EARLY LOUISVILLE LIBRARIES V N
had, at the outset, 217 members, ten of whom Q
were designated at a general meeting to sign h
the articles of incorporation. These were the `
Rev. John H. Heywood, Alexander G. Booth, J. M.
Wright, Louis N. Dembitz, Russell Houston, Dr.
J. Lawrence Smith, W. B¤·Caldwell, I. M. St.
John, W. H. Walker, and John H. Ward. Under
the rules, each member was to contribute $30 in
cash or twenty volumes acceptable to the direc- ·
tors, who must have had some difficulty avoid-
ing duplications.
The library was located first in the second
floor of the building at the northwest corner
of Third and Walnut Streets, remaining there
until January, 1876, when it was removed to the
building at Fifth and Walnut Streets on the 4 Q
present (1942) site of the Kentucky Hotel. The
first president was Alexander G. Booth, who re- »
mained in office until his death in October,
1876, when he was succeeded by Alexander P. ’
Humphrey. He in turn was succeeded by William ·
· R. Belknap in January, 1880. Fellow-directors
of the latter were Udolpho Snead,J. W.Holland,
0. A. Wehle, A. V. Gude, John H. Ward, and J. l
M. Wright, with Robert Cochran as treasurer and ,
James S. Pirtle as secretary.
_ In 1876 the directors were able to accumu-
late an endowment of $10,000 subscribed by mem-
bers and others, the income from which was _ I
devoted thereafter to the 1ibrary’s operating {
expenses. Members paid $6.00 annual dues, sub- ._
scribers $1.00 a quarter or $3.00 annually. 0n I3
January 1, 1882, there were Q7 active members,
173 subscribers, and 14 life members who paid
no dues. ln 1881 the library contained 8,136 ’
books.
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