The first public library in Hammond consisted of just 50 books and was located in the Bloomhoff and Company Millinery Store when the Shakespeare Club deemed it necessary that the citizens needed a library

On June 16th, 1902 the first Board of Library Trustees was organized in the city. Shortly thereafter on April 7th, 1903 Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated $27,000 for a library building, with matching funds being supplied by the city.

Although the two story structure was a solid and well constructed building made from brick and limestone it was cramped and outdated. Book inventories and circulation have increased dramatically since the library's founding. In 1904 there were only 2,000 volumes on hand with a circulation of 600 a month, to over 75,000 volumes in the late 1960's.

In September of 1967 a new, much larger and more modern Main Library building was dedicated on State Street at the site of the old State Theatre. To bad that the old main had to be leveled to the ground, she probably would have been around for ever and what stories she could tell.