Heppner Library-Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heppner Library-Museum |
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| Exterior of the Heppner Branch of the Oregon Trail Library District | |
| Country | United States of America |
| Type | Public |
| Scope | Eastern Oregon, Rural Oregon |
| Established | 1893 |
| Location | Heppner, Morrow County, Oregon |
| Branch of | Oregon Trail Library District |
| Access and use | |
| Population served | 12,000 |
| Website | Official site: http://oregontrail.ploud.net/our-locations-and-hours/heppner-branch |
The Heppner Library-Museum is a special place in Heppner, Oregon. It's both a public library and a museum for the county! The library is part of the Oregon Trail Library District.
In 1958, a kind woman named Mrs. Amanda Duvall gave money to build this library. It was a gift to remember her husband and daughter. The City of Heppner gave the land for the building. The McCormack Construction Company and Case Furniture Company helped build it. The Heppner Library-Museum opened in 1960. It's still a very important part of the community today.
Contents
How the Library Started
Early Days of the Library
A Library is Born
The idea for a library in Heppner began way back in 1893. Two citizens, H. E. Riner and O. K. Fitzsimmons, worked hard to create it. They went around town asking for books. They even convinced the Oregon State Library in Salem to donate over a thousand books! Riner and Fitzsimmons also gave $500 each to help start the library. This first library was in a small wooden building on the main street.
Moving Around Town
For the next twenty years, the library moved many times. It was in an old Baptist Church. It also moved to where an Assembly of God Church once stood. The library just kept moving to different spots in Heppner.
Fires and Rebuilding
In 1918, a big fire destroyed the first library. It was a huge fire that burned four blocks! Newspapers called it the "most destructive" fire in Heppner's history. It caused a lot of damage, costing between $25,000 and $30,000. The fire started near the opera house.
After the fire, people worked hard to restart the library. It found a small space in a millinery shop on Main Street. The Oregon State Library donated at least three hundred more books. Local citizens also gave books.
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Then, in 1925, another fire hit! This time, it started in a butcher's shop next door. The library was destroyed again. It took five more years for the town to have a working library. Around 1930, the library reopened. It was temporarily on the top floor of the Odd Fellows Building.
Finally, in 1932, the City of Heppner bought a refurbished garage. The library moved there. For the next thirty years, many librarians and citizens helped run the library.
Volunteers and Small Budgets
In the late 1940s, the City of Heppner put $300 in its budget for the library. Before this, volunteers and donations kept the library going. One time, a stove fire blackened the whole library. Board members and their families washed every part of the room. They even cleaned every single book!
In the 1950s, librarians and their helpers were paid 25 cents per hour. This came from the city's $600 library budget. One librarian, Ruby Becket, worked from 1954 to 1956. She earned $40 each month.
A New Building for the Library and Museum
Mrs. Duvall's Big Gift
In the late 1950s, Mrs. Amanda Duvall had a wonderful idea. She wanted to build a new library and museum. It would be a memorial to her husband, Harry Duvall, and her daughter, Erma Duvall Wickersham. Mrs. Duvall was inspired by the planning for Oregon's 100th birthday celebration.
In 1958, the City of Heppner created a special group. This group would accept Mrs. Duvall's gift and plan the new building. The first idea was to build it on May and Court streets. But that land was too small. So, the City of Heppner offered to donate land in its city park. This land was big enough for the building.
Designing and Building
W. H. Gilmore, an architect from Portland, designed the new building. It was planned to be a concrete block building. It would have a brick finish and be 64 feet by 72 feet. They asked for bids to build it in July 1959. The expected cost was about $65,000.
In August 1959, McCormack Construction Company from Pendleton won the building contract. Their bid was $58,651. Case Furniture Company of Heppner won a second contract for heating and ventilation. Their bid was $6,176. The total cost for the building was about $70,000. The Heppner Library-Museum opened in 1960. It is still a very important part of the community today.
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The Morrow County Museum
The Morrow County Museum is in the same building as the Heppner Library. It's called the Heppner Library-Museum! The museum has many old items. These items show the history of pioneers, farming, and country life in the area. The museum also has hundreds of photos. These pictures show how Morrow County grew over time.
You can see exhibits about farming history. There are also displays about Native Americans in the county. You can learn about old medical care and the story of the Heppner Flood. Mrs. Amanda Duvall also helped start the museum.
People Who Helped the Library
- Mrs. O. K. Fitzsimmons, librarian
- Josephine Mahoney Baker, librarian
- Frances Case, librarian
- Madge Thomson, librarian
- Louise Becket, librarian
- Hannah Jones, librarian
- Martha Dick, librarian
- Evelyn Isom, librarian
- Ruby Becket, librarian
- Ella Smith, librarian
- Blanche Frye Brown, librarian
- Justine Weatherford, librarian
- Amanda Duvall, who gave money to build the library and museum
