Hamilton Lane Public Library

Built in 1866, the Hamilton Lane Library was the first free public library west of the Alleghenies. This octagonal structure and the Lane Hooven House are two of only 400 found in the U.S. For genealogy, historical records of Butler County, including census, books, maps, wills, deeds, diaries, and newspapers dating back to the early 1800s, The Lane Public Library has two separate historical/genealogical collections: The Smith Library and the Cummins Local History Room. A collection of drawings by Hamiltonian Robert McCloskey, a two-time Caldecott awarded author who is now honored in Hamilton’s Heritage Hall, is found in the children’s area of this library.