Katy Hamman Stricker Library and Museum

The Katy Hamman-Stricker Library and Museum is a museum located in Calvert, Texas. It was the first chapter house built by the [http://history.ucpl.lib.mo.us/test/awlawrc.asp American Woman's League] in Texas. The Katy Hamman-Stricker Library and Museum is located at 404 Mitchell Street in Calvert, Texas. Calvert is located within the 'Golden Triangle' of Texas. For those of you who are not familiar with the 'Golden Triange'; this is the area between the cities of Dallas, Houston and Austin. The shops have items including porcelains, art and furniture representing the history and styles of the city from past times. If you find yourself staying the night in Calvert, you can choose from four bed and breakfast's in town or travel the short 37 mile distance to College Station, Texas. College Station is the home to Texas A&M University.

Library Information [http://www.traveltex.com/pg/Activity.aspx?id=a0073bcd-fe87-4cf6-b838-4365459192c7] This website has additional information about the library from the official Texas Tourism site.

Pictures, hours, address, and information. [http://www.lasr.net/pages/city.php?Calvert&TX&Katy+Hamman+Stricker+Library&City_ID=TX0647015&Attraction_ID=TX0647015a001&VA=Y]

History

The building that houses the Katy Hamman-Stricker Library and Museum was built by the American Woman’s League [http://history.ucpl.lib.mo.us/test/awlawrc.asp] in 1909. It was the first AWL Chapter House in Texas, and one of the first four in the country.

The American Women's League (AWL) was created in 1908 by E.G. Lewis. The league was created to promote educational, cultural, and business opportunities for women. E.G. Lewis responded to needs expressed by the women's movement at that time. He created a plan for a network of institutions and businesses to serve women that included a correspondence school, a postal library, a savings bank, and social service institutions to provide for the homeless and for orphans. [http://www.umsl.edu/~libweb/womenstudies/league.htm]

Katy Hamman Stricker led a movement to erect a League of Women’s meeting house, which is now the Katy Hamman Stricker Library and Museum in Calvert, Texas. Stricker was the daughter of Confederate General William H. Hamman. General Hamman turned his attention after the Civil War to land and railroad speculation with limited success. He threw his hat into the Texas governor's race in 1878 and 1880 under the Greenback Party banner, but lost both times. Both Stricker and her husband, jeweler Herman L. Stricker, were business, civic, and social leaders. The couple built a grand, two-story Victorian home in 1900 that is now part of the National Historic District.

Architecture

Inside LookThe Katy Hamman Stricker Library building as built at the turn of the century by the American Woman's League. The one-room building, with a small kitchen area, served as the league's clubhouse. In 1939, the Calvert Woman's Club purchased the building for the town's library. Today, the Calvert Woman's Club continues to sponsor the library for the community. [http://www.rootsweb.com/~txrober2/HistoricCalvertTour-Other.htm]

The Katy Hamman-Stricker Library was built using "the combined stylistic characteristics of the prairie school and arts and crafts movement”. The [http://history.ucpl.lib.mo.us/test/awlawrc.asp American Woman’s League] was organized by Edward Gardner Lewis, more commonly known as E.G. Lewis, in 1908 as an organization to educate women in cultural and business opportunities. Fifty percent of the membership money raised through magazine subscriptions or dues was funneled back into the [http://www.umsl.edu AWL] . The intentions of the AWL chapter houses were to provide a community center for cultural, educational and social events.

Here are a few pictures of the inside the Katy Hamman Stricker Library & Museum February 2007. One is of the full bookcases that hold many old books and the other is of the famous sculpture above the fireplace created by Romanian sculptor George Julian Zolany. [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/KHS_Feb_2007.jpg] [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/KHS-2_Feb_2007.jpg]

Recent Events

-Grants for the Library as of 2006 [http://www.neh.gov/news/awards/PublicFebruary2006.html]

-Calvert Tour of Homes [http://www.rtis.com/reg/calvert/activities.html] This is one of the main events held in Calvert, Texas. There are two tours held per year, one in the winter and one in the spring. Although there are two tours held per year, one house is not toured twice in one year. There are so many houses to tour but not many spots in the tour.

- Article in the Eagle - [http://www.theeagle.com/stories/050606/local_20060506028.php]

- KBTX News [http://www.kbtx.com/news/headlines/1697127.html]

-Recipient of the National Register of Historic Places library [http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:0Ed7QzTwfekJ:www.entergy-texas.com/content/economic_development/docs/Summer_2004_News.pdf+katy+hamman-+stricker+library+and+museum&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us&client=firefox-a]

References

1. Travel Texas [http://www.traveltex.com/pg/Activity.aspx?id=a0073bcd-fe87-4cf6-b838-4365459192c7]

2. Leisure and sport Review [http://www.lasr.net/pages/city.php?Calvert&TX&Katy+Hamman+Stricker+Library&City_ID=TX0647015&Attraction_ID=TX0647015a001&VA=Y]

3. University City Public Library [http://history.ucpl.lib.mo.us/test/awlawrc.asp]

4. University of Missouri-St. Louis [http://www.umsl.edu/~libweb/womenstudies/league.htm]

5. Robertson county [http://www.rootsweb.com/~txrober2/HistoricCalvertTour-Other.htm]

6. Picture [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/KHS_Feb_2007.jpg]

7. Picture [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/KHS-2_Feb_2007.jpg]

8. Grants [http://www.neh.gov/news/awards/PublicFebruary2006.html]

9. Calvert Chamber of Commerce [http://www.rtis.com/reg/calvert/activities.html]

10. The Eagle [http://www.theeagle.com/stories/050606/local_20060506028.php]

11. KBTX news [http://www.kbtx.com/news/headlines/1697127.html]

12. Recipient of the National Register of Historic Places library [http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:0Ed7QzTwfekJ:www.entergy-texas.com/content/economic_development/docs/Summer_2004_News.pdf+katy+hamman-+stricker+library+and+museum&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us&client=firefox-a]