Touring a local prized possession

ISHPEMING — The Ishpeming Carnegie Library had more than it’s usual amount of visitors today, thanks to a few tours by one of the high school’s most beloved alumnae.

Ray Everton from the Ishpeming High School Class of 1947, offered tours of the library for about four hours. Everton, who spent 34 plus years as the curator and manager of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, has dedicated the last four years of his life to helping raise money for the library. He says the library is one of Ishpeming’s most prized possessions.

“Back in the 40’s and 50’s nobody had the money to go and get a set of Encyclopedias to look up things. They would come up here and do their studies at the library,” said Everton. “It’s just a great place and a great building. As you get older, you kind of drift away from here, but I think today showing people what we’ve got here, it’s going to bring them back to the library again.”

Leverton has helped the library raise six hundred thousand dollars the last few years for improvements to the facility, like the new elevator, handicap ramp and air conditioning.