A Look-Back at Andrew Carnegie and the NYC Historic Carnegie Libraries

 

 

 

Patrons in the reading room of the Carnegie Library of Homestead in Munhall, Pa., circa 1900. The Carnegie Steel Co.fought back against striking steel workers in Homestead in 1892. Library of Congress

This is the story of an immigrant, coming to America in the 1880s, building an empire, and donating most of his millions to fund public libraries across the country. The man was Andrew Carnegie, who arrived in the U.S. at the age of thirteen with his family from Scotland. His family was dirt poor, but young Carnegie’s world opened up when he was invited to spend Saturday afternoons at a local private library by a wealthy Pittsburgh man. It was then that he resolved that if he would ever obtain wealth, it should be used to establish free libraries.

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