Public Library

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Public Library

"I still remember visiting the Carnegie Library as a child, walking down the creaky stairs to the children's library in the basement."

Escanaba's public library opened in 1903 as one of the country's numerous Carnegie libraries, made possible by funding from industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Early cards are simply titled 'Public Library' while later cards read 'Carnegie Library'. Escanaba's public library was housed in this building for over ninety years before moving into the current City Hall & Library complex in 1995. The original structure, located just across the street from St. Joseph Catholic Church, is still standing; it was eventually sold and refurbished for use as a private residence in the early 2000s.