Library History

David Abiram Howe, son of George and Abigail Howe, was born in West Almond, Allegany County, New York, on July 26, 1848. He and his family moved to Wellsville when he was about five years old. His father became the editor of the “Wellsville Times” and David was one of the first newsboys in town. After attending Dickinson Seminary of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, he returned to Wellsville to work for his uncle, Alfred S. Brown, owner of a general dry goods store. He married Nancy A. Reaser of Wellsville in 1870.

Mr. and Mrs. Howe lived in the Williamsport area where he was involved in the lumber business and various other corporations, public utilities, financial institutions and newspapers. The couple often found time to visit Wellsville. They had no children.

The generosity of a Wellsville boy who became successful in the business world, and the constancy and inspiration of a visionary Wellsville woman gave life to one of the country’s finest small libraries.

The origins of the public library in Wellsville date back as far as 1856, when individual subscriptions were collected to purchase books to circulate. In 1867, an amateur theatrical club put on a series of plays to raise additional funds for the library. Library supporters also offered other lectures, concerts, and entertainments to increase revenue but, despite these efforts, the books were withdrawn, stored in Madison Street rooms and loaned to the YMCA. Interest in a library had not waned, though, so, in 1870, the Wellsville Circulating Library Association was formed and seventy-eight shares of stock were sold at fifty cents a share. These funds were used to purchase books and brings lecturers, such as Henry Ward Beecher, to town. Gradually, a collection of 1400 volumes was amassed.

In 1893, a group of thirteen women interested in literature formed a group called the Monday Club. Their goal was to establish a more permanent library. With this goal in mind, they took over the collection of books, raised funds to buy new ones, obtained a traveling library from the state, and set up operations in a room in the high school. Later that year, they moved the library to rooms in the new City Hall and hired a librarian. The New York State Board of Regents granted a provisional library charter on June 3, 1894. Almost three years later, the state approved a permanent charter and awarded the library $200 in matching funds. The Monday Club met in unused schoolrooms, continued adding to the collection, studied library techniques, and nurtured the dream of a real library building.

During this capacity-building phase, Louise Brown (married to Alfred S. Brown) was chairman of the Library Board and president of  the Monday Club. She worked tirelessly to bring the dream of a permanent library in Wellsville to fruition. During one of the frequent visits from their nephew, David A. Howe, Louise asked for his advice on approaching the Carnegie Foundation for funding. His (possibly apocryphal) response was, “Why a Carnegie Library? Why not a David A Howe Public Library.”

David gave the Monday Club $17,600 for the building, individual donations from community members were used to purchase the site, and the Monday Club gave $3,000 for shelving. With these funds, the first David A. Howe Library became a reality. On July 26, 1910, the library (156 North Main Street) opened to the public with a collection of over 9,000 books and Fannie Crittenden at the helm as librarian.

As the years passed, David often asked Louise about the welfare of her “library child.” Louise let him know that the library was “[g]rowing, but she needs shoes and proper clothing.”  He advised patience and told her, “Your child shall some day be sumptuously attired.”

Upon his death in 1925, his will brought clarity to his promise; David had left $1,250,000 to the library. With the income accumulated over a period of ten years from his bequest, a new building, bearing his name, was constructed. Income from the $1,250,000 endowment was to be used for the maintenance of the building.

The Georgian Colonial style building, begun in 1935 was dedicated as David A. Howe Public Library on May 13, 1937. It is a landmark on Main Street to this day.

The heart of the library is in its Reference and Reading area and the Youth Wing. Of course, libraries are about far more than books, so the building also contains the Howe Gallery, where art shows are held through the year, and the Nancy Howe Auditorium, where the library hosts a variety of performances.  The Local History Room contains local historical records and the Monday Club Room honors the benefactors who brought a library in Wellsville to life. Community groups often use the Gallery, Auditorium, Local History, and Monday Club for meetings and events.

For nearly 90 years, the David A. Howe Public Library has been a cultural and social center in Wellsville. The library has been the site of performances by local and traveling actors and musicians, film festivals, politicians’ speeches, and informational meetings. Over the years, area residents have used the rooms in the building and the grounds as the setting for volunteer activities during World War II, a bowling rally, boating safety classes, automobile shows, Miss Allegany County judging, author talks, investing clubs, antique appraisal, clogging exhibitions and much more.

Through all this time, the collection has continued to grow and diversify. From less than 9,000 items in 1937 to over 114.000 items today. The library has expanded from books to include magazines, video and DVD, audio, and electronic resources, such as ebooks and audiobooks. In 1998, the catalog and circulation system were upgraded to an automated system shared with the Southern Tier Library System. In 2001, the library posted its first web site and became available over the Internet, allowing broader community access to the catalog, local information, and databases of health, news and business resources. The library continues to expand access through online services, social media, and downloadable and streaming media.