Ruth Tompkins, a native of Somers, spent nearly 50 years developing what would become the Somers Library. She came from a prominent local family: she was the granddaughter of Daniel D. Tompkins, Governor of New York and Vice President under James Monroe, and her mother was a member of the Titus family.
Her sister, Susan Tompkins, married John Emerson, the nephew of the writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. Through this family connection, Emerson—known in the family as “Uncle Waldo”—became one of the library’s earliest supporters. Some of the first books in the collection came from his personal library, and his photograph later hung on the walls of one of the early library locations.
In 1875, Ruth Tompkins founded the first library in Somers. It was originally located in the District Schoolhouse Number 2 located in what is now the Ivandell cemetery. It began modestly with just a single shelf of books which included those donated through the Emerson family connection.
In July 1875 the first library meeting was held resulting in by-laws and a list of the first shareholders and members, most of whom came from the “old” families of Somers. This included Samuel Wright, the father of Caroline Wright Reis (1882-1967) whose land would be the site of the current Somers Library.
In the early 1880s, the library moved from the schoolhouse to a renovated chicken coop up the street where today Rt. 202 and 116 meet. The reasons for this relocation are unclear, but the small structure served as the library’s home for the next 14 years.
The tiny structure was owned by a Miss Amy Brown who was a teacher at the school that housed the first library and possibly one of the first librarians. The small structure can be seen in the old photograph which also shows the cobbler shop which would later house the library.
By 1896, the library had outgrown the coop due to Ms. Brown refusing to expand the coop. The library moved across the street to a former cobbler’s shop located across the street from the Tompkins family home at the corner of Routes 116 and 202. This building became known as the “Cobbler Shop” library, where Ralph Waldo Emerson’s photograph hung on the wall.
Ruth Tompkins later ensured the library’s future by leaving the Cobbler Shop building to the library in her will when she passed in 1922. In later years, the site would become the Elephant’s Trunk Thrift Shop, operated by the Friends of the Somers Library to raise funds for the library’s support. The building was lost to fire in 1979.
In 1963 the library moved once again from the cobbler shop to the Fanning House next door. The house was built in 1800 was purchased in 1896 by Ruth Tompkins and rented out for library income.
On December 8, 1981, the cornerstone for the present Somers Library building was laid in Reis Park. The park itself was made possible through the generosity of Caroline Reis, a Somers resident who had been both a shareholder and trustee in the community. In her will, she left her farm to the town of Somers with the intention that the land be used for educational purposes. Today, the library’s location in Reis Park reflects her vision, continuing her legacy by serving as a place for learning, reading, and community gathering.
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