Treasures in the Trunk: Quilts of the Oregon Trail by Mary Bywater Cross

This book focuses on the memories, dreams and accomplishments of the pioneer women who traveled the Oregon Trail. This is the first book to look at quilts made in an extended span of time and sweep of distance. It looks at the quilts and at the women who made them, and considers quilts in three categories: those made before the journey, those made during the journey and those made afterward, covering the period from 1825 to 1915. The quilts are presented chronologically within three definite periods when the women or families connected to the quilts made the journey: 1840 - 50, 1851 - 55 and 1856 - 70. These periods are defined by the conditions that influenced and affected the migration. This book presents quilts as documents of history, similar to diaries, in order to learn about the lives of the women who made the migration.

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