Somonauk Historical Society

08/18/2026

08/12/2026

🍪 OLD-FASHIONED RECIPE WEEK — DAY 1 OF 5!

Dessert Recipes from Somonauk Kitchens of the Past

We're kicking off the Olmstead Memorial Museum's Old-Fashioned Recipe Week with a recipe that definitely takes us back to the way things used to be done in the kitchen!

Today's recipe is:

GRANDMA STRATTON'S MOLASSES COOKIES

From the recipe of Lila Cook Pratt — Somonauk

One ingredient immediately caught our attention — bacon drippings! Recipes like this remind us of a time when very little went to waste and cooks made wonderful food with what they had available.

🍪 Grandma Stratton's Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
½ cup bacon drippings OR margarine OR ½ of each
1 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 rounded tsp. soda, dissolved in 1 Tbsp. warm water
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. salt
3¼ cups flour

Directions:
Sift dry ingredients together. Cream the shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and beat well. Add molasses and mix.

More flour will be needed if the cookies are rolled out. Drop on greased cookie sheet or roll out and cut out as desired and place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10–12 minutes or at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

And the original recipe makes a special point of telling us:

“This is a soft cookie.”

❤️ Now we want to hear from you!

Did you know or remember Lila Cook Pratt or the Stratton family? We'd love for you to share a memory in the comments.

Have you ever made molasses cookies like these? Did your mother or grandmother cook or bake with bacon drippings?

And most importantly — who is going to try making these? If you do, please come back and tell us how they turned out. Better yet, post a picture in the comments!

Old recipes are more than instructions for making food. They preserve the names, traditions, tastes and everyday lives of the people who came before us. That's exactly the kind of local history the Olmstead Memorial Museum works to preserve.

📣 Please LIKE & SHARE today's recipe! You never know who might recognize the name, remember the recipe, or have another piece of Somonauk history to share.

And come back tomorrow for Day 2 of Old-Fashioned Recipe Week and another dessert from a Somonauk kitchen of the past!

07/17/2026

🇺🇸 DONATION DAY IS TOMORROW! 🇺🇸

Do you have old photographs, family documents, military memorabilia, school items, farm equipment, taxidermy, vintage clothing, local business memorabilia, or other pieces of Somonauk history tucked away in your attic, basement, or garage?

Tomorrow is your opportunity to help preserve our community’s history for future generations!

📅 Saturday, July 18, 2026
🕙 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Olmstead Memorial Museum
116 S. Depot Street
Somonauk, Illinois

We’re looking for items from Somonauk and the surrounding communities, including:

📸 Historic photographs & documents
🎖 Military & veterans’ items
🏫 School memorabilia
🚜 Farm & agricultural artifacts
🦌 Taxidermy & wildlife displays
🏪 Local business memorabilia
👗 Clothing & household items
🇺🇸 America 250 & patriotic items
🏺 And other historical artifacts!

Cash donations are always welcome and appreciated too!

Museum volunteers will be available to review your items, answer questions, and explain our donation process. Not every item will be accepted into the permanent collection, but every story is worth sharing.

✨ No appointment is necessary—just stop by!

Even if you’re unsure whether something has historical value, we’d love to see it. Sometimes the smallest items tell the biggest stories.

Please help us preserve Somonauk’s history for generations to come by liking, sharing, and spreading the word!

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow! 🏛️🇺🇸

02/14/2026