Quilts of the Oregon Trail

Quilts they left behind help us understand the thousands of women of the 1800s who traveled the Oregon Trail to reach the Pacific Northwest.

Enjoy a close look at 56 quilts that, as documents of history, reveal these women and their life stories. Between 1840 and 1870 this migration or "leave taking" of their old lives back East was a life-changing experience, consuming the longest time and widest distance these women would ever travel to establish homes and farms and help build communities for themselves and their families.

With expert analysis of the quilts' fabrics, stitches, and designs, Cross shows how these handmade items give us insights to the historical details of the wagon odyssey, and also reveal a wider picture of these women and the lives they established to move the nation's history forward.

Features:

- Detailed color photos of 56 quilts made before, during, and after the journey west, as well as new information about the role of women in their communities.

- Each quilt is shown with vintage photos of the makers plus information describing the quilt and the maker's family.

- Multiple appendices relate Trail conditions, an analysis of the quilts, letters and narrations of the Trail experience, and available resource locations. Also includes a glossary, extensive bibliography, maps, and index.

This is a powerful resource for quilt enthusiasts, descendants, educators, and historians alike.