Cordell Carnegie Library Statistics:
The town of Cordell was founded in Indian Territory; its
Carnegie Library was awarded in 1911, after statehood
was granted in 1907.
The Carnegie Library Grant was $9,000.00.
A.A. Crowell was the architect.
The Carnegie Library In Cordell
The Cordell Carnegie Library, now in Washita County Historical Society, was built in 1911. The original grant in January 1911 was for $8,000. A letter of May of 1911 indicates that the grant was raised to $10,000, however, correspondence in the same microfilm, from June 6 1911, finds the secretary of the Cordell Library Board, J.A. Duff, writing to plead that more than $8,000 was needed. The foundation granted an additional $1,000 to meet their additional expenses for a total of $9,000 actually granted. Correspondence in the Carnegie Corporation files often reveals discrepancies in funding awarded and actually granted, and missing letters often leave details lost to the researcher.