Jewett Norris' Letter of Endowment

To the Board of Education of the City of Trenton, Grundy County, Missouri

Gentlemen:

I herewith offer to give to the Public Schools of the City of Trenton, Fifty Thousand Dollars in trust for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a free Public Library and Reading Room in your city.

I make this donation on the following conditions, to wit:

That your Board procure a suitable site for a Library building for that purpose and cause to be erected there (and equipped with furniture, fixtures, books and literature) a suitable building for the purposes aforesaid and that the Library and Reading Room so established shall be forever maintained as a Free Public Library and Reading Room in the City of Trenton under such rules and regulations as your Board may from time to time adopt for its successful maintenance and support, having in view the use of the said Library and Reading Room free to the people of Trenton and Grundy County forever and that the same shall be kept open to the public every day, from Nine A.M., until Nine P.M., Sundays and legal holidays excepted and on such other days and hours as you may see fit and that the said building shall be kept in good repair by your Board and that a competent librarian and necessary assistants shall be employed to take charge of the property and serve the public and that your Board shall annually provide for the defraying of all necessary expenses, for their support of the aforesaid institution and I further stipulate that your Board shall never sell or convey the building or land on which it is situated; but forever retain it for the use of the people of Grundy County.

If the above conditions are accepted by your Board I will place the sum of Thirty Thousand Dollars in the Union Bank, subject to your order, as fast as it is required for the erection of the building and whatever amount of the said sum is not required for the building may be used for the equipment of said Library and Reading Room with furniture, books and literature.

When the Library building is completed and furnished with furniture, books and literature as far as the funds at your disposal will admit, and the institution is in successful use and operation, I propose to furnish Twenty Thousand Dollars more, Five Thousand of which shall be made available for its further equipment if your Board think it necessary and the balance as a permanent endowment fund, to be invested in the same manner and under the same restrictions as the common school fund is now required to be invested by the school law of your State, the annual income from which to be used in the support of said institution.

Should your Board approve of all of the above conditions you will please to give me your formal acceptance of the same and have it recorded with the proceedings of your Board.

Saint Paul, January 22, 1890

(signed) Jewett Norris

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