[LIB2751] - George W. Farnsworth, Sr., President of the Oconto Lumber Company, came to Oconto in 1856 at the age of 31. He became very successful for a man who had little formal education except from reading good books.
In his Library Dedication Address, Mr. Farnsworth spoke of coming to Oconto a poor man and wanted to leave an acknowledgement of the good he had received during his life here. He decided on something very useful to benefit the community—a free public library. In December 1901, Farnsworth made a proposition to the City Council offering to build a library, if the city would maintain it. On March 11, 1902, the City formally accepted Farnsworth's gift with the provision that a yearly appropriation be made annually for maintenance. Oconto's free public library was dedicated on June 27, 1903. Almost from the beginning, the library became the center of a traveling library system for all of Oconto County. [Website]
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