The chapter opens with a discussion of the town's history. The narrator explains that the town was founded by a family of business owners who paid for the construction of a library and a church. The family's patriarch, Jerry Judah, was a strict moralistic man who wanted the town to become a more pious place. The library and the church were the only buildings in town that were completed. The town coda, a monument to Jerry, was built outside the library. The coda was intended to encourage the townspeople to live more pious lives. The photo of the library's staff is also included in the chapter. It shows the library staff in the early days of its existence. The chapter ends with the narrator recognizing the woman in the photo as the town codas wife.