Okla-homey
3/12/2007, 06:34 AM
Mar. 12, 1901: Andrew Carnegie hands out money
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/12886/2001802699810379524_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001802699810379524)
Andrew Carnegie. The poor Scottish immigrant became fabulously wealthy making steel
106 years ago on March 12, 1901, industrialist turned philanthropist Andrew Carnegie doled out some of his millions to a public works project. This time, Carnegie earmarked $5.2 million for the construction of sixty-five branch libraries around the country, several of them here in Oklahoma.
http://aycu27.webshots.com/image/10706/2001816829289360815_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001816829289360815)
Locations of Carnegie Libraries built in Oklahoma. A few are still operating as libraries, some are now used for other purposes, and some were razed when the cities of their location built expanded libraries to replace them and the buildings are now gone altogether.
The donation was part of the Scottish-born steel and rail magnate's drive to dot "the English-speaking world" with libraries--between 1900 and his death in 1919, Carnegie used his vast his riches to establish over 2500 libraries.
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/10966/2001867299806882945_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001867299806882945)
Carnegie Library in Ardmore as it appeared before it got hammered by a tornado in the 1920's.
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/13690/2001819950156281293_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001819950156281293)
The same library building in Ardmore after post-tornado remodeling. As you can see, it lost the second floor. It's now home to the Ardmore Garden Club.
http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/13120/2001387796842872349_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001387796842872349)
Carnegie Library in Tahlequah. Still in use as a library. It cost 7500 bucks to build in 1910.
However, Carnegie's conversion to philanthropy belied the hard-charging tactics he used to amass what was the single-greatest fortune of the Gilded Age. Indeed, Carnegie often rode roughshod over the workers at his steel plants, demanding long hours in wretched conditions in the name of maximum production and mighty profits.
Later, perhaps to amend for his earlier sins, Carnegie adopted the more humane notion that wealth should be distributed, rather than accumulated. He put this philosophy into play shortly after selling his steel works to J.P. Morgan for $500 million. Although he was already fabulously wealthy, the deal made Carnegie the world's richest man, prompting his retirement and subsequent shift into the world of charitable donations.
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/13690/2001828122238424539_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001828122238424539)
Carnegie Library in Lawton
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/12323/2001866917562637307_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001866917562637307)
OKC Carnegie Library...now gone entirely
http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/11977/2001814752849784035_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001814752849784035)
Guthrie Carnegie Library
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/13290/2001899534202319117_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001899534202319117)
Elk City Carnegie Library...still in use as a public library
http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/11722/2001350396903046632_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001350396903046632)
Collinsville Carnegie Library. Also still in use as a library
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/12886/2001809713479712495_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001809713479712495)
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/12886/2001802699810379524_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001802699810379524)
Andrew Carnegie. The poor Scottish immigrant became fabulously wealthy making steel
106 years ago on March 12, 1901, industrialist turned philanthropist Andrew Carnegie doled out some of his millions to a public works project. This time, Carnegie earmarked $5.2 million for the construction of sixty-five branch libraries around the country, several of them here in Oklahoma.
http://aycu27.webshots.com/image/10706/2001816829289360815_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001816829289360815)
Locations of Carnegie Libraries built in Oklahoma. A few are still operating as libraries, some are now used for other purposes, and some were razed when the cities of their location built expanded libraries to replace them and the buildings are now gone altogether.
The donation was part of the Scottish-born steel and rail magnate's drive to dot "the English-speaking world" with libraries--between 1900 and his death in 1919, Carnegie used his vast his riches to establish over 2500 libraries.
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/10966/2001867299806882945_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001867299806882945)
Carnegie Library in Ardmore as it appeared before it got hammered by a tornado in the 1920's.
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/13690/2001819950156281293_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001819950156281293)
The same library building in Ardmore after post-tornado remodeling. As you can see, it lost the second floor. It's now home to the Ardmore Garden Club.
http://aycu01.webshots.com/image/13120/2001387796842872349_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001387796842872349)
Carnegie Library in Tahlequah. Still in use as a library. It cost 7500 bucks to build in 1910.
However, Carnegie's conversion to philanthropy belied the hard-charging tactics he used to amass what was the single-greatest fortune of the Gilded Age. Indeed, Carnegie often rode roughshod over the workers at his steel plants, demanding long hours in wretched conditions in the name of maximum production and mighty profits.
Later, perhaps to amend for his earlier sins, Carnegie adopted the more humane notion that wealth should be distributed, rather than accumulated. He put this philosophy into play shortly after selling his steel works to J.P. Morgan for $500 million. Although he was already fabulously wealthy, the deal made Carnegie the world's richest man, prompting his retirement and subsequent shift into the world of charitable donations.
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/13690/2001828122238424539_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001828122238424539)
Carnegie Library in Lawton
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/12323/2001866917562637307_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001866917562637307)
OKC Carnegie Library...now gone entirely
http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/11977/2001814752849784035_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001814752849784035)
Guthrie Carnegie Library
http://aycu11.webshots.com/image/13290/2001899534202319117_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001899534202319117)
Elk City Carnegie Library...still in use as a public library
http://aycu03.webshots.com/image/11722/2001350396903046632_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001350396903046632)
Collinsville Carnegie Library. Also still in use as a library
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/12886/2001809713479712495_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001809713479712495)