The multi-story Marshall Hotel is a landmark in downtown Marshall. It is located on E. Houston Street. The corner shown is E. Houston and Lafayette. The building to the left of the hotel is the Mahon Building, was an office building at the time of the picture, c1970. After many years of standing empty and neglected, the hotel is currently under restoration.

In September, 1971, a challenge grant from the Andrew Norman Foundation was offered to the Friends of a Public Library in Marshall, Texas for the purpose of building a new library. The $150,000 offer was to be matched by funds raised in Marshall and Harrison County. Following a successful fund drive, the photo shows George Fenn Lewis, president of the Friends, endorsing a balance payment check for $110,000 before presenting it to Dick Brassell, secretary-treasurer of the Friends.

In 1972, the local chapter of the Jaycee Jaynes held a game night to benefit the building funds for the Marshall Public Library and Marshall Memorial Hospital. Seated left to right, Mrs. Tom Wynn, Mrs. John Carrington, and Mrs. Kenneth White confer about door prizes.

At the grand opening of the first McDonald's in Marshall, Texas, Mrs. Audrey Kariel performed the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony as McDonald's officials, John Gehl and Gerald Stiles, look on. Attached to the ribbon were 100 one dollar bills, which were presented to Mrs. Kariel as a donation to the Marshall Public Library building fund. Mrs. Kariel was a member of the library board of trustees and a director of the Friends of a Public Library group that spear-headed the fund drive.

The Longhorn Division of Thiokol Chemical Corp. made the first of three donations to the building fund for Marshall Public Library in 1972. Herschel Q. Holly, right, present a $1000 check to Fenn Lewis, center, president of the Friends of a Public Library. Looking on at left is Max Lale, staff assistant, plant relations.

Audrey Kariel, Project Director, and Carolyn Abney, civic leader and library supporter, pose at the reception for the grand opening of new Marshall Public Library October 20, 1973.

Audrey Kariel performs the ribbon-cutting for the first McDonald's in Marshall, Texas on October 20, 1972. The ribbon held 100 one-dollar bills which were donated to the building fund for the new Marshall Public Library, which opened one year later.

Members of the Harrison County Association of ex-University of Texas Students celebrate the opening of the new Marshall Public Library at a reception on October 20, 1973.

Mrs. Audrey D. Kariel, Project Coordinator, and Martin Spangler, Chairman, celebrate the new Marshall Public Library at the formal reception on October 20, 1973. Mrs. Kariel relates "Martin was an inspirational leader. Every agenda carried a quote with motivation. My favorite was 'Your ship cannot come in unless you send some out.' We had to send out many ships to build the new MPL."

Audry D. Kariel, Library Building Project Coordinator, with friend Janice Levy and Rabbi Richard Zionst at the dedication of the new Marshall Public Library building on October 21, 1973. Rabbi Zionst gave the invocation at the dedication ceremony, a choice which reflected the amount of financial support and hard work invested by the Marshall Jewish community in the new building.

Mr. George Olincy, Chairman of the Andrew Norman Foundation, and Mrs. Bernice Gold Kranson were benefactors of the new Marshall Public Library building in 1973.

When the Marshall Public Library was founded, it had its first home at the corner of West Austin and Franklin streets (now the Chamber of Commerce building). Books from a lending library belonging to Marshall Women's Clubs became the core of the new collection. Approximately 25 children helped to move this core collection from its old home at 112 East Austin St.

Civic leader Carolyn Abney and her mother attended the formal reception for the opening of Marshall Public Library in 1973.

The first flag to fly over the new Marshall Public Library was flown over the Capitol before being presented to the library by the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW Post 3969. The gift was made possible by Congressman Sam B. Hall of Harrison County. Three members of the Army National Guard are shown raising the colors at the formal presentation ceremony.

Don Harper, library supporter, presents a persuasive speech to convince the public of the need for a new public library building. According to the caption, he emphasized, "Now, not later, is the time to act." The new library in Marshall, Texas opened October, 1973.

Mrs. Audrey Kariel, Project Coordinator, stands in front of the wall plaque giving recognition to the founders of the new Marshall Public Library building, which opened in 1973. Mrs. Kariel also served as chairwoman of the library Board of Trustees and was an organizer of the Friends of a Public Library group that was instrumental in building the library. She dedicated seven years to making the library a reality.

Members of the Army National Guard raise the new flag in front of the new Marshall Public Library at formal presentation ceremonies. The flag previously flew over the Capitol, and was a gift arranged by Congressman Sam B. Hall, Jr. through the Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post 3969.

Night view of the new Marshall Public Library in 1973.

Mrs. Audrey Kariel, second from right. was congratulated for her role in the successful library building project with a spray of roses. She was the Projector Director for the drive to building the Marshall Public Library.

Mrs. Virginia Gold Olincy, trustee of the Andrew Norman Foundation, toasts the grand opening of the Marshall Public Library at the formal reception on October 20, 1973. Mrs. Olincy, a former librarian, and her sister, Ms. Bernice Gold Kranson, arranged for a large challenge grant from the Foundation toward the new library building as a memorial to their parents. Following the successful fund drive and construction, the library's auditorium was named "The Mose and Etta Gold Auditorium" as that memorial.

Two young women, both library supporters, attended the reception celebrating the opening of Marshall's new library building in October, 1973.

Mrs. Audrey Kariel, who was Project Director for the building of the new Marshall Public Library in 1973, holds a plaque awarded for her work. The event occured in the library's Gold auditorium on its opening weekend, October 20, 1973. Mrs. Kariel said the plaque was "A suprise [for her] - recognizing her work to make the MPL's dream come true."

Fenn Lewis, center, Mrs. George (Virginia Gold) Olincy to his right, and Mrs. Audrey Kariel, to his left, chat at the reception to celebrate the opening of the new Marshall Public Library in October, 1973. These three were key constituents in the drive to get the library constructed. Others in the picture are unidentified.

The Opening of the new Marshall Public Library was headlined in the Marshall News Messenger newspaper article shown here. Mrs. Bernice Gold Kranson, standing left, was assisted by Mrs. Jane Treister, standing right, in the ribbon-cutting. Other dignitaries and scouts attend. The opening was Sunday, October 21, 1973. The building has been in continual use as a library since that day.