Historical Marker

Corsicana Public Library


The women's clubs of Corsicana were instrumental in opening the city's first public library in 1901 at W. 6th and Main St. The city created a library board in 1904 and secured a construction grant from the Carnegie Corporation the following year. In 1906 the Carnegie Library opened at W. Collin and N. 12th St. The building included a large auditorium which held numerous community gatherings. Mrs. Mattie Houston served as head librarian from 1908 until the 1940s. A new library was completed in 1967 to house a collection that had grown to over 40,000 volumes.