History of the Tipton Branch Library

In response to a petition for a deposit station, dated December, 1911 and signed by 47 citizens of Tipton, County Librarian, Miss Jennie Herman, established a Library Station in Tipton in April, 1912. It was the 21st County Branch Station and it was set up in the Rochdale Store with Laura Gwillim as custodian. She was paid $2.50 a month. It offered the usual 50 books of a County deposit station.

A Visalia Times article from April, 1912 reported that “every wide-awake little town in the County is demanding a station, and in time, every town will be supplied .… County library work is no longer an experiment.”

The Tipton station was discontinued in October, 1913, and re-established in September, 1914 in the Atkinson store. It remained in the Atkinson store until 1926.

The library then moved from home to home nine times with home owners as custodians. Finally, in 1941, it was moved into the Woman’s Club House, where it stayed until 1953. Mrs. Mae Culpepper was custodian from 1944 until 1953. At that time the Tipton station was closed and a bookmobile was used.

The present Branch was built and opened in September, 1955.