Celebrating the Women in our History
Mrs. J.S. (Amanda B.) Stratton and the San Rafael Public Library
by Pam Klein
In December of 1884, Mrs. J.S. (Amanda B.) Stratton initiated a Public Library planning committee in San Rafael. Mrs. Stratton was married to a contractor who specialized in house moving. House moving literally meant that Mr. Stratton would move entire residential or commercial buildings to new locations by land or by water. In 1887, Mrs. Stratton and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union established a Public Library/Coffee Room, in rented space on the upper story of the Francetta Building (4th Street between D and E).
Mrs. Stratton served as the principal librarian for six months before others stepped in. Membership fees were set at $1 per year. A flower festival was held to raise funds for the new library, featuring cakes and fancywork. $168 was raised for books and furnishings. Leftover fancywork was sold in the tiny reading room.
In 1903, the library moved to the old San Rafael High School on E Street. In November of 1906 the Marin Journal published an article praising the library and Mrs. Stratton.
“To whom are we indebted for all these literary treasures? The answer might well be printed in large letters —Mrs. Amanda B. Stratton. This noble, generous hearted woman, while other people contented themselves with talking about a public library, went to work and created one. She watched over it in its infancy. We recall the time when it occupied modest quarters on 4th St no larger than a bedroom. Mrs. Stratton never lost faith in the enterprise. Often times when it was in financial straits, she paid for its maintenance out of her own purse… We are glad that Mrs. Stratton who is still in her prime, has lived long enough to see her “pet” library assume its present majestic proportions, a source of incalculable benefit to the rising generation. Let it be her monument for all time! She needs no other. The library will soon be housed in a magnificent $25,000 structure, a generous gift from Andrew Carnegie, plans for which are now being prepared by the architects. A. lot for the building has been purchased and given to the city by several of our public-spirited citizens.”
On January 9, 1909, the San Rafael Public Library was opened at its present site on E Street between 5th and Mission avenues. Mrs. Stratton died at an Odd Fellows care facility in Thermalito, California on October 20th, 1909. Hopefully, she knew that her hard work had borne fruit. Her obituary (which did not contain her Christian name) read “Mrs. J.S. Stratton was one of the pioneer ladies of San Rafael, who was beloved by a large circle of friends. She was always foremost in doing good work in our city and was the founder of the San Rafael free library. She was the mother of C.C.Stratton, the contractor of this city.” Mrs. Stratton would be pleased to know that one of the library’s charter rules prevents the serving of alcoholic beverages at public events.
You must be logged in to post a comment.