A Grand Lady Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This saw-tooth hexagon design quilt was hand and machine pieced and hand quilted by Tilda Johnson Larson (1870-1930) and her daughters Myrtle Hasselber Allen (1890-1949) and Mabel Larson Brodin (1893-1973).  The quilt was registered on November 7, 1992 with the Quilt Heritage Washington State. Tilda Larson worked as a seamstress in Spokane.  She was mother of Mabel Brodin and grandmother of Jeannette Brodin Stiffler of Cheney.  #2011.42.2 Gift of Phyllis Wojcik Mitzel.
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A Grand Lady

Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This saw-tooth hexagon design quilt was hand and machine pieced and hand quilted by Tilda Johnson Larson (1870-1930) and her daughters Myrtle Hasselber Allen (1890-1949) and Mabel Larson Brodin (1893-1973).  The quilt was registered on November 7, 1992 with the Quilt Heritage Washington State.

Tilda Larson worked as a seamstress in Spokane.  She was mother of Mabel Brodin and grandmother of Jeannette Brodin Stiffler of Cheney.  #2011.42.2 Gift of Phyllis Wojcik Mitzel.

Carpenter’s Wheel Quilts on Display at the Museum.  Also known as a Kansas City Star design, this quilt was made by Tilda Johnson Larson, grandmother of long-time Cheney resident Jeanette Brodin Stiffler.  The cotton fabric, binding, and backing was machine pieced and hand quilted by Mrs. Larson.  #2011.42.3  Gift of Phyllis Wojcik Mitzel.
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Carpenter’s Wheel

Quilts on Display at the Museum.  Also known as a Kansas City Star design, this quilt was made by Tilda Johnson Larson, grandmother of long-time Cheney resident Jeanette Brodin Stiffler.  The cotton fabric, binding, and backing was machine pieced and hand quilted by Mrs. Larson.  #2011.42.3  Gift of Phyllis Wojcik Mitzel.

We’ll probably never know how many women inventors there were. That’s because in the early years of the United States, a woman could not get a patent in her own name. A patent is considered a kind of property, and until the late 1800s laws forbade women in most states from owning property or entering into legal agreements in their own names. Instead, a woman’s property would be in the name of her father or husband.

For example, many people believe that Sybilla Masters was the first American woman inventor. In 1712 she developed a new corn mill, but was denied a patent because she was a woman. Three years later the patent was filed successfully in her husband’s name.

FactMonster.com (via stfuconservatives)

(via coolchicksfromhistory)

Source: factmonster.com

Delectable Mountains Quilts on Display at the Museum.  Made in New York approximately 1850.  The intricate design was popular in that section of the country in that era.  The bat is of carded cotton worked and smoothed to the desired thickness.  Some parts of the red material has been repaired and overlayed.  The repair work is pre-1900. The quilt was stored away for many years in an attic.  It was discovered when the estate was settled and brought to Cheney by a descendant of the quilter.  The quilt was donated to the Cheney Care Center as a raffle item in benefit of our community built nursing facility.  It was won by Mildred Van Brunt, who promptly donated it to the museum.  Mrs. Van Brunt to care to document the story, however, she omitted the quilt maker’s and the descendant’s name.
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Delectable Mountains

Quilts on Display at the Museum.  Made in New York approximately 1850.  The intricate design was popular in that section of the country in that era.  The bat is of carded cotton worked and smoothed to the desired thickness.  Some parts of the red material has been repaired and overlayed.  The repair work is pre-1900.

The quilt was stored away for many years in an attic.  It was discovered when the estate was settled and brought to Cheney by a descendant of the quilter.  The quilt was donated to the Cheney Care Center as a raffle item in benefit of our community built nursing facility.  It was won by Mildred Van Brunt, who promptly donated it to the museum. 

Mrs. Van Brunt to care to document the story, however, she omitted the quilt maker’s and the descendant’s name.

