LAKEPORT >> In October 2016, the Upper Lake branch of Lake County Library, formally known as the Harriet Lee Hammond Library, will celebrate one hundred years of operation. Even now plans for the celebration have begun.
To document the library’s story, the Lake County Library is looking for old photos of the historic building and people important to its history; in particular, photos of the construction of the building, the dedication, Lottie Mendenhall, Amy Murdock, any members of the Upper Lake Women’s Protective Club (ULWPC) from about 1915 to 1920 and any ULWPC events connected with the library.
If you have any photos to lend, contact Linda Bushta at the Upper Lake Library, 275-2049 or Jan Cook at Lakeport Library, 263-8817 ext. 17106. The library can scan photos and return your originals.
The ULWPC started Upper Lake’s first library in J.N. League’s general store in 1914, but always hoped for a permanent library building. With a donation of land from Lottie Mendenhall and Amy Murdock, and $7,000 from Harriet Lee Hammond, Upper Lake’s library took shape over the summer of 1916 and opened that October. Although the building might appear to have started out as a house, it has always been a library. Its one hundred year history as a library makes it one of Upper Lake’s oldest businesses.
The Lake County Library is on the internet at library.lakecountyca.gov and facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.
