A century of memories fill Turlock Carnegie’s book

The remembrances of young and old fill the pages of “A Century of Stories: Turlock’s Carnegie Remembered,” a soft-cover volume compiled from community submissions for the Carnegie Arts Center centennial.

Among the memoirs inspired by the town library turned teen center turned arts center:

▪ Longtime librarian Myrt Cordon tells of her time at the Carnegie and the colorful characters who stopped by: a man demanding to play his zither and sing hymns to patrons, an old man who’d grab the San Francisco Chronicle’s Sporting Green from anyone reading it, and an “imperious lady” insisting all the cookbooks carry a warning of the dangers of pepper.

▪ Former Turlock Fire Chief Tim Lohman writes of responding to the 2005 fire that gutted the historic structure. “It was difficult to watch this beautiful old building that was already going through a renovation fully involved in fire,” he penned.

▪ Now a principal, Linda Murphy-Lopes tells of a teacher who took her to the library each week, helping her to learn English. “My family could not afford to buy books, and the ones available in school did not leave the building so the ‘magic’ library card from the Turlock Library was a turning point in my life,” Murphy-Lopes wrote.

That last story especially touched Carnegie Arts Center Director Lisa McDermott. “It always makes me cry,” she said. “The library opened those doors for her.”

The book, being sold for $20, includes old photos and 104 community submissions detailing everyday life in the gracious old building on North Broadway, next door to the public safety center.

Turlock’s historic Carnegie Library building opened its doors to the public on Sept. 15, 1916. Throughout the decades, the Carnegie has welcomed and served the community as a gathering place for the sharing of ideas and experiences, first as a library, later as the Kaleidoscope youth center, and now as an arts center.

Historically, the building has been an important anchor for downtown Turlock, and it continues to serve that role today as part of the revitalized downtown area.

“By sharing these experiences in print, we have created a document recording the community’s relationship with this special place,” said project chair Priscilla Peters. “Through this book, we have captured a reflection of the richness and diversity of opportunities and experiences the Carnegie has brought to our community.”

The stories and memories collected for the book reveal why the Carnegie means something special to each contributor, McDermott said.

“Whether experienced as a library, as a youth center, or as an arts center, this building has served members of our community well for 100 years; this is a unique way to preserve a past and generate excitement for the future.”

Five sections cover the chronological roles of the Carnegie: public library (1916-1968), youth and community center (1969-1979), arts center (1980-2005), fire and recovery (2005-2011), and the newly revitalized Carnegie (2011-2016).

“In each section, there are stories of personal connections – through books, through special people, through art, through wonderful and even tragic events. Most of the stories make me smile; a few make me laugh out loud and several bring tears to my eyes,” McDermott said.

This story was originally published June 9, 2016 at 5:16 PM with the headline "A century of memories fill Turlock Carnegie’s book."