This upcoming Sunday, May 7, the doors of the Kerr House Museum, located at 104 N. Pine St., will be open for the 2023 season.
One of the notable pieces on display this year is a hand-stitched quilt from the community of Stoneville located in Boggs Township, Clearfield County.
The area of Stoneville is situated on one of the states most-traveled areas in past history, the Old Erie Turnpike. At one time, Stoneville was known as Marysville, though history fails to say why.
It was written in Joseph A. Daugue Jr.’s An Historical Sketch of the Old Erie Turnpike that Alexander Stone came to this country from England and purchased a tract of land where he built the first hotel in Boggs Township called Stoneville Tavern.
Since the conditions of the area proved to be favorable and the Clearfield Creek flowed near the Erie Pike, Stone laid out the village Stoneville.
In the early 1900’s, Stoneville was thriving with the railroad and the Old Erie Pike as transportation routes for goods and services. The community was close knit so much so that in 1905-06, a Signature Quilt was embroidered with the names of the residents of Stoneville.
Signature quilts gained popularity in the mid- to late-1800’s as a way to remember people.
Although the purpose of the Stoneville community quilt has been lost to time, we do know that each quilt block has the name of someone who called this place home.
This could have been hand-stitched by a group of women in a quilting bee as a gift for someone or possibly made as a fundraising quilt.
This also could be a quilt made with church member’s names. Whatever the occasion was the list of surnames are still familiar today in the Clearfield County area.
The names lovingly embroidered on the red and white, hand-stitched quilt are as follows:
- Sheridan Wisor
- Volera Mease
- Lena Mease
- Lulu Haney
- Mary Irwin
- Margaret Haney
- Mrs. Blanche Pearce
- James Mease
- Mrs. James Gallaher
- Mr. & Mrs. John Wisor
- Susie Wisor
- Mrs. Annie Holes
- Mrs. Kate Davis
- Myrtle Holes
- Pearl Smeal
- May Wisor
- Clifford Wisor
- Susie McClarren
- Mary Butler
- Ruth Olsen
- Mrs. Lewis Turner
- John Olsen
- Orange Michaels
- Harry Wisor
- Bessie Olsen
- Louisa Michaels
- Mrs. Gertrude Wisor
- Blanche Baughman
- Elizabeth Gallaher
- Fred Wisor
- Enoch McClarren
- Phoebe Lumadue
- Leonard Smeal
- George Gallaher
- RBW
- Maud Turner
- Mrs. Anna Davis
- Letita Polkenhorn
- Roxie Curley
- Fred Shugarts
- Cordelia Flegal
- William Wisor
- Mrs. George Shugarts
- Virgie Butler
- Mrs. Clara Shimmel
- Alex Root
- Ethel Shimmel
- Fred Baughman
- Grace McMonigal
