeport. Conn. We learn q great
many interesting facts;
First. That this will be a solid
stone building, built and paid for by
the Belleview Library Association,
and upon questioning one of the by
ISLANDERS many facts were learned as
10 why BeIleview is such a live, pro-
! gressive, gO-ahead little ton
Taking the library building for a
text. and draing a parallel comparison
on all of the public utilities and insJi-
tutions Of BeIleview, we learn that ii
takes long years of Untiring zeal and
energy. united efforts on the part OF
all concerned, and 10, the thing is
accomplished.
Take this library building as an IL
Illustration. A few months over TWEEN
ty-one years ago, or, TO be exact, on
November 19, 1856, there met in the
school house a little band Of workers,
who STYLED themselves the Belleview
Library Association, and pledged their
united efforts TO the building and fur
nishing of a public library. There
were present at that meeting Mrs. NJ.
L. Smith. Mrs. T. W. Brooks, Mrs. c.
w. Newman and Mrs. Gary G. Bush,
and the following gentlemen: I H.
Rouse. H. WOOdman, Arthur Brown,
r. c. Ridge and several others.
On Friday evening, December p
1856. the results of the first meeting
XFystalized into a permanent Organi
cation. with Prof. Gary G. Bush as
president; James c. Wade, secretary;
W. E. Strong, treasurer, with board
of directors consisting of six active
town workers. and the enthusiasm raT
high. Pictures of a fine building anC
a noble collection of books were Wv
SGIy imagined. In December Of tn
same year a fine building site wa
secured. and the work earnestly com
menced TO make the library a rea
thing.
One of the first donations Of an,
= consequence was a present of fit
dollars made by the old reliable stand
by. that faithful band of pushers-
the Belleview Workers-made on Ma
>. 1887. This. with the proceeds c
lectures. oyster suppers. dramas, an
various kinds of entertainments. 500
made fund 10 be proud of
From that on the society flourish
ed apace. and prospered until the VIII
ter Of 81 and IS. The dread yello'
fever .scourge of the summer and ia
of 1883 mot in Belleview, but in oil
er parts of the state) put tempo
airy stop to the progress of the orga1
ization. and not till the winter Of lS>
did things resume their normal stat
for the affairs of the library associ
ton. That winter saw a revival
the interest in the matter, with
Nembership of over sixty.
The years of 1S90-91'92, and up
1895 passed. showing a health
growth and undated interest in Il
affairs of the association. Warrior
plans had been presented. thong
over and rejected. looking TO the a
QUESTION of a suitable building. eth
by purchase or building of the sam