A Brief History of the Elisha D. Smith Menasha Public Library

  • 1884: The Library Association of Menasha, with Elisha D. Smith (founder of Menasha Woodenware, now Menasha Corp.) as President, formed with 60 member subscribers. The group used a room in the high school and the fee to join was $1.00.
  • 1895: Lucy Lee Pleasants leads a meeting in the National Hotel to determine interest in a free public library for the city. Elisha D. Smith contributes the $500 seed money. Lucinda Lee Pleasants was the driving force in establishing the first library, and she became its first librarian.  She held that position until her retirement in 1919. On the first day of operation, the library checked out 39 books, some of which were in German or Polish to serve the readers who lacked proficiency in English. Miss Pleasants' portrait hangs in the library's current Children's Room, and the story room is named in her honor.
  • 1896: The first Menasha Library and Reading Room opened in rooms above a store at the corner of Chute and Milwaukee Streets.

  • 1898: Menasha citizens vote to turn the city operations over to the city by putting it on the tax levy. Elisha D. Smith makes a surprise announcement at a city council meeting, offering to donate $25,000 for a new library building. The Elisha D. Smith Library is dedicated on October 21. Today, a portrait of Mr. Smith hangs above the library's fireplace.  The Mill Street Bridge was the main connection to Doty Island, and the first building people saw coming off the bridge heading north was the stately library. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • 1930: A children’s wing is added to the library at a cost of $20,000. This space is dedicated as the Lucy Lee Pleasants Memorial Room.
  • 1969: Menasha’s city council and the library board agree on a site for the new library building. Ground is broken on December 12, 1967 on the location that once held the Menasha High School. The new 28,000 square foot library, built at a cost of $592,000, is dedicated on September 14, 1969.

  • 1988: The Elisha D. Smith Public Library is named Wisconsin's Library of the Year.
  • 1996: The library’s centennial is celebrated over a period of six months and culminates in a Centennial Celebration reception on November 17, 1996.
  • 2004: Menasha’s Common Council votes to proceed with an extensive remodel of the existing building and construction begins February 2003. During three phases of construction 18,000 square feet were added to the existing 28,000 square feet of the library. The $4.5 million project involved extensive renovation of the the old building with a spacious Children's Room, a concourse in the center, a solarium with a fireplace, and new meeting rooms. On January 31, 2004 the renovated library is dedicated with a grand opening and celebration.

  • 2008: The Elisha D. Smith Library is named Wisconsin’s Library of the Year for the second time.
  • 2021: The Elisha D. Smith Library celebrates 125 years as Menasha’s public library.