Olathe Library Downtown

The roots of the Olathe Public Library can be found in the activities of the Ladies Reading Circle, founded in 1883. The Ladies Reading Circle was founded by three Olathe women: Mrs. John P. St. John, wife of the former Governor of Kansas, her sister-in-law, Mrs.Emma Parker, and Mrs.Celestia Stevenson. The Ladies Reading Circle was the first of the Olathe Federated Women's Clubs, and is still active today.