A History of Bunker Hill Library

Pictured: Present Day Bunker Hill Library

     In 1867, a group of concerned citizens formed a private association for the purpose of establishing a library, consisting of "2,500 volumes of well selected and valuable books".

    On December 6, 1897, the City of Bunker hill passed an ordinance establishing a public library and reading room.  All books, printed material, bookcases, tables, and other furniture owned by the stockholders of the library association were donated and formed the nucleus of the new City Library.  The library was located on the second floor above one of the businesses on the west side d of North Washington Street.  Miss Josephine Mize was the librarian for years.

    In 1945, Mayor Kenneth Miller appointed Mrs. A.E. Strang, Mr. L.E. Sutton, Mrs. Francis Walter, Mrs. Luther Mason, Mrs. O.C. Weidner, Rev. John Colavecchio, Rev. Carl Fritz, Mrs. C.H. Fensterman, and Mr. R.E. Rigg to serve on the re-organized library board.

    Many people donated funds for the purchase of a building at 114 E. Warren Street (where the present History Museum is located) and equipment, as well as spending countless hours assisting in typing and manual labor, etc.

    An open house was held in the new library on July 7, 1947, and librarian Miss Loretta Bartels proudly "showed off" the new facility.

    Less than a year later on March 19, 1948, a disastrous tornado hit Bunker Hill, totally destroying the library building, books, and equipment .  The community responded, and on October 7, 1950, another open house was held for the newly rebuilt and equipped library.  Money, books and equipment had been donated by persons from many other communities as well as Bunker Hill.

Pictured: Aerial View of Post tornado damage to the Bunker Hill Main Business District

    With the passing of time, the need for more space was obvious and in 1967, 100 years after the first library association was formed, Clara and Luther Mason presented the library trustees with a deed to a building at 220 East Washington Street.  After renovation and redecorating, the Kiwanis club moved the books and equipment to the new library, and on April 21, 1968, an open house was held.  An addition to house the reference and genealogy collection was built in 1973.

Pictured: The Bunker Hill City Library at the new location on 220 East Washington St.

...Read this and other Bunker Hill, IL historical stories at https://bunkerhillhistory.org/

--Cite this story: The Bunker Hill IL Historical Society. "A Look Back in Bunker Hill History." Bunker Hill Gazette-News, May 28, 2020.

Redford, Carol, and Betty Triplett. "Bunker Hill History." In Reflections: A History of the Bunker Hill-Woodburn Area, p. 32. Bunker Hill: Bunker Hill Publications, 1993. Provided by the Bunker Hill Historical Society.

Meissner - The Third School

Pictured: Meissner School

 1929-2009

     The second school built in 1869 provided the facilities for education for 60 years.  In March of 1928, the state threatened to withdraw the high school accredited rating and also to stop payment of $2,000 annually from the state distributive fund if steps were not taken to remodel the very antiquated building.

    This edict from the state aroused the patrons of District 164 and they tool [sic] quick action on the matter.  On Thursday, March 15, 1928, an election was held and $18,000 was approved by a 403 to 30 vote to repair and remodel the school.

    That very same week of the vote, George Meissner of St. Louis, came forth with an offer to match dollar for dollar, with the school district, up to $30,000 for a new school building.  A community meeting was called March 16 at the Lincoln Theatre and a resolution was drawn to accept the gift and petitions were circulated calling for an election to put the building proposition to a vote.

    A vote on the $30,000 bond issue was held on April 6, 1928, and 321 votes were cast in favor of the building with 15 against.  Plans were drawn and work of building a new school was started in the fall of 1928.  The old schools was razed to make room for the new school.

    On Tuesday, November 5, 1929, dedication of a new school, which cost $80,000 was held.  This school contained five classrooms downstairs and six upstairs, with storage, furnace, and office provided and modern toilet facilities on both floors.

    A new addition and gym were build in 1952.  A new high school was built in 1964, leaving only elementary grades at Meissner.  Because of many problems and deterioration of the 80 year old school, it was  closed in 2009.

    George N. Meissner gave a total of $50,000 for the building of the new school.  Meissner School was named for him.  He spent his boyhood days in Bunker Hill and later rose to be a financial success.

From Reflections: A History of the Bunker Hill-Woodburn Area

    The Meissner School dedication was held on November 5, 1929.  At noon, a banquet was given at the Cottage Inn (approximate location was northwest corner of intersection of Fayette and Clinton) for about 75 guests.  Senator A.S. Cuthbertson was toastmaster.  At 1:45 p.m., guests and a parade of school children in little crepe hats were led by the Gillespie band to the new school building.

    

Pictured: Dedication of Meissner School.

  (left to right :) Mitzi Mercer Mahle, Senator W. P. Cuthbertson, George N. Meissner, Betty Wise Ash.

    Mrs. Pauline Brinkman, Chairman of the Board of Education, opened the dedication services in the new school auditorium.  After a tribute to Mr. Meissner by Senator Cuthbertson, an oil portrait of Mr. Meissner was unveiled by Marilyn Mercer and Betty Wise, daughters of two board members.

 

Pictured: 1930 Graduation Class and class list

    Mr. Meissner was then made an honorary member of the class of 1930, which was the first class to graduate from the new school.  Helen Gosch, a member of the Senior Class speaking for her classmates, gave the honor and presented him with a pin of the Class of 1930.

    Mr. Meissner, who had previously given $37,500 for the school, made an impressive talk, and at the conclusion handed R.H. Hayes, chairman of the school building committee, a check for $12,500 which lifted the deficit incurred during the erection of the new building.  This made the total he gave toward building the new school come to $50,000.  The remaining $30,000 came from bonds issued by District 164.

 ...Read this and other Bunker Hill, IL historical stories at https://bunkerhillhistory.org/

--Cite this story: The Bunker Hill IL Historical Society. "A Look Back in Bunker Hill History." Bunker Hill Gazette-News, May 21, 2020.

Redford, Carol, and Betty Triplett. "Bunker Hill History." In Reflections: A History of the Bunker Hill-Woodburn Area, pp. 103-105. Bunker Hill: Bunker Hill Publications, 1993. Provided by the Bunker Hill Historical Society.