December 11, 1950, marked the culmination of more than fifteen years of work on the part of cultural minded citizens of Franklin Parish, agricultural center in Northeast Louisiana, for it was on that day that the Franklin Parish Library was officially opened to the public as a Demonstration Library of the Louisiana State Library.
Called the “brightest new gem” editorially in the Franklin Sun, the library owes its existence in Franklin Parish to many organizations and individuals including Mrs. Ramage Adams, “the mother of the Franklin Parish Library.” She saw a vision of library service to all parish citizens long before the passage by the Police Jury of the Ordinate of December 3, 1946, by which a library could be established in the Parish.
Franklin Parish was placed on the waiting list for a Demonstration Library on December 3, 1946. A little more than four years later, the dream came true. The main library branch in Winnsboro was opened December 11, 1950. The Wisner branch was opened February 17, 1951, and the Hunter Branch, which is no longer in operation, was dedicated on March 16, 1951.
J.C. (Jim) Buie, first president of the Library Board of Control, speaks in the first library dedication ceremonies in December, 1950. In the background is Audie Hatton, then ward eight police jury member.
1950 Board of Control Members included J.C. (Jim) Buie, J.E. Temple, W.Y. Cuney, George Baskin, Mrs. C.R. Adams, and John T. O’Brien (Ex-officio, President of the Police Jury)
1951 Board of Control Members included J.C. (Jim) Buie, Mrs. C.R. Adams, W.Y. Cuney, Mrs. E. Asa Kiper, John T. O’Brien, and George Baskin
Other board members during the early years included B.S. Landis Sr, Charles Hatfield, E. Rudolph McIntyre, Rupert R. Scott, Mrs. W.R. Baker Sr., Miss Luella Snyder, Mrs. Steve Thompson, John Henry Baker, and Miss Rebecca Guice.
So pleased were the people with their library, that before half of the Demonstration year was over, they voted a .0025 mill tax for the maintenance of the library for the next five years. Franklin thereby became Louisiana’s 33rd Parish with a parish-wide library system. Much credit for the development of the library in its infancy goes to J.C. Buie, President of the Library Board of Control for the first two years.
Eunice Heitman Cotton (Mrs. George V. Cotton) was chosen by the State Library as the first librarian for Franklin Parish Demonstration Library and she held this position many years.
Several other library staff throughout the early years included Mrs. Avis Windham (Assistant Librarian), Mrs. Evelyn Reynolds Wilson, Mrs. Nell Newton Gates, Mrs. Jack Coughran, Mrs. Mack Rogillio, Mrs. Lora M. Griffing, Mrs. Ray Boutwell, Mrs. Lenell Waller, Mrs. William Baker, Ms. Caliope Poulos, Ms. Eva Goodman, Miss Lois Howington, Mrs. Leo Wilson, Miss Marie Leach, Mrs. Ruby Pinckard Miller, Mrs. Richard Thames, Ms. Fannie Brown, and Ms. Jevelean Wilson
The Franklin Parish Library moved many, many times throughout the years. Few photos of the various buildings exist.
The Main Branch in Winnsboro:
- The original location on 801 Cordill Street
- the old telephone office on Prairie and Pine from August 1951-June 1952
- the old Masonic Lodge Building from June 1952-April 1959
- the parish-owned building built for the library located at 209 Main Street (across from the courthouse) April 1959 to 1994
- the old Walter’s Department Store Building (Current Location) from February 1994 to Present
The Learning Center was established in September 2007 and the Genealogy / Franklin Parish History Center was established August 2014.
The Wisner Branch relocated to its current location in the Wisner Municipal Building (town hall – jail) in 1953.
Hunter Branch, now closed, was located in the home of Mr. Leo Wilson originally before moving to a location on Maple Street.
