Marker Inscription
In 1913, city librarian Lillian Gunter (1870-1926) and the XLI club (a local women's literary society) secured a grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation to construct a library building for Gainesville. Gunter then began her quest for state legislation to enable counties to support library services for people outside incorporated cities. With the help of state representative George W. Dayton and the Texas Library Association, the County Library Law was passed in 1917. In 1920, the Gainesville City Council voted to turn over its library to the county, creating one of the first county libraries in Texas. The library moved to new facilities in 1963. (2001)
About this site
Cooke County Free Library is a historical marker in Gainesville, Cooke County, dedicated in 2001. It is one of 44 historical markers documented in Cooke County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 59 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 33.6226, -97.1434 near Gainesville. The nearest cataloged historic site is First United Methodist Church of Gainesville (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Gainesville National Bank, Morton Museum of Cooke Co., and City Hall-Fire Station, Old.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5097012599. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
