Library Readies for Centennial Celebration

Sutherland has been busily getting ready for a recognition celebration of 100 years of the Sutherland Library. Started in a log cabin by George Houston and Roma Woods in O’Brien, no longer a town southeast of Sutherland, the library grew over the years. Its first move from O’Brien to Sutherland came in 1881, following the railroad.
The library now occupies what was once the Sutherland Consolidated School building. The first graduating class of a new high school building was May 1923. Discussion of disposal of the building now at 4th and Ash Streets began sometime prior. The first Library Board meeting was held in the facility in 1924. A bequest from Roma Woods made this permanent transition possible.
It became the General N. B. Baker because of the generosity of General Nathanial Bradley Baker. Baker lived an illustrious life. After graduating Harvard Law School he became the governor of New Hampshire. He moved west to Clinton, Iowa where he continued practicing law, served in Iowa’s State legislature and as Adjutant General during the civil war. It was his friendship with George Woods that allowed the library on the prairie to continue. That generosity led to the naming. Baker is buried at Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines.
The current library facilities are undergoing transformation. Inside the collection continues to be attractive to all interests and ages, books, DVDs, Bridges (online book access), after school programs, painting, programs and more. New paint, art and furishings are in place. Outside a new sign tells passersby about the facility. A relaxing environment welcomes the public to sit and visit or relax. The landscaping is updated with more planned. The original wood flagpole that rises above the main entrance was just restored with the help of funds from generous donors and O’Brien County Community Foundation flew the American flag in honor of Labor Day. Lighting will be installed. Progress toward a memorable centennial marches forward.