{"id":211849,"date":"2026-11-01T21:43:51","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T02:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=211849"},"modified":"2026-11-01T21:43:53","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T02:43:53","slug":"the-brumback-library-serves-as-a-living-history-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2026\/11\/01\/the-brumback-library-serves-as-a-living-history-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"The Brumback Library serves as a living history museum"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pictured above are an original card catalog at the Brumback Library, an original book diplay, the library’s tour book and an example of old area high school yearbooks. Photos submitted<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Editor\u2019s note:<\/em> this year the Brumback Library is celebrating 125 years of service to the community. Each month, the library will tell the story of the Brumback Library, chapter by chapter.<\/em> This month\u2019s article explains the history of the building, its contents and how the library helps keep local history alive. This installment was written by Patron Services Specialist Theresa Mengerink<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Theresa Mengerink<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walk through the doors of the Brumback Library, and you enter more than a place filled with books — you enter a living history museum. Stop at the main circulation desk to pick up your copy of An Inside View: A Walking Tour Guidebook<\/em>. This guidebook will take you on a historical adventure through the library. As the library celebrates its 125th birthday in 2026, it is the perfect time to explore the hidden treasures found throughout our three floors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The history begins with the building itself. Standing proudly among the trees near the city park, the Brumback Library resembles a small castle, with its distinctive towers, limestone exterior, and Gothic and Romanesque architectural features. Designed by Toledo architect David L. Stine, the building was constructed through the generosity of John Sanford Brumback and his family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the library was built, the site was said to have been the location of an old Native American village, a city dump, and later part of Fountain Park. Mr. Brumback, whose office was across the street, on the corner of Main and Jefferson, used to look out his window and envision a public library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we discussed in our January and February chapters, John Sanford Brumback believed that access to books and knowledge should extend beyond the city limits of Van Wert. Following his death in 1897, his family carried out his vision. His son, Orville S. Brumback, helped secure the legislation needed to establish a tax-supported county library. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

This pioneering legislation made the Brumback Library the first county library in the United States. To honor Orville\u2019s dedication and hard work, one of his law books was plastered into the wall of the vestibule, above the interior doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our September chapter, Ms. Virgie Ackom\u2019s essay described the inside of the library in 1914. Today, we can still see many of the features she described. The geometric marble flooring, made up of more than 400,000 tiles, remains in the main lobby. It took seven Italian craftsmen four weeks to lay the tiles. Visitors entering through the main doors are welcomed into the vestibule by tiled Grecian torches and a wreath design depicting the Lamp of Knowledge. In October, 2026, craftsmen were working to restore these same tiles to help ensure they last another 125 years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the main lobby, you will also find a Tall Hall Duncan Beard grandfather clock. This special clock was donated by the estate of Ellen Reed in 1990. The clock was produced before 1797 in Appoquinimink, Delaware, and is believed to be the 16th clock manufactured by the company. Original library furniture has also been preserved, offering a glimpse of how people once studied, browsed, and conducted their library business. The large tables and chairs found in the main lobby and circulation desk located under Mr. Brumback’s portrait are original pieces. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Cargo boxes with books were loaded onto the Fort Wayne to Van Wert and Lima Traction Company car, also known as the Interurban Line.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

You will also find a book display table on the second floor.\u00a0 These pieces are more than antiques — they are witnesses to decades of everyday life within these walls. Old card catalogs can be found on both the first and second floors. Before computerized catalogs made finding a book possible with just a few keystrokes, readers and librarians relied on drawers filled with carefully arranged cards to organize and locate materials in the collection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the second floor, you will find a glimpse of how books were transported throughout Van Wert County. When the library operated sixteen different branches, books had to be transported from the main library to communities throughout the county. Small gray wooden cargo boxes were used to move books between locations by local railroads and wagons, helping make the countywide library vision a reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the first floor, you can find a map of Van Wert County identifying the locations of the original branches, school sites, and current branches. Be sure to check out the pictures of the original 16 branches.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second floor also houses our local history and genealogy collection. Some of the library\u2019s most valuable historical resources are not displayed behind glass. Instead, they are waiting to be discovered in the vertical files, reference collections, and genealogy materials.\u00a0The vertical files contain information about people, places, businesses, organizations, and events throughout Van Wert County. A researcher may discover information about a local organization, a community celebration, a former business, or a person whose contributions helped shape the county. For family members, students, local historians, and curious residents, these files can open a window into the lives of earlier generations.\u00a0 The genealogy collection provides another important path to the past. Its extensive collection of books and reference materials document families and communities in Van Wert County and neighboring counties. For someone tracing a family tree, researching an ancestor, or trying to understand where a family fits into local history, these resources can turn names and dates into a more complete story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genealogy is about more than discovering who came before us. It is about understanding the communities people built, the work they did, the challenges they faced, and the traditions they passed down. The library helps make those connections possible. If you are interested in starting your own genealogy quest, the Van Wert Area Genealogy Club meets the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7 p.m. on the second floor.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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One of the cargo boxes used to transport books. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Our collection of area high school yearbooks, including volumes dating back to the early 1900s, preserves another important part of community history. Yearbooks capture more than school portraits. They document friendships, sports teams, clubs, school traditions, and the everyday experiences of young people growing up in Van Wert County. For alumni, these books can bring back a flood of memories. For genealogists, they may provide a photograph or a detail that cannot easily be found elsewhere. For younger generations, they offer a fascinating look at what school life was like for their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Together, the photographs and yearbooks create a visual history of the people who have shaped the county for more than a century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A visit to the basement offers another opportunity to travel back in time. School photographs lining the hallway provide a visual record of generations of students and educators. Faces, hairstyles, clothing, and class groupings reflect changing times, while familiar names and faces may spark memories for former students and their families.  Before leaving the basement check out the Activity Room.  This room first served as a cargo room then became our children’s library. Today we use this room for programming and community activities.  In the room are posters full of pictures of the room throughout the past 125 years.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we celebrate 125 years, patrons are encouraged to look a little closer during their next visit. Notice the architectural details. Take a moment to appreciate the historic furnishings. Explore the photographs and yearbooks. Ask about the vertical files or genealogy collection. You may discover a piece of your own family\u2019s story or learn something unexpected about the community you call home. Be sure to check out The County Library<\/em>, written by Saida Brumback Antrim, to learn more about our pioneering county library and the county library movement in the United States. Our final Chapter by Chapter<\/em> 125th anniversary article will be written by Nellie Schmidt. Ms. Schmidt will share the Brumback Library\u2019s current vision and future plans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: this year the Brumback Library is celebrating 125 years of service to the community. Each month, the library will tell the story of the Brumback Library, chapter by chapter. This month\u2019s article explains the history of the building, its contents and how the library helps keep local history alive. This installment was written […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-211849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-topstory"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-11-09 04:14:45","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211849"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":211862,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211849\/revisions\/211862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}