Mary Maud Trodd at work (photo: Signal Tribune) |
Her step-son William stepped into his
father’s shoes after Fred’s death, convincing his mother to move the family
from Compton to Signal Hill. He found a
house for them to live in located at 1919 Hill Street. The home was close Mary’s daughter Violet,
who had married, and not far from William’s job as a machinist. Their new neighbors included Masaichi Shibata,
a fruit and vegetable seller and his family and the Jutoro Kido family who
farmed Signal Hill.
Mary's neighbors were Japanese farmers (photo: free domain) |
She approached W. E. Hinshaw who had just
built a brick building at Twenty-first and Cherry, and asked him to give her a
room rent free for a library. He agreed.
With space for a library guaranteed she managed to cajole the City
Council into giving her $30 for shelving. She then went from door to door
collecting magazines and books. The library, with its few shelves of books,
opened in March 1926.
At the time Mary Trodd’s story was told in the Press Telegram in August 1941, she still had a yellowed record showing that the total book circulation of March, April and May of 1926 was 26 books. She worked without salary until 1929 when she was given $10 per month. It was eventually raised to $50 a month, and by 1941 it was considerably higher.
At the time Mary Trodd’s story was told in the Press Telegram in August 1941, she still had a yellowed record showing that the total book circulation of March, April and May of 1926 was 26 books. She worked without salary until 1929 when she was given $10 per month. It was eventually raised to $50 a month, and by 1941 it was considerably higher.
Signal Hill's temporary City Hall after the 1933 earthquake (photo: Signal Tribune) |
Mary Maud Chandler Trodd continued working
as Signal Hill Librarian until shortly before her death on December 6, 1943, at
age 74. The woman who so loved books was
living with her widowed stepson William Trodd, still in Signal Hill, at a house
at 1287 23rd Street. Her other sons and
daughter lived nearby. There were no Japanese neighbors. What few remained
after oil was discovered had been placed in “relocation” camps because of the
war.
Mary would be very happy to learn the old
library at 1770 E. Hill Street, located in the city’s former 1931 fire station,
is being replaced. The small steps she had taken to create the Signal Hill Public Library have payed off. Finally Signal
Hill will have a library in a brand new building, all its own, thanks in no
small part to Mary Maude Chandler Trodd’s dream.
The old library at 1770 E. Hill Street (photo: author) |
No comments:
Post a Comment