The first Benton Library Association was formed by a group of private citizens 
     on January 24, 1879.  A private club, association members met in each other's 
     homes to exchange, read, and discuss books.  The Association continued as the 
     only library until February 21, 1916, when Mrs. W. H. Hart, president of the 
     Benton Woman's Club, Mrs. F. H. Wykes, chairman of the Benton Women's Club's 
     Library Committee, and Judge W. H. Hart presented a petition to the City Council 
     to establish a library and reading room in Benton.  In May, 1916, the City 
     of Benton passed Ordinance No. 126 which established a Library for the residents 
     of the City.

     Almost a year later, the City Council named the first Library Board of Directors:  
     Lucy A. Helm, Mary C. Stotlar, Emma P. Browning, Moses Pulverman, Earl R. Hamilton, 
     F. L. Skinner, E. B. Nolen, J.L. Ohle, and Carl Burkhart.  Progress was slow but 
     finally on January 13, 1924, the Board voted to lease rooms 27, 28 and 29 of 
     the Ward Building located on the southeast corner of the Square.  In the spring 
     of that year, Miss Helen S. Dickson was employed as the first librarian at 
     a salary of $1,500 a year.

     A permanent location for the Library was assured when on December 5, 1929, Andrew 
     S. Cleveland donated his family home and property to the Board, to be used solely 
     as a public library.  

     The Cleveland home served as the Library until a disastrous fire destroyed it the 
     night of January 9, 1955.  Virtually all the contents were destroyed.  A temporary 
     library was set up in the ground floor rooms of the Wood Building on the Square.

     The current library building was built by E. C. Fraily and Sons at a cost of $37,850 
     on the site of the Cleveland home.  On July 23, 1956, the new building was opened 
     to the public and has been in constant use as the Benton Public Library to the present.  

     The residents of the Benton Elementary School District Voted to establish the Benton 
     Public Library District in November, 1985.   The change from a city library to a 
     district library brought in additional funds for the library.  These funds enabled 
     the library to expand their hours in order to meet the needs of the community.

     The Library District currently serves the residents of Benton Grade School District 
     #47 and Logan Precinct 3. A branch library is located in the Logan Community Center 
     and is open three days a week. The Benton Library is one of only a handful of public 
     libraries in this region open seven days a week.   Many civic organizations and 
     individual citizens have generously supported the library over the years to make 
     it one of the outstanding libraries in the area.


Submitted by: Sheila Cadwalader