By ANN DEVLIN Staff Correspondent (EDITOR’S NOTE: As staff correspon- dent Ann Devlin researched material for a story on the history of the Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction, her sources included a July 7, 1966 special edition of The Dallas Post, a Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction pub- lication from 1947-73, and a college thesis entitled “History of the Back Mountain Memorial Library” written in July 1969, by Edward Potera, then a student at Marywood College and now librarian at the Dallas High School. Also providing much background information for this story was Nancy Kozemchak, an employee of the Back Mountain Memo- rial Library and the library correspon- dent for The Dallas Post.) The 37th Annual Back Mountain Memo- rial Library Auction, netting a profit of over $40,000, could very easily have instead been the the 37th Annual Back Mountain -Memorial Library Cookbook, clearing only a couple of hundred dollars. It became apparent that the library would need some sort of fund-raiser in 1947, two years after the opening of the library, when the library’s financial reserves were dwindling. That winter, a group of volunteer women were trying to come up with a money-raising plan as they prepared books for the library. This » was when the ladies came up with the idea of collecting recipes and publishing a cookbook. Among the women were Librarian Miriam Lathrop, Mrs. Alice Howell, Mrs. Harry Ohlman and Mrs. Lewis LeGrand. However, due to discouragement from Howard Risley, then publisher of The Dallas Post, who felt the cookbook idea would involve too much effort and too little profit, the door was left open for the auction idea to evolve. One afternoon while working in the library, Mrs. LeGrand casually men- tioned that a friend of hers was involved in a group that had made a $700 profit from an auction. This suggestion seemed a good idea to Mrs. Howell, who immedi- ately approached Mr. Risley with the idea. He was genuinely enthusiastic, and is remembered by Mrs. Howell as saying, “Hell, we’ll have an auction and make $2,000!” Thus, the start of the Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction. The headlines of an article in the January 31, 1947 issue of The Dallas Post read: ‘Old Furniture Auction Planned to Raise Funds for Library.” In the article it was announced that the auction would be held in. Howard Risley’s barn on Lehman Ave. in Dalias. Miss Frances Dorrance, chairman of Friends of the Back Mountain Memorial Library, headed a committee to contact community members who had articles to give fo the sale. Lest people think that e Shaft-driven, liquid- cooled 1200cc DOHC V-4 engine * Wind tunnel-developed full fairing lessens travel fatigue oh i e Computer Monitoring -System displays signifi- cant bike functions e The first touring machine designed from the ground up YAMAHA Built for the fun of it: § w only antiques or used items were wanted, Mrs. Fred Howell, member of the tele- phone solicitation committee, informed the public that “anything that has value or that someone would want to buy,” would be gladly accepted. Harry Ohlman, chairman of the special gifts committee, enlisted the aid of the Dallas Rotary Club to contact all busi- nessmen for possible donations. Flyers were also distributed, asking for dona- tions of livestock and household goods. Mrs. Harris Haycox, chairman of the baked goods booth, assisted by several women of the community, collected baked goods from women in the Back Mountain region. Then, in poured the donations. All members of the community were eager to participate in a drive which would help support the only functioning memorial to the war veterans in the area. Items even came from those who were strangers to the Back Mountain area. As contributions also came from other parts of the country, Henry Peterson, chairman of the grounds committee, made provisions for the possibility of the auction to last into the night hours. Paul Shaver installed floodlights at the Risley barn on Lehman Ave. Serving with Peter- son were Charles Wheaton Lee, Charles Nuss, Atlee Kocher, Jack Richardson, Joe Hand, and Stanley Rinehimer. An antiques committee evolved by chance when Mrs. Risley, who was searching around the upstairs of her barn, mentioned to Mrs. Howell and Mrs. Hutchison that there seemed to be some valuable antiques among the donated items. As they washed and dried some of the better ones they placed them on a separate table to insure their safety. The women then decided to auction the antiques separately. The first Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction opened with the sounds of drums and horns from the Lehman auction activities.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers