On July 18, 1988, a public hearing was set to discuss the construction of a community-senior citizens center and library complex for the town of Valliant, Oklahoma. It was enthusiastically agreed that such a complex was needed and would fill a great vacuum in the community. A committee was appointed to work with the town council.
The town council passed a resolution on July 22, 1988 to seek grant funding for the center. Valliant residents pledged their financial support on a matching fund basis.
On August 24, 1988, Otis and Jackie Blackard donated 6 city blocks east of the town park as a building site. Committee members talked with the Hunt Foundation about possibly receiving help as Mrs. Hunt came from Valliant.
The town had many a fish fry and sold a lot of fried pies to raise funds. Then on August 24, 1988, the council asked donors to submit the $62,500 of pledges with the grant application. The Hunt Foundation and Weyerhaeuser Foundation donated to this fund. Local construction companies, the county commissioners, and the city donated labor in kind. On August 23, 1989, the town applied for a Community Development Block grant.
A ground breaking ceremony was held on April 18, 1990. Everyone pitched in on the labor and got the pad poured and the building in the dry in a few months. The fund raising committee continued with the fish fries, gospel singings, country and western music nights and other money raisers to be ready to furnish the building. Open house was held on June 24, 1992. The complex was called the Terry-Hunt Building. It contains the James B. Ray Community Center, the Valliant Nutrition Center, and the Mattie Terry Public Library.
From 1992 until 1996, the library was kept open by volunteers and supplied with donated books. On September 30, 1996, the council signed a library agreement with the Southeastern Public Library System to make the Mattie Terry Public Library a reading room.
After the millage increase in 1997, the library system agreed to make the Mattie Terry Public Library a full-fledged member. It opened on January 2, 1998 with Elaine Smith as Librarian and Roxanne Fenley as Assistant Library. Since that time, Mrs. Smith has remained as Librarian. Mrs. Fenley left for a full time job and was replaced by Krystan Bailey. Mrs. Bailey served for one year and moved away. Jessica Brents has been Assistant Librarian for 6 years.
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