However, the dream was a con that brought upon a lottery scandal that shocked Louisville and the world.
Since 1816, Louisville, a frontier metropolis, fought to establish a public library for its citizens.
Louisville finally achieved its goal of opening its first free public library.
This four-story building, located on Fourth Street, offered spaces for the library, museum, classrooms and Festival Hall.
On April 3, 1875, the Board of Trustees created a resolution to hand over the library and its assets to the librarian, Paul Allen Towne.