1. Underground Railroad: An Oral History
Brenda Hill, Ph.D.
Cleveland County Cooperative Extension
601 E. Robinson
Norman, Ok 73072

2. Background for quilt history
In 1619, African slaves arrive in Jamestown, Virginia as indentured servants.
1641, Massachusetts Bay Colony enslaved African workers.
1755, All thirteen colonies legally recognize chattel slavery.
1776, Declaration of Independence signed.
1793, Canada’s antislavery law passed.
1849,Harriet Tubman, escaped slave, lead over 300 slaves to freedom.
1865, Thirteenth Amendment prohibits slavery in the United States.

3. Eleanor Burns: Underground Railroad
*“According to Ozella and her family’s oral history, there were ten quilts used to direct slaves to get ready for escape…Even if you find Ozella’s story unbelievable, you can still enjoy…these traditional blocks.”
* Quilt in a Day – Underground Railroad: Sampler. Burns, Eleanor and Sue Bouchard Quilt in a Day®, San Marcos, CA. pg. 4.

4. Mrs. Ozella McDaniel Williams
Tobin, Jacqueline L. and Raymond G Dobard, Ph.D. Hidden in Plain View: A secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad Random House, Inc. New York.

5. Story of the Underground Railroad
The Monkey Wrench turns the Wagon Wheel toward Canada. With help from Jesus, the Carpenter, follow the Bears’ Trail through the woods. Fill your Baskets with enough food and supplies to get you to the Crossroads. Once you get to the Crossroads, dig a Log Cabin in the ground. Shoofly told us to dress up in cotton and satin Bow Ties. Follow the Flying Guess and the Birds in the Air, stay on the Drunkard’s Path. Take the Sailboat across the Great Lakes to the North Star above Canada.

6. Underground Railroad is also known as Jacob’s Ladder
Jacob’s Ladder is a very old quilt block pattern, dating to before the Revolutionary War. Also known as The Road to California, Stepping Stones and Wagon Tracks. However, 1884 was one of the first published patterns.
Other names: Stepping Stones, The Trail of the Covered Wagon, Underground Railroad, Wagon Tracks.

7. The Story…
The Monkey Wrench (Churn Dash) originated between Its name is a result of the resemblance of the triangle and rectangle perimeter of the block to a butter churn and the center square to the stick (or “dash”) of the butter churn. Also called, Hole in the Barn Door, Love Knot, Puss in the Corner and many more.

8. The Monkey Wrench turns the Wagon Wheel
Wagon Wheel – Also known as the Dresden Plate. A sample of this type of quilt block dates back to Unfortunately, other samples do not show up until the latter part of the 19th century.

9. toward Canada. With help from Jesus the Carpenter,
Carpenter’s Wheel – Also called Broken Star, Double Star, Dutch Rose, Octagonal Star, Star & Diamond, Star within a Star, Unknown Star.

10. Follow the Bears’ trail through the woods.
Bear’s Paw – First known Bear’s Foot 1898, Duck’s Foot in Mud, Hand of Friendship.

11. Fill your Baskets with enough food and supplies
Basket – 1898 Flower Basket, Grape Basket. History suggests that the basket pattern in different forms migrated from Europe and was adapted by Colonist.

12. To get you to the Crossroads
One of the “crossroads” for slaves was in Cleveland, Ohio. This design may have been a signal that it was nearby.
Crossroads Chimney Sweep, Album, Album Patch,
Friendship Chain, Courthouse Square.

13. Once you get to the Crossroads, dig a Log Cabin in the ground.
Log Cabin –the Log Cabin block probably became a favorite block among early quilters because it required a minimal amount of cutting and gave them an opportunity to use utilize narrow scraps of fabric. Log Cabin quilts first made a wide-spread appearance in the United States in the 1860s during the time of the Civil War. The block name may very well have had a connection to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The Log Cabin quilt became wildly popular and was identified with the pioneer spirit and values of America.

14. Shoo-Fly told us to dress up in cotton
Shoo-Fly – 1850s named after a wild plant with domed flowers called clover broom or shoo-fly. The shoofly may have harbored and aided fugitives. Another popular name for this block as Hole-in-the Barn-Door.

15. and satin Bow Ties.
Bow Tie examples date back to This quilt block was a signal for escaping slaves to find better clothing to blend into the community they were traveling to. Often churches would have this type of clothing for them.

16. Follow the Flying Geese
Flying Geese (Dutchman’s Puzzle) – the earliest surviving quilt was of European chintz and homespun backing in 1800.
This pattern was used for direction in which way to go. In the Spring, slaves could follow the wild geese toward the north.

17. and Birds in the Air,
Birds in the Air is symbolic of flight or migration. The directional quilt was originally designed by Quaker Deborah Coates, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Coats ran Safe House #5.

18. Stay on the Drunkard’s Path
Drunkard’s Path -The meandering diagonals resemble a drunkard's staggering walk. Prohibited from voting, the Drunkard's Path was a popular way for a woman to express her opinion on alcohol and its use. It appears that more quilts were made for this cause than for any other.

19. Take the Sailboat across the Great Lakes
Sailboat were used to take escaping slaves across the icy Lake Erie to Canada.

20. to the North Star above Canada.
1800 was the year this pattern was documented. The North Star was a guiding light leading slaves from Cleveland or Detroit to Canada. The Big Dipper always points to the North Star. It was also called Sawtooth.

21. Machines and Quilting
Between , Walter Hunt invented the sewing machine. 1846, Thomas Howe invented another model and Isaac Singer made a sewing machine available on installment plans. 1856, sewing machines were available to the general public. An ad for Grovers and Bakers sewing machines priced them at $ s machine quilting began to appear with very thin batting. Appliqué work was often now down by machine as well as quilt-as-you- go quilts.

22. Questions? Comments?

23. Sources
Beyer, Jinny The Quilter’s Album of Blocks & Borders. EPM Publications, Inc.: McLean, VA.
Brackman, Barbara Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts & Slavery. C & T Publishing, Inc.: Lafayette, CA.
Burns, Eleanor and Sue Bouchard Underground Railroad: Sampler. Quilt in a Day®,Inc.: San Marcos, CA.
Finley, Janet E Quilts: In Everyday Life, Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.: Atglen, PA.

24. Sources Continued
Gordon, Maggi McCormick. American Folk Art Quilts Trafalgar Square Books: North Pomfret, VT.
Tobin, Jacqueline L. and Raymond G. Dobard, Ph.D Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad. Anchor Books: New York, NY.
Trestain, Eileen Jahnke Dating Fabrics: A Color Guide Image Graphics: Paducah, KY.