Menasha Public Library

The first Menasha public library opened in upstairs rooms in the Tuchscherer and Schlegal department store at the corner of Chute and Milwaukee Streets in 1896.

Lucy Lee Pleasants (sister-in-law of George Banta, founder of the Banta Corporation) pushed for establishing the library and became its first librarian, holding the position until her retirement in 1919.  According to Miss Pleasants, in the first month of operation, she recorded that "...there were given out at the Menasha Library 1,172 books: of these, 110 were German, 62 were Polish, 42 history and biography, 42 literature, 5 natural science, 2 social science and 2 useful arts.  The rest were fiction.” 

In 1898, Elisha D. Smith, founder of the Menasha Woodenware, donated the land and money to build a library on Mill Street.  The library was named the Elisha D. Smith Public Library after he passed away in 1899.  This building on Mill Street was used until 1969, when a new building was built at 440 First Street.