Showing 612 results

Peter Clark Wolcottt was born in New York, New York, May 4, 1856. He became an Episcopal deacon in 1879. He served the Diocese of Iowa. until his February 3, 1892 election as rector of the Trinity Episcopal Church.
Reverend Wolcott served as the churches Rector, 1892-1925. In addition to his clerical duties, he served on the Highland Park Public Library Board, 1893-1923, and on the high school board, 1898-1916. He served terms as president of the library board and terms as chief executive for the high school board.
Dr. Wolcott married Elinor Louise Smith in 1885, and the couple had three children who grew up in Highland Park.

The Highland Park Music Club for women held its first meeting dedicated to the formal organization and creation of the club on February 14, 1928 in the home of Emma Smoot Nolting. The club held its first official meeting on March 25, 1928 in the home of Edna (Mrs. Marshall) Sampsell. The founding members were mostly young mothers with young children. Its purpose was to provide the women continuing study of music and to foster community interest in music. Members performed for one another. A Chorale Ensemble was also formed that performed for club members as well as locally and in neighboring communities. Meetings including performances were held monthly (except for summers) in a selected club member's home. Membership grew quickly to 100 members, active and associate. Associate members did not perform but were welcomed due to their interest in music. A board of directors emerged with officers such as president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and chairman for areas including programs, hospitality, membership, publicity, choral ensemble, trial board, and scholarship. The Board sometimes also included a member of the club at large. In 2022, the Club remains active.

  The Club was a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs.
 The Club sponsored a youth scholarship contest for high school students from Highland Park. The winners received a monetary award and performed at a concert to raise money for the following year scholarship. Scholarship money was also raised via a Spring Auction.

The Highland Park Public Library its doors on April 6, 1888.
Less than a year earlier, at the July 7, 1887 City Council meeting, residents had presented a petition for a public library in Highland Park. On September 14, 1887 the Highland Park City Council adopted an ordinance for the establishment of a tax-supported public library and appropriated $260 annually for its maintenance. The Library collection included 400 books and was housed at the same space the City Council rented on the first floor of the Charles A. Kuist Hardware Store on the Northside of Central. Marsalene Green served as the first librarian.
In July 1889, Library moved to the newly constructed City Hall building on Central Ave. and Green Bay. As the collection continued to grow, library moved to the former Young Men's Club House on Sheridan Road in 1900 where it remained for five years. Plans for a new library were proposed in 1903. The Highland Park Woman's Club led a fundraising campaign for the participation of Andrew Carnegie, who donated $12,000 in its construction. The A. C. Thompson family donated the land with the caveat it be used exclusively in perpetuity for a public library.
Highland Park and its public library collection continued to grow. In 1927 the board of trustees and the newly hired librarian, Cora Hendee, the library's first professionally trained librarian, proposed a new library building.
Holmes and Flinn were charged with designing the space, and chose a gothic style with limestone. The finished library was dedicated on September 20th, 1931. The first renovation to this library came in 1960, when the children's collection outgrew its space and was given a new wing on the building's west side, designed by Bertram Weber. In 1976 a modern adult wing was also added to the south side by Wendt, Cedarholm, and Tippens. A series of renovations stretched from the late 1980s to 2000, focusing on access for people with disabilities, heating, ventilation, electrical, lighting and layout redesign. Several renovations have occurred in the 21st century.