Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/318

 258 HISTOEY OF GOODHUE COUNTY held for three years, was deeply interested in the prosperity of the library, and it was largely through his efforts that the plans for a library building were successful, Andrew Carnegie fur- nishing the $6,500 which our building cost on the usual condition that a sum equal to 10 per cent of that amount be annually de- voted by the village to the library. At the time of its completion in May, 1908, the structure was the smallest library building in the state. It provides a well arranged one-room library on the ground floor, with wall shelves, reading tables and librarian's desk. It is lighted by electricity and doubtless in the near future will be furnished with an adequate heating plant. There is a rest room furnished by Zumbrota business men in the basement. The rest room is open all day. The library is open every evening except Sunday, and on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Hattie Marvin, who is a graduate of the state university and has also completed the library course at the University summer school, is librarian and. like many of her predecessors in that position, is profoundly interested in the advancements of the library, and gives much gratuitous time to the work. There is no institution which so thoroughly gives evidence of the real spirit of Zum- brota as does our library, established in the pioneer days of hardship, persistently supported and increased through the changing fortunes of forty years, its work done largely by volun- teers, with unwavering determination and unfailing enthusiasm, Zumbrota 's citizens have loved and labored for their library and now, in its new home, with two thousand books upon its shelves and thirteen periodicals upon its reading tables, and w T ith an able and enthusiastic librarian, there seems no reason why its future may not be of the brightest. ZUMBROTA TOWNSHIP. Zumbrota comprises township 110. range 15, and originally included Minneola, which was set off in June, 1860. It is bounded on the north by Goodhue, east by "Wabasha county, south by Pine Island and west by Minneola. Through a larger part of the southern tier of sections runs one of the branches of the Zumbro, and from this river the name of the township is derived. The surface is largely rolling prairie, with higher, un- dulating land .in the northwestern portions. The first settler was "William Fiske, who came in 1854 and took a claim on Dry Run, in the southeastern part. Fiske was a man of strong personality. He was born in Maine and for some years was a sailor. Of hermit tendencies, he tried to get as far from civilization as possible. He died in 1878 and is buried in the cemetery at Mazeppa, Wabasha county. Aaron Doty and