The Helena Museum’s history begins with the Women’s Library Association’s efforts to start a proper library in Helena, Arkansas. However, their library was not the first in the city of Helena.
Out of the Ashes
The first recorded lending library was in the game room of the Hook and Ladder Company on Perry Street, created in 1875. This small library consisted of 500 books in a few locked bookcases in the firefighters game room. Interestingly, the game room was off limits to women, so husbands and brothers had to check out books for their wives and sister. This rule was not very popular, especially considering that the game room was only open to the public at certain times of the week.
A Faulty Start
By the 1880’s the Hook and Ladder Company agreed to allow their book collection to be moved to a separate building so the public could have better access. A small, wooden two room building was constructed on the northeast corner of Perry and Ohio Street, one block east of the Hook and Ladder Company’s building. The Helena Library Association was created to oversee the new library, with S.A. Coolidge acting as association chairman and Mrs. W.S. White serving as the librarian. This library was only in operation for a few years. Its open hours were never consistent, and the leadership, according to contemporary sources, was “lacking”. By the late 1880’s the Helena Library was closed for good.
Legends of Pacaha
It was at this point that a local women’s literary society, the Pacaha Club, became fed up with the many issues required to procure books for their meetings. The club was initially founded in January of 1889 by Louis Stephenson and Margaret Redford. On February 29, 1889 (two months after the club was started) the Pacaha Club members met with other ladies of Helena in the home of local teacher, Sally Alexander Sanders, and worked out a plan to form their own library association. Thus begins the Women’s Library Association.
