Laura’s Recipes

Laura Ellen Lewis was born September 1, 1897 in Dargan, Washington County, Maryland. In 1915, she married Martin Dineen Welsh of Bakerton, Jefferson County, West Virginia. Laura would frequently bake cakes and sell them to the quarry workers and their families. She was an outstanding baker, and was well known throughout the town for her cakes.

This book of long forgotten recipes was discovered in my grandmother's basement. They were one of the only things of her mother-in-law she took after her passing.

These recipes were written in an index book entitled "Index of Victor Records". Very few original pages still remain bound in the book. The book contains only recipes and three months (October, November, and December) of financial notations dated 1922, which span only two pages.

Most of the recipes are written on various loose papers. Most of the recipes appear to have been written by either Laura's hand, or her mother, Nancy Winks Lewis', hand. A few were clipped from magazines and newspapers. Many of the recipes are duplicates or variations of the same recipe.

I have personally made the Peach Cream Pie, one of the many Devils Food Cake Recipes, and Chocolate Layer Cake. All three were absolutely delicious! Laura would frequently frost her chocolate cakes with caramel icing, however I just used vanilla buttercream.

As a family, we hope that you enjoy sifting through this collection of historic recipes from the Jefferson County, West Virginia and Washington County, Maryland areas. If you try one, we'd love to hear about it!