In 1930, five Women’s Club joined together to open a public library in Ridgeway. Located at first in a corner of Stoner’s Drug Store, the library charged five cents to read a book “which should enable most anyone to read all the good books they desire.” The clubs who sponsored the library were the Entre Nous, Delphian, Worth While, P. E. O. And O. E. S. Chapters. As a non-profit, they asked for donations of “any books you care to give them.”
While not frequently mentioned, the library did remain in operation until at least 1932. In January 1931, they received a large donation of books from the pastor of the Methodist Church, Rev. C. E. Reed. “By this gift, Rev. Reed most certainly displays the greatest interest in the educational development of our community”. The library was growing and there was a mention that the library would move from the drug store to a larger, unspecified space, but in 1932, they were still located in Stoners’. In addition to donations from individuals and the Bethany Library, the Ridgeway library also received 50 new books from the “traveling library” (which I think was a program from the Missouri State Library system.). (Ridgeway Journal articles from May 15, 1930, Jan 19, 1931, Oct 22, 1931 and Feb 4, 1932.). There was no additional mention of the library after 1932.
