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Your Community

The Town Hall Library is located in the unincorporated community of North Lake – which is part of the Town of Merton – in the northwestern part of Waukesha County. The area features exceptional natural resources for hiking, biking and water activities.

The area includes high-performing elementary schools and a top-flight high school. The Library is involved with local youth groups like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, our local volunteer fire department, master gardeners, local artists and musicians, and neighborhood businesses. The Town Hall Library is the focal point of the community it serves.

Local History

North Lake is located at what was a crossroads of two Indian trails. The area offered farmable land, abundant wildlife and a lake described as a “magnificent sheet of water abounding in fish of various kinds and surrounded by most enchanting scenery.”

The first pioneer arrived around 1837, but Winnebago and Potawatomi Indians were the original inhabitants. The first home was built in 1853 with a sawmill and grist mill appearing soon after. Resorts spouted up to accommodate “city folk” who wanted to use the area for recreation. Once the resorts attracted more people to the community, other businesses, including a general store, brewery, hotel, stockyards, and lumber company, opened their doors. They all prospered, particularly after the railroad extended its line to North Lake in 1898. The first school was built in 1846 (even before the post office) and the school’s first annual meeting was recorded in 1867.

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