Hadar was platted in 1883 soon after the arrival of the railroad. The name Hadar is derived from a German word meaning "strife" or "discord" and the town was so named when the original group of German pioneers could not agree on where to settle.
The Hadar Free Little Library is open 24/7, 365 days a year. Bring a book and take a book! Or take a book and bring it back. It is the second Free Little Library in Nebraska and the first “park like” Little Library with a bench to enjoy your reading before you journey home. People of all ages enjoy the library. Donations of family friendly books, videos, books on CD or cassette, and large print books are always welcome. Hadar favorites are children’s, teen, romance, westerns, inspirational, motivational, large print and books on CD. The Hadar Free Little Library been featured in many newspapers, radio stations, television and even magazines – American Profile and Woman’s Day! People in northeast Nebraska aren’t the only ones who utilize the library. Traffic comes off Highway 81 as retirees who travel seek it when traveling from the “Little Library” map. It has inspired many other Little Libraries to start across the state as far away as Hebron (3 hours south), and even farther considering a trip west to Crawford (about 6 hours), to as close as its large neighbor, Norfolk.