Cass District Library
Encyclopedia
Cass District Library is the library
system which services Calvin
, Howard
, Jefferson
, LaGrange, Mason
, Milton
, Newberg
, Ontwa
, Penn
, Pokagon
, Porter
and Volinia
Townships in Cass County
, Michigan
, USA.
Currently the Cass District Library has a total of five libraries located around Cass County. The Cass District Library has a staff of 19 people. It services a population of almost 37,000 people covering almost 500 square miles (1,295 km²). The library is a community gathering place as they allow the public to use two meeting rooms at no charge. All branches of this library system are participating member of the MichiCard
system.
The village of Cassopolis received funds from Andrew Carnegie
to establish a public library in Cassopolis; in 1909 building of the LaGrange Township Library was completed (today this building is home to the Local History Branch of the library system). The Cass County board of supervisors purchased a building for a new library in December 1959. The handsome, flagstone-fronted structure required extensive repairs before the library could be opened. The library eventually outgrew this building. Construction of a new 18000 sq ft (1,672.3 m²) Cass County Library building, on a 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) property, was completed in 1977.
In February 1973 the Cass County Library founded the Mason-Union Branch Library in the Mason District Number 5 Schoolhouse
in Edwardsburg, Michigan
. The building is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places
and Michigan Register of Historic Places. Constructed in 1874-1875, at a cost of $3,000.00, the building is atypical for its era, with Italianate architecture. The building is noted in the registry for its unusual size and architectural distinction.
The LaGrange Library closed its doors in 1993 when the Cass County Library joined with the LaGrange Township Library to form the Cass District Library.
In talking about the 100th year anniversary of the library Wuepper said, “We can shed light on marriages, birth, death … all the important things in life, coming in and going out…” the library holds those details in its 100-year-old walls." This library is a piece of Americana from the early twentieth century … I feel very privileged and lucky and I think the people feel lucky that we have such an intact Carnegie library."
The library also maintains a large microfilm collection of local newspapers.
Cassopolis Vigilant, 1872-2005
Dowagiac Times, 1888-1910
Dowagiac Republican, 1881—1889
Cass County Republican, 1860—1864
Marcellus News
, 1887-1994
Edwardsburg Argus, 1879-1975, 1997, 2004-2005
The National Democrat (pub. at Cassopolis), 1851-1913;
The Niles Republican (Niles, MI), 1839-1862
Niles Gazette & Advertiser, 1835-1837
Niles Intelligencer, 1838-1841, 1858-1860
In addition to the collection of microfilmed papers which the local history branch holds, the library holds detailed information on the births, marriages, and deaths of residents. The library is home to several different collections of local books and information on the different communities around the area. The collection of records included list of burials at a large number of local cemeteries along with a collection of local funeral home records.
Edwardsburg Library
Howard Library
Local History Library
Mason/Union Library
, Mason Township
, LaGrange Township, and the Village of Edwardsburg appoint the other four members.
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
system which services Calvin
Calvin Township, Michigan
Calvin Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,041 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water...
, Howard
Howard Township, Michigan
Howard Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,309 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
, Jefferson
Jefferson Township, Cass County, Michigan
Jefferson Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,401 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, LaGrange, Mason
Mason Township, Cass County, Michigan
Mason Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,514 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-History:Cass County had been...
, Milton
Milton Township, Cass County, Michigan
Milton Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,646 at the 2000 census.- Communities :There are no incorporated municipalities in the township....
, Newberg
Newberg Township, Michigan
Newberg Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,703 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...
, Ontwa
Ontwa Township, Michigan
Ontwa Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,865 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
, Penn
Penn Township, Michigan
Penn Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,902 at the 2000 census.Penn Township is the location of the Bonine House, a lookout post on the Underground Railroad, on the corner of M-60 and Penn Road...
, Pokagon
Pokagon Township, Michigan
Pokagon Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,199 at the 2000 census. The township includes the unincorporated communities of Pokagon and Sumnerville, adjacent to each other on M-51....
, Porter
Porter Township, Cass County, Michigan
Porter Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,794 at the 2000 census.-Communities:* Union is an unincorporated community in the southeast part of the township on US 12.-Geography:...
and Volinia
Volinia Township, Michigan
Volinia Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,174 at the 2000 census. When the township was organized in 1833, it was at first named Volhynia, after the province in Poland. It is believed to have been given to honor General Thaddeus...
Townships in Cass County
Cass County, Michigan
Cass County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 51,104. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area which has a total population of 316,663 and is sometimes considered part of Greater Michiana...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, USA.
