Wedsworth Memorial Library
🏢 Cascade County · Cascade, Montana
Wedsworth Memorial Library
Named for Augustus Wedsworth — a homesteader who left money in his 1915 will to create a public library in Cascade — the Wedsworth Memorial Library at 13 North Front Street is a Missouri River valley institution that expanded with a major new addition completed in 2014 and opened to patrons in July 2015.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–5pm |
| Wednesday | 2pm–5pm |
| Thursday | 2pm–5pm |
| Friday | 2pm–5pm |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 13 North Front Street, CASCADE, MT 59421
Phone: +1406-468-2848
Website: cascademtwedsworthlibrary.org
Plus Code: 85VC78C2+C6 (CASCADE, MT)
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📖 About Wedsworth Memorial Library
The Wedsworth Memorial Library serves Cascade, Montana, a small Cascade County town of about 600 residents along the Missouri River and Interstate 15, roughly 25 miles south of Great Falls. The library's origins trace to January 1915, when homesteader and community leader Augustus Wedsworth included funds in his will to establish and maintain a public library in the town he valued. The first public library opened in September 1936 in the basement of the Old Stockmen's Bank Building as a Works Projects Administration project, then relocated to Wedsworth Hall in February 1937. On August 9, 1943, the Cascade County Commission created a county library, and in January 1962 it was officially renamed the Wedsworth Memorial Library. The library moved to its current home at 13 North Front Street in April 1976. Between 2010 and 2014 a major addition was constructed; the expanded building opened to patrons in July 2015. Cascade also sits in historically rich territory: western artist Charlie Russell met his future wife Nancy Cooper nearby and the couple lived in what is now the Charlie and Nancy Russell Honeymoon Cabin (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) before moving to Great Falls in 1897. 'Stagecoach Mary' Fields, the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. star route mail carrier, delivered mail between the Mission and Cascade from 1895 to 1903.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded by Augustus Wedsworth's 1915 will bequest — the library's benefactor dedicated funds specifically to create and maintain a public reading room for Cascade
- First opened September 1936 as a WPA project; officially named Wedsworth Memorial Library in January 1962
- Major addition constructed 2010–2014, with the expanded library opening to patrons in July 2015
- Located in Cascade County, historically connected to artist Charlie Russell and postal pioneer 'Stagecoach Mary' Fields (1895–1903 mail route)
- Public computers, copying, printing and free Wi-Fi; meeting space available for community use
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Wedsworth cardholders can borrow eBooks, audiobooks and access digital resources free through Montana's statewide library collections:
📚 Services
- Book lending — fiction, nonfiction and children's collections
- Public computers and free Wi-Fi
- Copying and printing
- Interlibrary loan service
- Meeting space for community use
- Bookmobile outreach service
🎸 Programs
- Youth reading and children's programs
- Annual book sale
- Community programs and events
- Summer reading program
📍 Nearby Libraries in Cascade County & Central Montana
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Augustus Wedsworth and why is this library named after him?
Augustus Wedsworth was a homesteader and community leader in Cascade who believed strongly in the value of public education. In January 1915 his will designated funds specifically 'for creating and maintaining a library as well as a gymnasium' for Cascade. The library was officially renamed in his honor in January 1962 to recognize that his bequest made the institution possible.
Is the Wedsworth Memorial Library connected to Charlie Russell or Stagecoach Mary?
Yes — both are part of Cascade's history. Western artist Charlie Russell met his future wife Nancy Cooper near Cascade, and the couple lived in what is now the Charlie and Nancy Russell Honeymoon Cabin (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) before moving to Great Falls in 1897. Mary Fields — 'Stagecoach Mary' — the first Black woman employed as a U.S. star route mail carrier, ran the mail route between St. Peter's Mission and Cascade from 1895 to 1903. The library's website features profiles of both figures in its 'Cascade Legends' section.
When was the library's building expanded, and what changed?
A major addition was constructed between 2010 and 2014. Interior work was completed in 2014, and the expanded building opened to patrons in July 2015. The addition significantly increased the library's capacity and modernized its facilities at 13 North Front Street.
Does the library offer a bookmobile service?
Yes — the Wedsworth Memorial Library operates a bookmobile that extends library service to rural residents of the Cascade area who may not be able to visit the main branch at 13 North Front Street.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in October 2026.
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