City hall, library celebrate anniversary
By James Card
There was a small gathering in front of the library on Aug. 30 to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the library and city hall.
The new city hall and library building opened in 1993. Previously, the Waupaca County Courthouse stood in its place and it was the center of a long-running controversy that divided the community. The courthouse was in decrepit shape and there were those that wanted to preserve it and those found it more practical to raze it.
The library was previously located at 321 S. Main St. in the Carnegie building that is now home to the Holly History and Genealogy Center.
“I was not on city council when they moved the library from the old place. I’ve been in office for almost 26 years. Our city is so proud of the library that we have. It is one of the better libraries that you will see in any community and especially community of our size. It has a lot to do with the people that work at the library and it has to do with the residents of the Waupaca area that really feel like it is something special for them,” said Mayor Brian Smith.
“It is a great and wonderful thing to have this location on the square. It contributes a great deal to what we do. It puts us literally as well as figuratively at the heart of the community. We look forward to many more years at this location serving the community,” said Library Director Eric Bailey.
Three Angels Dessert Shop donated two cakes decorated with the city hall and library emblems frosted upon them and another in the form of a magazine that briefly told the history of the move to the city square.