Currently the Cass District Library has a total of five libraries located around Cass County. The Cass District Library has a staff of 19 people. It services a population of almost 37,000 people covering almost 500 square miles (1,295 km²). The library is a community gathering place as they allow the public to use two meeting rooms at no charge. All branches of this library system are participating member of the MichiCard
MichiCard
MichiCard is a voluntary program between Michigan libraries that was the first steps in developing a statewide library card for the residents of Michigan. The program was proposed and established by the Library of Michigan Board of Trustees' Task Force on Interdependency and Funding. This led...
system.
History
The start of the current library systems has its roots in 1871, when the Legislature created the Cassopolis Reading Room and Library Association. The objective of the society was "the establishment and maintenance of a library and reading room; the procuring and furnishing of lectures on literary and scientific subjects, scientific and intellectual improvements". By 1889 the library had 1400 volumes and was open two hours per week for members of the association to circulate books.The village of Cassopolis received funds from Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
to establish a public library in Cassopolis; in 1909 building of the LaGrange Township Library was completed (today this building is home to the Local History Branch of the library system). The Cass County board of supervisors purchased a building for a new library in December 1959. The handsome, flagstone-fronted structure required extensive repairs before the library could be opened. The library eventually outgrew this building. Construction of a new 18000 sq ft (1,672.3 m²) Cass County Library building, on a 22 acres (89,030.9 m²) property, was completed in 1977.
In February 1973 the Cass County Library founded the Mason-Union Branch Library in the Mason District Number 5 Schoolhouse
Mason District Number 5 Schoolhouse
Mason District Number 5 Schoolhouse is a former two room rural schoolhouse in Mason Township, Cass County, Michigan built in 1874; the school could hold up to 110 students. The school operated until 1959, when the area became part of the Constantine School District. The building was transformed...
in Edwardsburg, Michigan
Edwardsburg, Michigan
Edwardsburg is a village in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan, northeast of South Bend. The population was 1,147 at the 2000 census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. The building is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and Michigan Register of Historic Places. Constructed in 1874-1875, at a cost of $3,000.00, the building is atypical for its era, with Italianate architecture. The building is noted in the registry for its unusual size and architectural distinction.
The LaGrange Library closed its doors in 1993 when the Cass County Library joined with the LaGrange Township Library to form the Cass District Library.
Local history collections
The Local History Library has a unique and original collection of books and information on the history of the area, with the primary focus being on Cass County. The history branch specializes in genealogy and research. This branch houses the histories of countless families.In talking about the 100th year anniversary of the library Wuepper said, “We can shed light on marriages, birth, death … all the important things in life, coming in and going out…” the library holds those details in its 100-year-old walls." This library is a piece of Americana from the early twentieth century … I feel very privileged and lucky and I think the people feel lucky that we have such an intact Carnegie library."
The library also maintains a large microfilm collection of local newspapers.
Cassopolis Vigilant, 1872-2005
Dowagiac Times, 1888-1910
Dowagiac Republican, 1881—1889
Cass County Republican, 1860—1864
Marcellus News
Marcellus News
Marcellus News is a weekly news publication based in the town of Marcellus, Michigan. The newspaper's motto is "The only newspaper in the world that cares about Marcellus!" The newspaper is owned and published by Moormann Printing Inc. The Marcellus News was established in 1876....
, 1887-1994
Edwardsburg Argus, 1879-1975, 1997, 2004-2005
The National Democrat (pub. at Cassopolis), 1851-1913;
The Niles Republican (Niles, MI), 1839-1862
Niles Gazette & Advertiser, 1835-1837
Niles Intelligencer, 1838-1841, 1858-1860
In addition to the collection of microfilmed papers which the local history branch holds, the library holds detailed information on the births, marriages, and deaths of residents. The library is home to several different collections of local books and information on the different communities around the area. The collection of records included list of burials at a large number of local cemeteries along with a collection of local funeral home records.
Branch libraries
Cassopolis Main LibraryEdwardsburg Library
Howard Library
Local History Library
Mason/Union Library
Mason District Number 5 Schoolhouse
Mason District Number 5 Schoolhouse is a former two room rural schoolhouse in Mason Township, Cass County, Michigan built in 1874; the school could hold up to 110 students. The school operated until 1959, when the area became part of the Constantine School District. The building was transformed...
Board members
The library district is governed by a Board of Trustees. The library's board is composed of eight members. The county of Cass appoints four of the members, while Howard TownshipHoward Township, Michigan
Howard Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,309 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of...
, Mason Township
Mason Township, Cass County, Michigan
Mason Township is a civil township of Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,514 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-History:Cass County had been...
, LaGrange Township, and the Village of Edwardsburg appoint the other four members.