QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-4904

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

05.0045

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

2006:128.1

Object label:

Ishpeming Fundraising Quilt
Maker Unknown
Ishpeming, Michigan
1902-1903
Michigan State University Museum, #2006:128.1

Essay:

This quilt includes the names of more than 400 church members who contributed money to the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Ishpeming, Michigan. The names are placed around a center block commemorating the congregation's newly built church building. The majority of surnames are Cornish, reflecting one of the ethnic groups represented in the mining population of Michigan's western Upper Peninsula.

The Methodist Episcopal Society of Ishpeming, Michigan held their services in a schoolhouse from 1867 until their first church was built in 1869. A foundation for a new church was laid in 1891 on North Third Street, but economic conditions and labor problems halted the project, and instead Ishpeming Greenhouses was eventually constructed on the foundation. Later, a new church was built on the site of the original church at Division and Second streets. The new church was completed in 1903 and was known as the First Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1955, the church was renamed Wesley Methodist Church following a merger with another congregation. The church building depicted on the quilt was razed in 1972 following a fire. Wesley Methodist Church can currently be found on Hemlock Street in Ishpeming.

By Mary Worrall from Redwork: A Textile Tradition in America, exhibit.

Owner's name for the quilt:

Ishpeming Signature Redwork

Name of the group that made the quilt:

Members of the M.E. Church

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, city:

Ishpeming

Where the quilt was made, county:

Marquette

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1901-1929

When was the quilt started?

1902

When was the quilt finished?

1903

Why was the quilt made?

Autograph or friendship

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Group

Quiltmaker's city:

Ishpeming

Quiltmaker's county:

Marquette

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

81 3/4

How long is the quilt?

81 1/2

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Red; White

Overall color scheme:

Two color

Quilt's condition:

Very good/almost new

Type of inscription:

Multiple Names

What is the date inscribed on the quilt?

1903

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Location of inscription:

on block

Describe the quilt's layout:

Pictorial

Number of quilt blocks:

25

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Can you feel or see paper on the quilt that was used as a construction aid?

no

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Embellishments used:

Cotton thread

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Cannot tell

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Shown it once to the public within our historic house along with our others.

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

WESLEY METHODIST CHURCH The services of the Methodist Episcopal Society were held in a small schoolhouse in the Cleveland Location beginning in 1867 until the first church was built in 1869. In 1891, a foundation for a new church building was laid on north Third Street, but economic conditions and labor strife halted the project. Later the Trebilcock Brothers acquired the Third Street property and Ishpeming Greenhouses were constructed on the foundation. A new church was eventually built on the site of the original church on the northeast corner of Division and Second Streets. The building, pictured here, was completed in 1903 and later welcomed the congregations of the Cleveland Avenue Methodist Church and the Finnish Methodist Church in mergers which ultimately resulted in the congregation which now worships under the name of Wesley United Methodist Church. The current church building on Hemlock Street was consecrated in 1966 and the old structure was razed in 1972 following a fire. The lot now contains an apartment building.

Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:

Unidentified newspaper article on the history of the different buildings of the Wesley Methodist Church

Source of the information on this quilt:

Museum employee

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public- Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's city:

East Lansing

Quilt owner's county:

Ingham

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

12/2005, Walnut Creek Historical Society, they got it from Mary Liddecoa, Walnut Creek, CA in 1970s, donor

Describe anything about the history of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

