Marshall Historical Society

The Deansboro Library has long been an asset to the hamlet of Deansboro. Early on, a 5,000 book Dean Library was housed in the Deansboro Graded School. This burned along with the school in 1930. This school was on West Hill Road where the Fitzgeralds lived and is now the residence of the Ruias.

The next library was in Daisy Pughe's living room. Eleanor Dawes remembers going there to borrow books. One of the Waterville school teachers, Marion Shaver Dixon, used to bring the books down from the Waterville Library to furnish Deansboro with books.

Next the Harrington's offered the use of their annex, a building next to their house. This office was once used by John and Thomas Dean as agents to the Brothertown Indians. Later, Mr Hovey kept his records of purebred cattle here. Eleanor Dawes was one of the first librarians there in 1943. They had hours on Saturday and Wednesday afternoons and Monday nights.

In 1965 there was formed an association with Mid-York Library System and they wanted Waterville to join. Dorothy Carpenter was a friend of Leon Dapson's in Oriskany Falls. The Dapsons were instrumental in having Waterville join the Mid-York Library System. Also, Deansboro has a strong PTA at the time and there was a PTA project to put pressure on the Library Board (Mabel Williams was librarian in Waterville at the time.) Some well-dressed lady from the Waterville Library Board came to look at the meeting room above the Barton Hose Col, then the Deansboro Post Office. She said that the room should b e adequate and well lighted, quite suitable for a library.

Bob Dawes picked out the wallpaper. Marion Pughe, Lois Cole, Shirley Warriner and Anne MacLeod painted the trim white. They organized the Cub Scouts and with private cars, the books were moved to the upstairs meeting room. It was 1965 and Ellie MacLeod was librarian. Ellie and Anne MacLeod went to Rome, where Mid-York was at the time, and ordered books. There was a reception to celebrate the opening in June 1965.

Anne MacLeod was librarian after Ellie graduated from college until Anne's husband died in March 1975. An oak table from Aunt Hattie Patterson was loaned as a study table. Six chairs came from Waterville School. Art Sanders cut the legs off a round table to make a nursery table. Nursery chairs were obtained. A rocking chair was given and drapes from Maccabee Hall were donated. These drapes were from when Claude Hinmahad accabee Hall done over.

Joanne Bolan became librarian in 1976 until she went to work full time. Then Ann MacLeod came back as librarian and worked until 1980.

The library was moved to the Town Hall when the school was sold to the Town of Marshall for $1 in fall 1975. Since then, the librarians in order have been Florence Oser, Fern Biederman, Bonnie Lewis, Pat Shay and Jacque Roys. Currently, Marge Wilson and assistant Anna Fallon are in charge.

This is the history of the Deansboro Library, which is slated to close at the end of this month. Don't know what the future will bring, but hope some sort of arrangement will be made to keep books available for Deansboro residents. I know the library has been an integral part of Deansboro for a number of years and sorry to hear of its closing.