On March 22, 1890 the T. B. Scott Free Public Library of Grand Rapids opened in rented rooms on what would become Second Street.

In 1896, Mr. Jeremiah (Jere) D. Witter learned of a traveling library in Dunn County, Wisconsin and instantly gave the T. B. Scott Library one-thousand dollars to create such a system for neighboring villages and towns in south Wood County.

[2][3] In 1947, Mr. George Mead (President of Consolidated Water Power and Paper Company) bought the Witter home on Third Street and gave it to the city for the use of the library.

With additional community donations and a federal grant, construction began in 1968 and the McMillan Memorial Library opened on May 17, 1970.

[6] In 2022, a two million dollar redesign created a 1,500 square foot makerspace, complete with a recording studio.

There are two meeting rooms, a 249-seat theater used for movies and performances, a 'Commons', which is designed to function as a third place, a coffee house, a recently renovated children's library with hand-on activities, environmental learning station, and story area, free wireless Internet throughout the building, and a wide variety of programming for adults and children.