The Mercer Library

Photos and text all By:William Davis

Then

Now

In the little town of Mercer, by the big Mercer bog, the Shaw Library rests on a 200 year old foundation. Surrounding it are 28.13 square miles of forests, swampy marsh, and fields. Deer, moose, bear, bobcat, and similar wildlife inhabit this graceful land. North Pond and the Sandy River are the major water bodies there. The soil is rocky but rich, especially by the Sandy River.

John Diggles arrived in Mercer around 1850. Mr.Diggles owned a coat factory that made military uniforms for the First Voluntary Militia E Company of Maine. The uniforms were grey with black trim which cost a sum of eighteen dollars. That was a lot of money in those days. Most of the work was done by the local women. George Diggles followed his father by going into the same business. Diggles was joined by Libby Greenleaf, a stagecoach driver, whose route was from Augusta to Mercer. Charles McDonald acquired the tailor business from George Diggles in 1886 and continued it till 1900. The old coat factory is now the town library. Captain William and ?Shaw were the parents of Leander Shaw. Leander Shaw moved to New York and became wealthy in the grain business. In mid-summer of 1882, Leander Shaw offered the town one thousand dollars to purchase books for the library. But first, they needed a library, so they purchased the lower section of the town hall from Thomas B. Weston for five hundred dollars. With the other five hundred dollars they bought books. In 1970 the library had over 7000 volumes! The original Shaw Library burned down, but all the books were rescued. After that, they used the old coat factory. Currently the Mercer Library has eleven thousand three hundred and sixty three books.

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