Way Back When
Carnegie Library Site is located at the corner of Marshall and Rusk Streets. The site of the first Carnegie Library in Texas. The system of tax-supported libraries owes its existence to Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The first Carnegie gift in Texas, as well as the eighth in the United States, was given in 1898 to the people of Pittsburg, Texas. Pittsburg received this gift largely due to the personal efforts of Colonel W.J. Singletary, a Pittsburg lawyer. Carnegie gave $5,000.00 to match local pledges and build the first library of 31 in Texas. The masonry building was also the opera house and city hall. It became the social center with meeting rooms for clubs and groups such as ladies sewing for World War I hospitals. The opera house staged professional drama and lectures and was used for graduations and recitals. The library burned in 1939. COURTESY PHOTO
