To all the young at heart, I have a secret for you, published in the Champaign County Genealogical Society’s Quarterly is the identity of Santa Claus…

...at least the individual dubbed by the News-Gazette (circa 1936) as Urbana’s first Santa. Francis (Frank) Granger Jaques is his name. Each Christmas Jaques would provide to needy families a “market basket containing a dressed turkey and all the trimmings, and a shawl or warm underclothes.” Too canny to be caught delivering the items himself, he sent his elves, sons William and Robert, and friends, Thomas Dougan, and Charles A. Kiler. The article states how “after one Christmas passed into history; he started preparations for the next.” He even required one of his farm tenants to raise a certain number of turkeys, potatoes, etc. each year to furnish the baskets.

Santa, aka Jaques, was also a friend to The Urbana Free Library. A founding member of the Urbana Library Association, 1872-1874, a fee-based lending library that was typical of the era, he helped lead the transition to The Urbana Free Library. In a petition presented to the City Council in June 1874, Jaques and the Urbana Library Association asked for the city to take over the library because “it appears that the reading room and library are patronized more by laboring men and men of small means who cannot well afford to pay dues as the businessmen of the city.” The city agreed, and The Urbana Free Library was born.

Jaques would continue to be the treasurer and library board member from 1874 until his death in 1896. He also undertook annual book-buying trips to Chicago and New York City on behalf of the library and solicited money from friends and colleagues for book purchasing. Upon his death, his daughter Minnie Jaques took up his treasurer’s role and remained in the position for fifty years. Another Jaques family member, his niece Ida B. Hanes served for fifty years (1874-1924) as The Urbana Free Library’s head librarian.  

Thanks in part to Santa Jaques and his family The Urbana Free Library is here to offer you books, crafting supplies, various ways to entertain your family (board games, musical instruments, video games), and gifts (3-D printing, anyone!) for your holiday celebration.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Sherrie Bowser
Archives Librarian