The Olathe Public Library turns 100 this year, but it is just a young-un compared to the Ladies Reading Circle who is celebrating its 125th birthday. This group was the first of the Olathe Federated Women’s Clubs. The group was started by John P. St. John, wife of the former Governor of Kansas; Mrs. M.V.B. Parker, sister-in-law of Mrs. St. John; and Mrs. R.E. Stevenson.   Six years after the club’s formation, it started efforts that led to the creation of the Olathe Public Library. (see complete library history on the library’s website). The 2009 Ladies Reading shown its continued support for the library by donating $1000 to the Olathe Public Library Foundation.Â
In appreciation of the Ladies Reading Circle, a tea was held May 19 at the Indian Creek Branch meeting room. The room resembled a formal tea room that day with china tea cups and tea pots, danty china plates, delicious desserts and beautiful flower arrangements. Donna Jo Atwood, former reference librarian at the Olathe Public Library and library staff member Sarah Golinvaux were the hostesses for the tea and did a wonderful job with the event. Thanks to both of you!  Some of the treats were made from recipes from the Newton Iowa Women’s Club Cookbook dated 1914.
Here are two of the desserts served at the tea. The recipes are provided by Donna Jo Atwood and were taken from the Newton, Iowa Women’s Club Cook Book dated 1914.  The recipes as presented as written with Donna Jo’s comments in parentheses for anything she changed.
Ginger Cookies by Mrs. J. M. Rayburn
1 cup butter or lard                             1 egg
¾ cup brown sugar                            4 cups flour
1 cup molasses                                  1 tablespoon soda
2-3 cup hot water  (only 2 cups)        1 teaspoon ginger (I used a heaping teaspoon)
 Mix and sift together the flour, soda and ginger.  Let stand overnight in a cool place before baking.
(I creamed the butter, sugar, egg, molasses together and added the water and dry ingredients alternately.  I used 1 cup molasses in the test batch, but ran short for the tea and used ½ cup molasses and ½ cup dark Karo syrup. Instead of a cool place overnight, I stuck the dough in my freezer for about an hour.) (The original recipe had no baking time or temperature.  I baked at 350 on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets about 8-10 minutes. They should be soft. I dropped them, using a small cookie scoop, about 8 to a sheet.) Â
(The frosting was not part of the original recipe.  I made a butter cream frosting, using 1 stick of butter, 1 pound of powdered sugar, adding milk until it was the consistency I wanted. I flavored with ¼ teaspoon of Fiori di Sicilia, which is a citrus/vanilla flavoring I bought from the King Arthur Flour website.)
 Cocoanut (sic) Cookies from Mrs. H. S. Efnor Â
(This dear lady was a friend of my mother’s, but I don’t remember ever eating these cookies at her house.)
1 cup butter                                       1 cup grated cocoanut
2 cups sugar                                        1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs                                                2 teaspoons baking powder
Bake to a light brown.  (Mix everything together.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Drop onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheets with a small spoon. I used a demitasse spoon.  These spread quite a bit so no more than 6 to a cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges brown. Let set for about 5-10 minutes before removing from paper.  Store between paper.)
So, if you haven’t checked out the 