The Auld Public Library

The Auld Public Library, 1917-1918, is a gift of William Thomas Auld, uncle of Jessica Cather Auld’s husband, J. W. (Bill) Auld. Jessica was one of Willa’s younger sisters. He gave the city of Red Cloud $20,000 in early April, 1917. On April 9th, Dr. Robert Damerell, then Mayor of Red Cloud, selected nine individuals to serve as members of the first Library Board and charged them with the responsibility of selecting and purchasing a site, choosing an architect, erecting a building, and purchasing fixtures and books for a new library. Prominent among that group of citizens was Charles Cather, father of Willa. The building was constructed at a cost of $15,500 and formally opened on March 8, 1918. Later that same year, Willa Cather’s My Antonia was published in October and World War I ended in November.

The library houses 10,000 volumes and has a good children’s section. The library is Red Cloud’s most recent addition (1993) to the National Register of Historic Places.