More than 50 members and guests of the Ellwood City Area Historical Society were treated to a presentation of how quilts were used as guidance by the underground railroad.
The presentation was given by the Reverend Jim Swanson to a crowd gathered at the meeting of the Ellwood City Area Historical Society on Tuesday, February 11th.
According to Swanson, quilts were utilized to send messages and provide directions to runaway slaves before and during the civil war. The messages were based on the designs of the quilt.
The pattern could convey advice for a runaway slave to remember. An example of this is the Drunkard’s path, a pattern of wavy lines. According to information passed out by Rev, Swanson, this pattern was to remind the runaway to “take a zigzag route to elude pursuing slave hunters and their hounds that are in the area.”
Quilts displayed at houses along the Underground Railroad would also warn of slave hunters in the area and other dangers that might face runaways.
In addition to the detailed presentation on the quilts, Rev. Swanson also provided a background of slavery in the United States and area connections of the Underground Railroad in Beaver and Lawrence counties.
During the meeting, a sample quilt was on display created by Loraine Steffler of Franklin Township. The quilt was Inspired by research for a program at Camp Run Presbyterian Church in 2019.
Next Meeting: March 10th at the Ellwood City History Center, 310 5th Street, Ellwood City, PA 16117
– Members and guests will be entertained by a barbershop quartet. The public is invited to attend and enjoy. For more information, please call 724-752-2021 or email: ellwoodhistory@zoominternet.net.
If trump was president then he would have had all of them arrested by ICE !!!!
And he would have prosecuted the Christians who were helping them escape.