The North Country Library System is comprised of sixty-six public libraries in four counties of Upstate New York. Seven of these are “Hepburn” libraries, each found in a small, rural community: Colton, Edwards, Hermon, Lisbon, Madrid, Norfolk, and Waddington. These seven libraries were established just over one hundred years ago by philanthropist A. Barton Hepburn (the hospital in Ogdensburg also bears his name — Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center).

Based on the slideshow “A. Barton Hepburn: his life and his libraries” on the New York Heritage website, as well as the library websites, here’s the story of Barton Hepburn and his seven libraries.

Barton Hepburn was born in Colton, NY on July 24, 1846, the seventh of eight children. His parents had moved from Vermont in 1832. At age 15 Hepburn attended the St. Lawrence Academy in Potsdam, NY, where he added “Alonzo” to his name; this was later shortened to “A.” While keeping up his studies he worked as a clerk in a store and as a teacher at the Wildwood School. He graduated in 1867 and was accepted to Middlebury College but forced to study independently so he could keep working. He also studied law and eventually earned an associate’s degree and law degree.

Hepburn returned to Colton and opened a law practice, which flourished. He taught himself engineering and did land surveying. He also became a school commissioner. In 1873 Hepburn married Hattie A. Fisher and they had two sons before her death eight years later. Hepburn served on the New York State Assembly from 1875 to 1879 and as Superintendent of the Banking Department of the state from 1880 to 1883. He then served as receiver of the Continental Life Insurance Company of New York for three years.

Besides these pursuits Hepburn became a lumberman in order to make money from his properties. In 1885 he moved to Canton, where he built a mill. He married his second wife, Emily L. Eaton, in 1887 and they had two daughters. In 1891 they moved to New York City. From 1889 to 1892 Hepburn was Bank Examiner for New York City and helped close a bank and bring three men to trial and conviction. He also served briefly as Comptroller of the Currency.

Hepburn served as President of Third National Bank, National City Bank, and Chase National Bank and then Chairman of the Chase National Bank Board of Directors and Advisory Board until his death in 1922. He was also President of the Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve and wrote books on financial matters. His philanthropic projects include building a dormitory at Middlebury College and supporting the expansion of the Ogdensburg City Hospital.

Like businessman Andrew Carnegie who began building libraries in the 1880s, A. Barton Hepburn decided to fund the creation of public libraries. He provided funds, books, and an endowment for maintenance to seven communities where he had once served as school commissioner. Around 1917-1918 each small town voted to accept Hepburn’s gift and the libraries were built within the next few years. Six of the libraries were designed by Erick Rossiter of New York City and one (Lisbon) by Samuel Williams of Ogdensburg. Each contains community rooms and a reading room. Three of the libraries are in the National Register of Historic Places. Although A. Barton Hepburn’s libraries number just seven compared to Carnegie’s 2,509, they have been a welcome contribution to St. Lawrence County for more than a century.