Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Palouse Xenodican Club members gather in December 2017, from left to right, back row: Diana Cochran, Mary Estes, Pat Flansburg, Bev Pearce, Carol Fielder, Teresa Myott, Holly White, Judy Willcox, Rosemary Gage, Nancy Wolf. Front Row: Iris Holway-Price, Nancy Prince-Hill, Carol Heinlen, Peggy Collier, Helen Smith, Gerry West, Jean Jeffers, Pam Alsterlund.
An old Polaroid taken of the original Palouse library, which was housed in what is now the offices of the Palouse Police Department, in the old brick firehouse building.
In 1918, Palouse resident Irma Leusing invited six women to meet at her home, asking them to bring their sewing. They met again, and another time.
"They just got together to be together," said current Xenodican Club member Diana Cochran.
In two years, they joined the Washington State General Federation of Women's Clubs.
The federation required that each group had a stated purpose. The Palouse ladies chose to start a library, taking on the name Xenodican Club, after the Greek word for hospitality.
They went door-to-door for book donations and their work led to the town's first library in 1920, housed in the old brick firehouse, in the door up the hill which is now the Palouse Police Department.
The Palouse library, started with donated books, later became part of the Whitman County Libraries and moved to its current location on Main Street in 1968.
The Xenodicans left the Federation of Women's Clubs in 1972.
"I think like a lot of other organizations, the federation was wanting too many dues. We wanted to keep it more local," said Cochran, a member since 1973 (not including time living elsewhere).
The Xenodican Club continued to support the library and other local causes.
"We do whatever the county can't afford," said Cochran.
The Xenodicans had a desk built for the library in 1976 by the late Ole Estes, father-in-law of member Mary Estes. The group laid in carpet before. After the flood of 1996, the library was temporarily moved for two years. The club then put in new carpet before the library moved back in.
This summer, it was time again for new carpet, and re-painting too.
Previously, the Xenodican Club supported the former America's Junior Miss program in Palouse (which later became Distinguished Young Women), but then switched to giving scholarships to Garfield/Palouse High School graduates.
The group now tends to give two $500 scholarships per year to graduates - sometimes one or three scholarships, depending on donations during the year, such as estate gifts.
Each of the 17 years of Haunted Palouse, the Xenodicans have sold homemade cookies, along with hot chocolate and cider, adding bottled water this year. They cleared more than $1,000 again for 2018.
For Palouse Days, the Xenodicans sell used books and funnel cakes.
Other local entities they support include the Red Cross, Alternatives to Violence and the Community Food Basket.
The women meet once per month in a member's home or at the library. Member limit is at 24 people, changed from 20 earlier this year.
"It's hard to have many more because it's hard to fit them into your home," said Cochran.
Members also help with the library's story hour and summer reading program.
"We've always got our hand in there somewhere," said Rosemary Gage, current president and five-year member.
To mark the 100th anniversary, the club had a historical program at its Nov. 14 meeting with a cake.
"I think it's an admirable group that started this," Cochran said. "The ladies a long time ago were thinking of the community. They started a library; I'm quite impressed with them."
Cochran has held all offices, most recently finishing a term as secretary in May.
"Palouse is a community where groups like this can thrive and survive because of how welcoming to new people we are and how we support the community," Gage said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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