Treasures in the Trunk: Quilts of the Oregon Trail [Paperback]

Mary Bywater Cross (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2000

Between 1840 and 1870, a quarter of a million Americans crossed the continent to Oregon and California in what was considered one of the great migrations of modern times…Thousands of women arrived in the Northwest by way of the Oregon Trail. This migration or "leave-taking" would consume the longest time and widest distance for these nineteenth-century women to establish new homes for themselves and their loved ones."

- from the book

This beautifully illustrated volume recounts the stories of the women who traveled the Oregon Trail. Includes their reasons for traveling west and the hardships that they encountered. Index and bibliography.

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 1ST edition (November 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558532374
• ISBN-13: 978-1558532373
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,006,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Treasures in the Trunk are treasures indeed!, December 31, 2000

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Treasures in the Trunk: Quilts of the Oregon Trail (Paperback)

Between 1840 & 1870 thousands of women arrived in the American Northwest Territory by way of the Oregon Trail. Stored away for months in trunks specially built to protect them from the hazards of weather & rivers, fire & dust, a host of heirloom quilts found new homes in the wilderness of a new frontier.

Treasures in the Trunk is a splendid catalog of the inventiveness of these women, their eye for color & design & the stories of where they came from, were they going & what happened along the way.

Each quilt is presented in detailed photography & discussion of how it was sewn, fabrics of the time, stitching & designs. "White on White"; "Red & Green Tulip"; "Poke Stalk", "Double Irish Chain"; "Rose of Sharon"; "Lily"; "Harlow Album Quilt"; "Star"; "Setting Sun"; "Oregon Rose"; "Wandering Foot" & "Oregon Trail" is just a handful of the featured quilts.

Treasures in the Trunk is far, far more than a simple quilt sampler, it is a fascinating diary of an adventure that fired the imagination of people as far away as Russia, Italy & Scandanavia & generations of girls & boys, looking for the bright & wild edges beyond which lived strange & wonderful things. For anyone who loves quilting & history! Do check out my site for my full review & eInterview with this quilt historian & other books on quilting.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, March 13, 2002

By 

Andrea M. Schneider (Vienna, Europe Austria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Treasures in the Trunk: Quilts of the Oregon Trail (Paperback)

One of the most interesting books on quilts I ever read. The histories of the lives of the women described in the book shows, what, apart from their family chores they contributed to social and cultural live in those hard times. With nothing on hand they intended to enrich the lives of their dears and their owns and given the fact, that there was a lack of goods for surviving, they even cared for their quilts and brought them to Oregon.

America can be proud for their wives and their contribution to its history. These words from a person who is not american and from a country where there is no tradition of quilting but who deeply admires this part of America.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for lovers of quilts and pioneer history, October 1, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Treasures in the Trunk: Quilts of the Oregon Trail (Paperback)

Stitched and handed down from generation to generation, quilts were once a staple of family life. Some were created to become artistic family heirlooms, lovingly stored in chests for future generations, but most were constructed to be used. Mary Bywater Cross has created an enchanting and beautifully illustrated book that relates the "memories, dreams, and accomplishments of the pioneer women who traveled the Oregon Trail." She tells of the trials and tribulations of these hardy pioneering families in fascinating detail, making the book as valuable for its use as an historic journal as for its wonderful album of pioneer quilts.