Company Profile
Watertown Regional Library
Company Overview
Watertown Regional Library's mission is connecting people to the joy of reading, information, and lifelong learning.
About Watertown, SD:
A progressive South Dakota city of over 21,000 residents, Watertown is the home of the Redlin Art Center which houses over 150 of world famous wildlife artist Terry Redlin's original paintings.Watertown is also home to internationally acclaimed artist Josh Spies, whose gallery is located uptown in the historic Goss Opera House.
Historic Uptown also features many specialty retail shops and the Codington County Heritage Museum.The Bramble Park Zoo, Discovery Center, and Terry Redlin Environmental Center, home of over 500 mammals, reptiles, birds, and fish are open year round for your enjoyment. The Mellette House, built in 1883 by Arthur C. Mellette, has been restored as a memorial to South Dakota's first governor.
Unique community events include the annual Arts Walk, Vintiques Car Show, Cookin' on Kampeska (a sanctioned BBQ competition), the 4th of July parade, and Thursday Nite Live. Whether your interests lie in shopping, golfing (we have two golf courses!), fishing, hunting, or simply enjoying the outdoors along beautiful Lake Kampeska ... Watertown has something for everyone. Experience it all!
Company History
Two women’s organizations, the “Woman’s Club” and the “Progressive Study Club” were responsible for the idea of starting a library in 1899. They donated books, raised money to buy supplies, developed public awareness, incorporated the association under State laws and elected a board of directors. Articles of Incorporation for the Watertown Public Library were signed April 22, 1899.After five years of operation, finances became a problem. The Directors decided to form a “stock company” with shares sold at $1 a piece. Some businesses bought fifty shares, and one of the women’s clubs bought seventy-five shares. Later, memberships (subscriptions) sold for $1 per year. Within six years, the use of the library outgrew the two rooms at City Hall and it was decided to build a library. The oldest Watertown Public Library was in existence from 1899 to 1905.
In September, 1903, a petition for “maintenance of a public library” with 616 signers was presented to the City Council. The law required signatures of more than one-half the legal voters of the city. The City Council petitioned the Andrew Carnegie Library Building Fund for a building. The Carnegie Foundation would give the money on condition that the city raise $100 for the maintenance of the library each year for each $1,000 given. The petition was granted with the city promising to support the library. The city accepted Carnegie’s offer of $10,000. L.E. Brickell, Jr., constructed the library for $12,242. In 1948, the board discussed the possibility of starting a new fund for a new building. In 1967, the library moved to a larger location. The Carnegie Library served the citizens of Watertown for over sixty years.
As the years passed, the demand for library services again outgrew the Watertown Regional Library on Sixth Avenue NE, and in 1997, events were set in motion to expand the library. Construction began on the expanded facility in 2006, and the new facility opened March 2007.