SAULT STE. MARIE — Bayliss Public Library blew out the birthday candles this weekend as the library celebrated 50 years of service in downtown Sault Ste. Marie.
The community was invited to celebrate at a block party on Friday, July 18 with food, games and live music filling the street with summer fun. The library also gave away free books to attendees.
The library turned 50 in March, when they hosted another smaller celebration with a birthday cake and a memories journal for anyone who wished to share their favorite stories of the last 50 years at the library.
In 1905, Sault Ste. Marie saw the opening of the Carnegie Public Library. Like other libraries of the same name built around the country, the Sault library was funded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie as a way to support education.
The Carnegie library served the community for decades, but by 1975 it was decided the library had to move.
As a way to make the building more accessible to the public and expand services, the library moved to a new location in downtown Sault. It adopted the name Bayliss after married couple Joseph and Estelle Bayliss, whose estate funded the construction of the new building.
Today, the library provides a wide range of services and events. Coming up next this summer, the library will be hosting its book sale Aug. 1 and 2.
For more information about the Bayliss Public Library, visit bayliss.ploud.net.
— Contact Brendan Wiesner: BWiesner@Sooeveningnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Bayliss Public Library celebrates 50 years with community block party
Reporting by Brendan Wiesner, Sault Ste. Marie News / The Sault News
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