Exciting new project!



Log cabin variation: Blmgtn Historical Society



Yesterday I stopped by the Bloomington Historical Society to drop off a few things and on a whim asked about quilts in their collection.  What a find! 

The first quilt I saw was a delightful log cabin variation.  There is a half block at the end of every other row, so the blocks do not line up across.   I love the reds and pinks that flow throughout the quilt.

But the quilt that totally caught my interest was a lovely Album Quilt dated 1893.  The center block has the name Agnes Pond, who was from an early Bloomington family, and went to serve in South Dakota as a missionary.  The quilt was made by the women in her mission and given to her as a gift.


Agnes Pond Album Quilt: Blmgtn Historical Society


Another block is penned with the words:
Indian Women's Missionary Society
Presbyterian Church
1893 Yankton, S.D.

Each block has a name written in the center.  What lovely penmanship!

Who were these women?  Why was the quilt made?  I took quite a few photos, and we wrote down the names as best we could decipher them.  Off I went on a mission!  Could I find the women on the internet using a geneology web site? 

I couldn't stop looking, and one exciting find led to another!  The women are all from South Dakota, and most were Native American.  I found many in the 1900 census, and more in the land ownership records.   According to the 1900 census, most of the women could not read , write, or even speak English.  But here are their names, recorded for us to find over 100 years later.  There are also two men listed who were missionaries. 

I hate to set it aside for the weekend, but next week I'll be hot on the trail again.  What interesting discoveries lie ahead?



Indian Women's Miss. Society block