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Library History - Cornish, NH 

From Bernie Johnson: 

NOTES ABOUT THE GEORGE H. STOWELL LIBRARY

From Otis Frederick Reed Waite, "History of the Town of Claremont, New Hampshire for a Period of One Hundred and Thirty Years from 1764 to 1894," pages 38-39: 

George H. Stowell 

Son of Amasa Stowell, was born in Cornish, October 28, 1835. His boyhood was spent on a farm and attending the public schools in that town. He came to Claremont in March, 1860, and engaged in the gravestone and marble manufacturing business, carrying it on until 1864, when he bought the hardware stock of Levi B. Brown, in the northwest corner store in O. J. Brown's brick block, where he has been engaged in a wholesale and retail trade in hardware, iron, and coal ever since. He has also been quite extensively engaged in real estate, having built several first-class tenement houses, all of which he still owns, and is a third part owner of Union block. 

Mr. Stowell has been prominent in town affairs for thirty years. He was a representative in the New Hampshire legislature in 1871 and 1874; state senator in 1875 and 1876; member of the executive council from 1881 to 1883; aid to Governor Prescott, with the rank of colonel, from 1887 to 1889; member of the conventions to revise and amend the state constitution in 1876 and 1889; delegate to the Republican national convention to nominate candidates for president and vice-president in 1884; and has been chief engineer of the fire department, with the exception of the year 1878, from 1873 to 1894. He has been a director and vice-president of the People's National Bank from its organization. In 1888 he made a trip to Europe for health and pleasure. 

And, from our Cornish Town History, page 243: 

During the season of 1909, Hon. Geo. H. Stowell of Claremont, who was a native of Cornish, made known his intentions of erecting a valuable library building in his native town and, when completed, of presenting the same to the town under the name of "Stowell Free Public Library." 
Mr. Stowell's preference for a site for said building favored Cornish Flat, as it was the center of his activities when young. He is proposing to expend the sum of six thousand dollars on said building and its furniture. 
The town unanimously voted (March 8, 1910) to accept the proposed legacy, and to furnish a site whereon to build; and the work began in early spring and was carried on during the season, and, excepting the interior, was nearly completed before the close of the year 1910, the date this record closes. 

In memory of George H. Stowell, the library is holding a dance on Friday, November 19th at 7:30 PM at the Cornish Town Hall. The musical group Septeto Tipico Tivoll will perform traditional Cuban music. Admission FREE, however, donations to the George Stowell Library and the Band would be greatly appreciated. For more information on the dance, please contact our Librarian at 603-709-7099 or stop in at our Library on School Street during regular hours.