History and Heritage Is in the Stitches

In the 19th century, women stitched records of family history and community heritage into their quilts. The Lake County Discovery Museum is sharing its historic quilts with its Quilt Treasures exhibit.

Diana Dretske, Lake County historian for the museum, said it has been about 10 years since the museum exhibited its historic quilts.

“We are asked all the time about our quilts. We have a beautiful selection,” said Chris Pyle, historical resources manager for the museum.

“The quilts were often very meaningful.  They would use things that meant something to them from different people or events,” Pyle said.

The Lake County Discovery Museum is an anchor site for the , which spans six counties and includes events that run through September.

Some of the highlights of :

• An 1891 crazy quilt made by Elizabeth Preston Benwell that incorporates pieces of a buckskin bag her husband used in the Gold Rush.
• A Red Cross signature quilt, circa 1915. Lake County residents paid 10 cents to have their names sewn into the quilt as a fundraiser for the American Red Cross.  Dretske said many longtime Warren Township family names can be found on the quilt.
• A creative flower basket quilt from the early 20th century.
• An elaborate crazy quilt, circa 1890.
• Puss-in-the-Corner, a patchwork quilt made in 1850 in Pennsylvania and traveled with a family that moved to Waukegan.
• A quilt made in the 1970s in which each unit of the Lake County Homemaker’s Extension contributed a square. Dretske noted that a woman who helped make that quilt visited the museum and said only six of the extension units are still active.

Quilt Treasures runs through Sept. 25. Admission to the museum is $6 for adults, $2.50 for youth ages 4 to 17, $3 for students ages 18 to 25 and seniors ages 55 and older, and free admission for children 3 years and younger. Adults are half price on Tuesday and children are admitted free. Visit the museum website for a $1 off coupon.

Check out some of the other Northern Illinois Quilt Fest events.