Researching the History of Trails End

Since my quiltmaking began with my grandmother, Nanny, at Trails End Farm, I wanted to learn more about it's history. I have many fond memories of visits to this place where my mom grew up. She also shared stories of those younger years.

Some of them involved quiltmaking. As I thought about this, I realized my quilting heritage was connected with this farmstead. My daughter, granddaughter, and I are carrying on this tradition.

So....why not research the history of the farm and its inhabitants...and write about them? That also will tie in with the family genealogy research I continually do.

You can imagine my excitement when I discovered the old deeds to the farm, tracing it's family history back to around 1800! My grandfather's aunt and her husband, the Niles, owned it for many years. Then they sold it to Grandfather's father, William Coons. Over the years, William purchased neighboring land to add to the original farm.

When he died, his son Burton B. Coon inherited. (Burton changed his name from Coons to Coon, maintaining he was only one person!) Burton was my grandfather, whom we called Papa Coon.

Here my mother grew up with her sister and two brothers. Here we (her four children) visited often. Sometimes my sister and I spent a week at a time at Trails End during school vacations. By that time, Papa Coon had died and his son Webster now owned the farm. He, his wife Bessie, Nanny, and her daughter Esther (or Auntie) lived there.

As I research and learn more about the people who resided there over the decades and write down my memories, Trails End and it's quilting heritage take on new meaning.

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen

Preserve Your Quilt Memories Through Journaling

I've been discussing at my b5media blog, Quilting and Patchwork, preserving your family memories, including those of families involved in quilting. My quiltmaking began with my grandmother when I was 8-years old. It was revived during the Bicentennial years of 1975-76.

You may want to read some of the articles at Quilting and Patchwork about family memories and quilting, including the responses I've received from readers.

What are your thoughts on preserving your quilting memories? Do you do this?