The Scoville Memorial Library has a fascinating story of its own to tell

SALISBURY —  The year 1810 is treated rather quietly in American history books. The huge Louisiana Purchase was being assimilated and Lewis and Clark had finished their overland exploration to the Pacific and back. James Madison was president, with troubles with England brewing that would later culminate in the War of 1812.   

But here in Salisbury, 1810 was a very significant year. At an April 9 town meeting, the participants directed the selectmen to contribute $100 to the Bingham Library for Youth, to be used for “purchasing suitable books for the Library.†The payment was conditioned on the town being able to borrow the $100, but records show that this condition was met and the contribution duly made.

Scholars concur that this was the first instance of an American town providing financial support for a public library. As one stated, “Stimulated by philanthropy and encouraged by popular use, public support for library service had at last begun.†  

This year, as we celebrate its 200th anniversary, the Web site of the Scoville Memorial Library, successor to the Bingham Library, proudly carries the headline “America’s First Publicly Funded Library.â€

Salisbury in 1810 was a thriving community, as the high quality of “Salisbury iron†was becoming known throughout the country. With the rich Ore Hill mine, the pre-Revolutionary War iron furnace in what is today’s Lakeville, several forges throughout the town and the Mount Riga furnace ready to begin operation, Salisbury was at the heart of the regional iron industry. Its population, combined with neighboring Sharon and North Canaan, was greater than the population of Hartford, the state capital.   

The 14th Colony

To learn more about 1810 Connecticut, I turned to a contemporary source, the 1811 textbook, “Geography Made Easy.†The book includes seven pages on Connecticut, with nary a reference to the Northwest Corner.

This should be surprising, since Litchfield County was the second most populous in the state, trailing Hartford County by a few thousand people. Most likely this reflected the earlier era when northwest Connecticut, southwestrn Massachusetts and nearby New York were often referred to as “the 14th Colony.† 

The thriving area had few ties to Boston, Hartford or New York and those communities knew little about the area. “Geography Made Easy†does refer to mineral deposits in the state and, after identifying lead, copper and coal mines, does note that “iron ore abounds in many places.†After describing an ironworks in Hartford, it notes that “ironworks are also established in many other parts of the state.†So much for our fame!      

Caleb Bingham’s bookstore

The Bingham Library for Youth had been established in 1803 by Caleb Bingham, a Salisbury native who ran a bookstore in Boston.

Earlier in his life, Bingham had played an important role in developing public education in the Boston area. He had also authored the second grammar published in the United States, a year after Noah Webster’s famous text. Bingham’s 1785 book had the intriguing title, “The Young Ladies’ Accidence, or a Short and Easy Introduction to English Grammar; Designed Principally for the Use of Young Learners, More Especially of the Fair Sex, Though Proper for Either.†   

Bingham selected and then sent 150 books to his brother in Salisbury, recalling how as a boy there he had longed to read but had no access to a library.   Believing that there were in Salisbury “many children who possess the same desire,†he expressed happiness in helping satisfy this desire. The carefully selected books were for readers from 9 to 16 and he called on his fellow townsmen to follow his lead to develop a respectable library.

It was for the children

The library caught the interest of townspeople, who added to the collection and saw that their children made use of it.

Catching this supportive spirit, the town made its 1810 contribution and over the years the town and townspeople followed up with subsequent contributions, allowing the collection to grow. A strong library-town partnership had been created.  

The library was originally located at the home of Rev. Joseph Crossman, one of the original trustees. Years later, Orville Holley recalled “How often and with what delight did I go to Rev. Mr. Crossman’s on the Library days to draw my book ...â€

The library was free and open to all and “infused into the youthful population a … taste for reading.†something previously unknown. After Rev. Crossman’s death, the books were kept at the Town Hall. By 1841 the library contained more than 500 books.  

The Scoville Memorial Library  now has more than 30,000 holdings, including books, books on tape, music and movies.

Ron Jones is a Salisbury resident and member of the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society. Additional history of the library can be found online at scovillelibrary.org.