QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-8192

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:

85.0254

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

7547.1

Object label:

Eight-Pointed Star Quilt
Women’s Relief Corps, Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Post
Mancelona, Antrim County, Michigan
1894
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#7547.1

Essay:

On Thursday, May 10, 1894, the Mancelona Herald carried the following news item:
A G.A.R. social was held at the post rooms in this village Saturday evening at which speeches were made and a very pleasant time was had. A patchwork quilt containing the name, company and regiment of each member of post was sold at auction and W.R. Rice being the highest bidder, the same was struck off to him. The quilt netted the society about $15.

J. G. Smith, the great-grandson of W. R. Rice, acquired the quilt from his uncle, William F. Catlin, in about 1952 or 1953 and, intrigued by the names on the quilt, began to research its origins. In addition to the above news article, he also learned that W. R. Rice was born in1831 in Rochester, New York, served as a member of the Sixth Regiment Michigan Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War, married Lucy Marsh in 1882, and died in Mancelona in 1902. Smith also observed that the setting blocks carried the names of famous individuals in United States history. The quilt is an important document of Mancelona community and Michigan military history.

Quilt's title:

Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Fundraising Quilt

Subject of the quilt:

Fundraising

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Sawtooth Star

Brackman # or other source & #:

2138d

Quilt top made by:

Walter, Mrs.; Robb, Lu; Truim, Janet; Hicks, Kitty; Rice, Mrs.; Zipp, Mrs.; Hauen, Darie; Martin, Mrs.; McKetchen, Tillie; DuBois, Mrs.; Braun, Samantha

Quilted by:

GAR Post, Women's Relief Corp Women's Auxilliary

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

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, city:

Mancelona

Where the quilt was made, county:

Antrim

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Time period:

1876-1900

When was the quilt started?

1894

When was the quilt finished?

1894

Why was the quilt made?

Fundraising

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's city:

Mancelona

Quiltmaker's county:

Antrim

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Why does the quiltmaker quilt?

Fundraising

Where does/did the group meet?

Mancelona, Michigan

What are the main activities of the group?

The group made this signature/raffle quilt as a fund raiser for the Women's Auxillary of the Grand Army of the Republic (Union Civil War veterans).

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

73

How long is the quilt?

83

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Red; White

Overall color scheme:

Two color

Quilt's condition:

Good/moderate use

What is inscribed on the quilt?

Made by WRC 1894

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

56

Size of quilt blocks:

8 x 8

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by plain sashing

Sashing width:

2 1/2

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

1

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

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

How is the binding made?

Straight grain

What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?

less than a half inch

How wide is the binding (measure on the top only)?

1/4

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Cotton

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

7

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

7

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Single parallel lines

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

Photos of quilter Clippings or photocopies Brief biography of first quilt owner (and husband of one of the quiltmakers).

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt owner

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public- Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

Made by Women's Auxiliary of the GAR, Mancelona, purchased by W.R. Rice, passed on through family to J. Gordon Smith who donated it to the MSU Museum in 1993.

Details

• 

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees