June, 1917: A community library is started by the Tremont Women's Club and Young Men's Club. It is located on the second floor of the building at the Walnut and Sampson St intersection across from the Post Office. Rent is $3 a month and the book budget is $5 a month.

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December, 1920: Miss Bertha Getz is hired as the first paid librarian in the library. Her salary is $3 a month.

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September, 1926: Mrs. Esther Washburn buys the Cottingham Building on Sampson St. (Joy's Barber Shop) and donates it to the library. In appreciation, the board names the library after her.

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September, 1966: The Esther Washburn Public Library becomes part of the Illinois Valley Library System, a group of libraries that worked together to improve library services in Central Illinois.

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April, 1972: The library moves to 213 S. Sampson St, the building where our meeting room, restrooms, and work room are located now.

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1992: To avoid confusion with the nearby Washburn Public Library, the Esther Washburn Public Library changes its name to the Tremont District Library. In the next year, the community votes to expand the boundaries of the library to serve more patrons in the area.

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1998: The Tremont District Library expands into the building next door, which housed Tremont News and before that, a mechanics garage. The address is now 215 S. Sampson St.

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2011: The library expands even further into an unused storage space at the back of the library to create a wonderful new Children's Area.

 

June 2022: Tremont District Library celebrates 105 years of bring books to the Tremont Community! (100 Years as a Library District will be celebrated in 2027!)