Lincoln, Maine

Responses from four students in Mrs. Harris’ Social Studies class can be viewed below:

Rebecca Murray
“Research your topic and summarize the ‘who, what, when, and where’ in the form of a few paragraphs”

In 1879, Issac S. Burton started the Lincoln Memorial Library collection by donating $500. The library was located in houses and stores for 46 years before the brick building was built. The actual building was started from a $7,000 donation by Mary B. Ingersoll in 1923.

Ira Fish's gristmill used to be where the library is today. It is located at 11 West Broadway, Lincoln, Maine. In 1925, the library building was officially opened. The books at first were 2 cents a book for a two week loan. Librarians made $25 per year.

A year of change for the library took place in 1895, when it was replenished with $200 to purchase books and remodel. Librarians also started to make $600 a year and the books no longer cost money to rent, you had to have a library card.

In the 1920s-1980s there were multiple librarians; some were Mary Buzzell, Sadie Adams, Evelyn Jenkins, and Polly Lyons.

This library is important to us because it teaches kids the importance of reading and helps them get involved. Also, it’s important to us because it’s one of the older buildings in Lincoln and it teaches us about our past. We need to keep our library around, it is part of our past and every day life.

Macie Tash
“Compare and contrast your topic in the past and in the present”

Garrett Sutherland
“How does the library impact your life? Our town?”

The library impacts me in my life because it has always been a place where I have borrowed books when my teacher didn't have any good books. I have also gone to events at the library, like Halloween celebrations and Lego club. It was also fun to go to movies during the Lincoln Homecoming there. The cement staircase out front is fun to do tricks over on a skateboard. When I was younger I would go to the library for a little bit when my mom worked.

I think the library impacts my town because it is so old and has so much history about people that have worked there, like Mary B. Ingersoll who was the first librarian. Also, how it has looked in the past, like it was originally in houses until the building was created. Last, the story of how it came to be impacts the town, like Issac S. Burton who donated $500 to start it. That is how the Lincoln Memorial Library impacted my life and my town.

Wesley Bearce
“Using your new found knowledge of this topic, write a creative piece (haiku, cinquain, story, song) about it”

There are lots of books
Mary B. first manager
Nineteen twenty-three

Works Cited

Jenkins, Evelyn. “Lincoln Memorial Library.” Vol. 1&2. Lincoln: Lincoln Historical Society. Print. Lincoln Historical Society.

Rand, Connie. "Lincoln History." Welcome to Lincoln, Maine. Rand Advertising LLC. Web. 6 Apr. 2010. <http://www.lincolnmaine.us/new_history/history_downtown.html>.