June 12, 2007

When journalist Ted Richmond moved to Newton County in 1925, he soon discovered the lack of reading material available for local residents. In response, he initiated a letter-writing campaign soliciting books and magazines. As the materials began to come in, he placed them in a log cabin he had built and named the Wilderness Library. His efforts gained national attention, including a widely screened film about the project. Richmond incorporated the library in 1950 in an attempt to obtain funding. When these efforts failed, he left the area in 1956 never to return.