Non-Profit

The Hearst Free Library was presented to the City of Lead and its residents on behalf of Phoebe Apperson Hearst, wife of mining magnate George Hearst, on December 25, 1894. The original collection had hundreds of foreign language books to accommodate the vast and varied ethnic groups that populated Lead during the Homestake Mining Company’s heyday. Today, the library is a warm and welcoming presence on Lead’s Main Street that serves more than 30,000 patrons annually.