Log Cabin Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This quilt was hand pieced and hand quilted by Dora Geaudreau McIntosh, mother of long-time Cheney resident Ellen McIntosh Proctor, circa 1920.  It is a log cabin design with straight furrow setting of cotton fabric, binding and backing.  #2011.42.1 Gift of Phyllis Wojcik Mitzell
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Log Cabin

Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This quilt was hand pieced and hand quilted by Dora Geaudreau McIntosh, mother of long-time Cheney resident Ellen McIntosh Proctor, circa 1920.  It is a log cabin design with straight furrow setting of cotton fabric, binding and backing.  #2011.42.1 Gift of Phyllis Wojcik Mitzell

Crazy Quilt Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This crazy quilt top was pieced by hand of velvet, cotton, silk, taffeta, and wool by an unknown turn of the century needle worker.  The pieces are edged in beautiful embroidery stitches and some of the patches have embroidered motifs as well.  The work is beautifully done by a skilled hand.  Helen Barber found this quilt top at a Methodist Church rummage sale in the 1930’s and donated it to the museum.
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Crazy Quilt

Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This crazy quilt top was pieced by hand of velvet, cotton, silk, taffeta, and wool by an unknown turn of the century needle worker.  The pieces are edged in beautiful embroidery stitches and some of the patches have embroidered motifs as well.  The work is beautifully done by a skilled hand.  Helen Barber found this quilt top at a Methodist Church rummage sale in the 1930’s and donated it to the museum.

Patchwork Quilt Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This patchwork quilt top was hand pieced by an unknown needle worker at the turn of the 20th century of various cotton scraps.  #853.1  Gift of Amanda Westerman
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Patchwork Quilt

Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This patchwork quilt top was hand pieced by an unknown needle worker at the turn of the 20th century of various cotton scraps.  #853.1  Gift of Amanda Westerman

Syrenia Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This quilt was made for or by Syrenia E. Cochran (1877-1966), the daughter of William O’Donnel Cochran and Nance Jane Bibb. William Cochran was a Civil War Union Army soldier and a Rough Rider during the Spanish-American War (1898).  His ancestors came from Paisley, Scotland and settled Bay Colony, Massachusetts.  William settled in Oklahoma, near Kenton – then Gallup, New Mexico.  Syrenia was one of fourteen children, thirteen of whom survived to adulthood. Family information courtesy of Susan Bean Ferguson.  Quilt on loan to the museum from the collection of Phyllis Wojcik Mitzel. 
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Syrenia

Quilts on Display at the Museum.  This quilt was made for or by Syrenia E. Cochran (1877-1966), the daughter of William O’Donnel Cochran and Nance Jane Bibb.

William Cochran was a Civil War Union Army soldier and a Rough Rider during the Spanish-American War (1898).  His ancestors came from Paisley, Scotland and settled Bay Colony, Massachusetts.  William settled in Oklahoma, near Kenton – then Gallup, New Mexico.  Syrenia was one of fourteen children, thirteen of whom survived to adulthood.

Family information courtesy of Susan Bean Ferguson.  Quilt on loan to the museum from the collection of Phyllis Wojcik Mitzel. 

Quilt Exhibit Opens at the Museum This variation on the Meadow Lilly pattern was hand pieced and hand quilted by Marie Salisbury Perry.  The Perry’s homesteaded west of Cheney in 1878.  Along with being an excellent needle worker, Mrs. Perry was prominent in the temperance movement in Cheney as a member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.  She was also a strong advocate for women’s suffrage starting in the territorial days of Washington.
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Quilt Exhibit Opens at the Museum

This variation on the Meadow Lilly pattern was hand pieced and hand quilted by Marie Salisbury Perry.  The Perry’s homesteaded west of Cheney in 1878.  Along with being an excellent needle worker, Mrs. Perry was prominent in the temperance movement in Cheney as a member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.  She was also a strong advocate for women’s suffrage starting in the territorial days of Washington.

In 1881, citizens of Cheney were looking for a way to build a real school in town.  They contacted Benjamin P. Cheney, who was known for his generosity toward educational institutions.  Mr. Cheney, in appreciation of the compliment of having the town named for him, gave $10,000 for building a school, theBenjaminP.CheneyAcademy. As one of the Northern Pacific Railway directors, he persuaded the company to donate 8 acres of land at the top of the hill in town.  In September 1881 building began on a 2–story wooden structure 36 by 66 feet.  On the inside, there was a hall running across the building dividing both the first and 2nd floors into two school rooms each.  The academy opened April 3, 1882.
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In 1881, citizens of Cheney were looking for a way to build a real school in town.  They contacted Benjamin P. Cheney, who was known for his generosity toward educational institutions.  Mr. Cheney, in appreciation of the compliment of having the town named for him, gave $10,000 for building a school, theBenjaminP.CheneyAcademy. As one of the Northern Pacific Railway directors, he persuaded the company to donate 8 acres of land at the top of the hill in town. 

In September 1881 building began on a 2–story wooden structure 36 by 66 feet.  On the inside, there was a hall running across the building dividing both the first and 2nd floors into two school rooms each.  The academy opened April 3, 1882.