Miss+Emma+Penfield,+Librarian+(1905-1908)

Senior Community News-Times Wednesday, March 4, 1998 Vol. 10, No. 3


 * First library was labor of love: Descendent of Harriet Beecher Stowe was first FG librarian**

[Photo] [The picture above is from a 1973 photograph by the News-Times of the Forest Grove Library]


 * By Meg Havens**

On Sept. 8, 1905, Miss Emma Penfield took over a corner of a millinery store in downtown Forest Grove. In her corner, she sold books and stationery.

She also loaned some of her own books out to customers. The store was located on the northwest corner of the small street called 21st Avenue and was owned by a Mr. and Mrs. Burdan. They allowed Miss Penfield to use the corner of their shop with the understanding that in return, she would take care of the restroom in the back of the building.

In 1905, Emma Beecher Penfield was 39-years-old. She was the direct descendent of the famous preacher, Henry Ward Beecher. Her aunt was the equally well-known Harriet Beecher Stowe, and ardent abolitionist, who wrote //The Battle Hymn of the Republic//. Another aunt was a well-known writer and lecturer on the subject of women’s education.

As a member of a well-educated, socially conscious, activist family, the only surprising thing about her life is that she should end up living in a small college town in the state ofOregon.

She was born inPennsylvaniaon Dec. 10, 1886. She was well educated, according to the traditions of her family, and even completed the obligatory year abroad studying inGermanyandFrance.

Before coming to Forest Grove, she taught high school students at the two schools which eventually became the well-known preparatory school, Northfield-Mt. Herman. She became a teacher of modern languages and, at one time, was a member of thePacificUniversityfaculty. A small clipping from the //Washington County News// (the predecessor to the //News-Times//) notes that Miss Penfield came west a few months before opening her store. She came to look the country over and decided to stay.

Apparently she needed to make a living, and was looking for an alternative to teaching. She started small, but showed some understanding of how to attract customers.

“On the opening day, special prices will be given to all purchasers,” notes the //Washington County News//. She had a head for business. By Nov. 16, 1905 the newspaper was able to announce that The Bookstore had outgrown its original quarters and was moving to a store of its own. At one point her store was known as The Bookstore. It is also referred to as Miss Penfield’s.

Either way, the book side of things seems to have quickly dominated the enterprise. Some of the books in Miss Penfield’s store were available for the public to purchase. Some were her own books that she loaned out.

It is not difficult to imagine Miss Penfield discussing the possibility of loaning some of the unused space in her new store, over tea with some of the more important ladies in the town. It is not difficult to imagine Mrs. Ferrin and Mrs. Marsh going home to President Ferrin and Professor Marsh and passing on the idea. One thing would lead to another, and soon a public meeting would be held to publicly discuss what was privately already decided.

It was not, of course, quite that simple. A meeting was held by the Civic Improvement Society and several important people in the town got up and spoke in favor of establishing a reading room and a library. Some debate was held as to which was more appropriate. President Ferrin examined the differences between a city library and a college library. Other people had other things to say.

Nevertheless, the article in the paper concludes by saying that the reading room was to be established in the following week, and that further studies would be undertaken by a committee as to the establishment of a city library.

“The Fuqua building will be the home of the reading room and Miss Penfield will act as librarian. She has leased the room recently occupied by W.E. Dunsmoor and since the space can not be advantageously occupied by her stock, she has decided to lease the rear of the room to the Civic Improvement Society. Miss Penfield will receive a compensation of $15 month…” (//Washington County News//, 1905).

A strategic move by Miss Penfield that indicates she was an intelligent business woman.

By February of 1906, the //Washington County News// reported that the Free Reading Room was being used regularly. It was especially popular on rainy evenings. “In its present commodious and convenient apartments it is one of the most useful and beneficial of our city’s institutions.” (//Washington// //County// //News//)

The library continued to be popular and Miss Penfield, Mrs. Rogers and a Mrs. L.L. Hollinger subsequently went before the city council and requested a $200 appropriation from the city for the library. They received their subsidy and continued to receivesupportfrom the city until the library was given to the city to manage.

By 1908, the combination of running a store and functioning as the librarian became too much for Miss Penfield. She turned the job over to Mrs. O.M. Sanford who was librarian for many years. What did she do for the rest of her life? There is a little information available but nothing that speaks to her state of mind, the books she read and whether she was satisfied with her adventure.

It is noted in her obituary that Miss Penfield was an avid gardener. “Her gardens at her home, 216 Second AvenueN. (currently 22nd Avenue) were well-known at one-time…” She organized the Junior Garden Club in her home. She was the president of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union for many years. She was an ardentsupporter of prohibition. She retired 20 years before her death in 1940 at the age of 74, having returned to Forest Grove after almost a year and half of being ill inCalifornia. ______________________________________

// This is an excerpt from a project that Megan Havens is working on about women in business in Forest Grove. Anyone with additional information or memories about Miss Penfield, or other women in business for themselves in Forest Grove, can reach Megan at (phone number), or (email). //