PEABODY PUBLIC LIBRARY
One of the Finest and Largest in the State

AN ARTICLE EXTRACTED FROM THE PEABODY NEWS 1901
Contributed by Charmaine Keith (charmain@southwind.net) 13 October 1998

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Peabody News
1901

	One of the most valuable acquisitions of Peabody is its public library---a present 
from Mr. F. H. Peabody, Vice President of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company, 
for whom the town was named. He erected the building in 1875, entirely at his own cost, and 
supplied it with a liberal donation of miscellaneous books and a goodly number of the 
standard magazines and periodicals. Since then many additions have been made from time to 
time to its stock of reading matter, until now it contains nearly 7,000 volumes. Many of 
these are choice, up-to-date books, including the popular works of fiction, by the best 
authors, scientific, historical and biographical works, books of poetry, encyclopedias, 
dictionaries and other books of reference, etc.

	By a special act of the legislature the property has been placed under the 
management of the township board, and a fund is created by taxation of the property of the 
township to meet all expenses of maintaining the institution. The books are loaned free, 
under certain regulations, to residents of the township. An average of nearly 3,100 volumes 
are taken out annually by the intelligent readers of the community. 

	A handsome, nicely painted frame building, cozily nestling among the elms, maples 
and evergreens, upon a well-kept, blue grass lawn, with cement walk and a beautiful fountain 
with its rain bow spray shimmering in the sunshine, where birds delight to bathe and tell 
their loves in silvery notes of song, all enclosed with a neat iron fence, fairly describes 
the outward appearance of this, the pride of our little city. A peep within reveals first a 
spacious reading room, well ventilated and lighted, and furnished with carpet and chairs and 
tables spread with the latest papers and magazines, where every afternoon and evening, 
excepting Sundays, those so inclined may while away the leisure hours. Next is a room of 
fair dimensions, shelved from floor to ceiling, where the books are stored, and where a 
kindly and courteous librarian is ever ready to attend to the wants of the patrons of the 
establishment.

	The Library has ever been a source of delight and satisfaction to our people, and 
especially has it been of inestimable value to the pupils of the city schools. It is prized 
and appreciated by all, and the generous donor will be ever held in grateful remembrance not 
only by the present populace of the township, but generations to come will rise up and bless 
the name of F. H. Peabody.


Written by: R. L. Cochran