In 1954, Phyllis Hamner obtained her Masters in
Library Science and in 1957, she moved to Ironton, Ohio.
While an employee of the Briggs Lawrence County Public
Library, Mrs. Hamner became interested in the rich
history of Lawrence County. Saddened by the thought of
the loss of the history, she became determined to find
and record as much of that history as she could. In her
life, she received national recognition for her dedication
and work in the field of genealogy. Phyllis Hamner died
on October 4, 1985.
On December 5, 1987, the Phyllis Hamner Room
was dedicated in her honor. Since its creation, the room
has gone through many changes and the collection
expanded to include local histories and genealogies from
the tri-state area. Today, the room is located on the
second floor of the Briggs Lawrence County Public
Library Main Branch building.