History of the A.F. Knotts Public Library

In January, 1959, the Yankeetown Library was opened on Riverside Drive in the back room of the Knotts real estate office building across from the Izaak Walton Lodge. It  began with one thousand donated books and the cataloging services of Mrs. A.W. Billinghurst and Mrs. Thomas Knotts.  The library remained in back of the old real estate office for fifteen years.

Barbara Knotts pictured at the front door

of the original library.

In December 1974, the Yankeetown Woman’s Club was given a gift of a building to be used as a library by Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Knotts.

The gift of the building was contingent upon the Woman’s Club’s acceptance of the responsibility for the building’s maintenance and upkeep expenses. The new building at 11 56th street in Yankeetown was named in honor of A.F. Knotts, founder of Yankeetown.