PEOPLE OF THE ISHPEMING CHURCH 1903 Looking on Rootsweb, I was able to find some of the people whose names are embroidered on the church quilt. Please refer to the diagram of squares to find the number of the square for each name. Numbers start in the top left. Much of the information was found on Rootsweb and was in the 1880 MI Census Sq. 1 Mr. John Gill m. Susan Tremberth; Russell Argall, b 1896, Ishpeming - d. 1987. Sq. 2 Mr. James Pengilly, 1874-1972. Sq. 3 Arthur Stickney, 1885-1955; Mrs. John Stickney, 1870-1924; Albert Nault, b 1870; Nellie Pierce, 1882, Ishpeming; Mr. Hemming, b. 1879 Ishpeming m. Ellen Lindberg, 1916, Ishpeming. Sq. 4 Arthur Dungey, 1887-1966, worked in a lumber yard, son of Ann Dungey; Gotfred (Godfrey) Silas 1887-1958, sibling of Sophie Silas, Another sibling not signed - Fredolph 1872-1896. Sq. 5 No information available. Sq. 6 Annie Medlyn, (Meddlin) b. 1875, Ispeming, Parents - Wm. & Eliz.; Gertrude Walters 1895, Ishpeming - 1996 Parents: Joseph Walters & Susan Ar see sq. 16 for Rufus H. Walters - Brother of Gertrude; Grandma Ettershank (Eliz. M. Ettershank) b. 1855 Ishpeming Related to Joseph Walters and other Walters. Sq. 7 Mr. W.H. (Hamilton) Barlte, b. 1868, a miner in Nauganee, Parents: John and Thirza Bartle. They had 6 children; Grace Harris, b 1890 Naugunee, brother Wm.-Parents: Richard and Francis. Sq. 8 Olive Tribilcock, 1866-1987; Ethel Jenkins, b 1899 Ishpeming-d.1969, Parents: Wm. Jenkin & Annie Bat. Sq. 9 Barton A. Northey 1882-1963. Sq. 10 Lillian Francis, b. 1883-d. 1952, Parents: James Vivian Francis & Mary A??; Johney Shand, 1826 Ontario Canada, in Ishpeming for 1880 Census R.R. track layer, lived with his mother, Sarah Shand and 3 siblings; Annie Sullivan, b 1890 Ishpeming, Parents: Patrick & Mary Sullivan. Sq. 11 William Bath, miner-m. Catherine, Children: Wm. H., Tho. J., Eliz.; Enda Steinbrecker, b 1893, Marquette Co., parents: Edward & Mary; Ethel Northey, b 1894-d1983; Alli Wright m. Frank Card, 8/189?; Thomas Tregear, miner, b 1852, wife-Emma J. - 2 children; Sarah Hooper, b. 1866 NJ, 7 children in Ishpeming, parents: William Hooper (age 50-1880) miner and Elizabeth (age 44); Gilmore Jenkin, b 12/1902; Maude Williams, b1890, Meguanee, parents: John & Mary Williams. Sq. 12 Wilfred Henry Beaglehole, b 1904, Ishpeming - d 1976; Samuel Rowe, 1874-1953 (in Long Beach, CA) m. Lucy Coombes, parents: Wm. George Rowe & Margaret Beaglehole; Bertha (Charlotte) Beaglehole, b 1885-d 1951, m. Bernard Arthur Trat?, 1906 Ishpeming. Sq. 13 Th. Colllick, d. 1949 m. Mabel Walters 6/1907; Nellie E. Nelson, b 1882 Ishpeming, parents: Andrew & Annie Nelson. Sq. 14 Mildred Westman b1896-d1977; Wm. S. Pascoe, b. 1878 Ishpeming, siblings: Tho. J., Mary A., Wm., parents: Tho. Pascoe (age 33 in 1880), a miner, m. Mary A. (34). Sq. 15 Blanche Miners, b. 1896, parents: John Tho. Miner & Christianna Trembath; Eldred Collick, b 1898-c1981; Beatrice Jenkins, b. 1893, Ishpeming, parents: Wm. & Annie Jenkins. Sq. 17 Herbert Kellow, b. 1889; William Bartle, b. 1844, mining Captain, Ishpeming, family on 1880 census Eliza, Ellen, Susan, Bessie, Wm., Minnie, John, Lottie, Anna, Frances Henry (brother). Sq. 18 Wm. Argall. b. 1870, Eng. Son: Wm. J., 1907-1996, parents: Richard J. & Betsy Argall - children: John J., Wm., Mary S; Patrick John Gleason, b 1868, Miner, Ishpeming, brother, Tho. Gleason, lived in the home of Patrick Hughes; John Freethy, 1900-1984. Sq. 23 John William Skewes, b. 1880, Cornwall-d.1961 Ishpeming, Married Lillian Robbins, b 1883 Michigamme-d1943 Ishpeming, parents: Thomas George Skewes and Jane Mitchell; Russell Carlyon, 1898-1984; Harold Simmons, 1899-1980, Ishpeming. Sq. 24, Myrtle Elizabeth Johnson, b. 1892 Ishpeming-d.1967, m. Tho. Williams; Edward J. Phillips, b. 1876 Nauganee-d.1937, parents: Thomas Phillips & Mary Ann Treveran.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum