1876: A Look at Life in Auburn
- 05/12/2026
- 12:08
- Seymour Admin
Sesquicentennial! It’s the 150th anniversary of Seymour Library this year! Seymour Library was established through a bequest in the will of local banker James Seymour. The articles of incorporation establishing the Seymour Library Association were signed May 20, 1876.
What was Auburn like 150 years ago? The Auburn City Directory from 1876 has a wealth of information on residents, businesses, government, and public and private organizations. (Did you know that 8 newspapers – some daily, some weekly – were published in Auburn in 1876?)
The 1876 directory, as well as those from various other years, are available online through NYHeritage.
Auburn was home to a large number of manufacturers and businesses in 1876. (Need a looking glass, some lace, or a new corset? Maybe something from the broom maker or basket maker? How about sending a telegram at the telegraph office or playing a game of billiards at the billiard room?)
Yet for all this apparent vitality, the mid-1870s was a period of economic downturn throughout the nation, often referred to as the Long Depression.
The Seymour Library Association rented four rooms on the second floor of the Auburn Savings Bank, on the corner of South and Genesee Streets, as the Library’s initial home. The bank building had a dual advantage as a location for the new library: it was centrally located, and it was fireproof.
The Library’s original collection contained 6,000 volumes, one thousand of which were donated by community residents from their personal collections.
Please join us on May 20th at 6 PM for a celebration of the library’s 150th Anniversary. The Friends of Seymour Library will be serving cake, and music will be provided by the AJHS Chamber Group. And watch for other posts and events through the year as we continue celebrating our sesquicentennial!