Heritage Highlights P a G E 2 a Note from the Director’S Desk

July, 2019 Heritage Volume 7 Highlights A Piece of History in Motion We were blessed with the dona- son’s sewing machines at Wa- tion feed invented by Allen B tion of a Civil War era Wheeler tertown, New York. To start Wilson (1824-1888). The under & Wilson treadle driven sewing with, production was slow, how- thread is contained in a disc machine which is now on dis- ever, by the bobbin which fits play in our ‘sewing room.’ One early years of loosely in a ring- of the most ingenious of the the 1860’s, it shaped holder sewing machine inventors was had increased that looks like a Mr. Allen B. Wilson. Born in from 20,000 to thin, metal Inside This Issue: New York in 1824, he later 30,000 & then doughnut. Inter- moved to Michigan where he 50,000 ma- locking of the two A Note from the 2 made a living as a journeyman chines, peak- threads occurs Director’s Desk cabinet maker. Around 1840 he ing a decade when the loops of Archivist’s Notes 2 began the development of a later at over the needle thread sewing machine, which was 128,000 per are caught & independent of the efforts being year. In 1856, extended by the A drawing of a treadle driven sewing Highlighting a Hero 3 made by other inventors in New the company revolving hook & England. In 1849 he devised was renamed machine taken from a 19th century passed under the the rotary hook and bobbin com- the Wheeler & Wheeler & Wilson advertisement bobbin. The Calendar & Upcoming 4 bination, forming what would Wilson Manu- presser-foot has Events be the special feature of the facturing Company & moved to an inset glass plate which al- Wheeler & Wilson sewing ma- a new facility in Bridgeport, lows the seamstress to observe Handmade Quilt Raffle 5 chine. The rotary hook mecha- Connecticut where it began full the seam at the point of stitch- Flyer nism worked very simply & very scale manufacturing of sewing ing. We cannot be certain if the Howard Burnham 6 quietly. Turning the hand machines. Although Singer particular machine on display Performance Flyer crank caused the bobbin to ro- sewing machines would eventu- at the museum is a No. 3 or 4. tate in circles & during each ally become the most popular There are a few clues which Paleographic Highlights 7 revolution a hook picked up the brand, Wheeler & Wilson ma- helped us narrow down the pro- top thread from the needle & chines were the most widely duction dates for the sewing twisted it with the thread from produced (& most widely copied) machine. It has a slightly Volunteer of the Month 7 the bobbin to produce a stitch. machines in the 1850s & 1860s. lighter, 'waisted' base casting Wilson obtained a patent for his Although sewing-machine and a narrow section that first machine that same year & in prices dropped after the Civil appeared in the 1860s & carried Summer Camp 2019 8 1854 he patented another sew- War, a machine was still a size- on to about 1880. Also, the ing machine that included the able investment (about what a brass medallion on the base important & effective four- car would cost in today’s funds). seems to have first appeared Board of Directors & 9 motion feed for moving the work Some neighboring families around 1870. The serial code on Mission Statement after every stitch. The four pooled their money to share a the plate of the machine, along motion feed is still used on all machine or purchased a ma- with the clues above, have led sewing machines today! Dur- chine on an installment plan. us to estimate its date of pro- ing an exhibition in New York, The Wheeler & Wilson Com- duction, which, keep in mind, Wilson was introduced to the pany was eventually bought by was all done meticulously by older Nathaniel Wheeler who, Singer in 1905, which continued hand, to 1872 or 1873 making it at the time, was the manager of the manufacturing of the D-9 nearly 150 years old! The same the firm Warren, Wheeler & into at least the 1920s. Wheeler machine is on display in Varina Woodruff of Watertown, Con- & Wilson No. 3 machine is the Davis’ dressing room in the necticut. They formed a part- true precursor of the modern White House of the Confeder- nership in late 1851 under the lock-stitch sewing machine, acy. If you would like to see name of The Wheeler, Wilson since it incorporates the rotat- this beautiful piece of history, Company to manufacture Wil- ing hook principle & four mo- please stop by the Museum! V o lu m e 7 Heritage Highlights P a g e 2 A Note from the Director’s Desk... As you all know, we are in the midst sending out e-mail blasts to keep you before November!! As you know, of a South Carolina summer, with updated. If you have not yet attended this is an on-going fundraiser for the high temps, high humidity and God’s one of our ever-popular Ghost Walks Museum. Flags can be purchased in own fireworks shows (those summer (and if you have attended them in the honor or memory of a loved one. lightning storms)! Although the Mu- past), mark your calendars for Octo- Each flag will have a ribbon with the loved one’s name on it and will be seum took a hit from a recent light- ber 19 and 26. Each year, we feature displayed in front of the Museum ning strike and is working around new stories and tales of the recent during the months of May and No- nd construction on the 2 floor of the “happenings” here at the Museum. vember. During the remainder of the old Courthouse, we are still managing They never fail to get the blood year, the flags will be displayed in the to have fun, learn new things and in- pumping and are always tremendous hallway of the Museum. This is a troduce the treasures of Dorchester fun! wonderful, patriotic way to honor our County to our visitors. Volunteer Bettie Berry has generously friends and family members, veterans and civilians alike! Flags are $25 each The Museum recently offered two donated a queen/king sized, hand- and forms can be obtained from the DIY Science Summer Camps. The made, hand quilted quilt to the Mu- seum to be raffled off. Details are on website at www.dca-hc.com or you kids had a ball making homemade can e-mail me at contact-us@dca- the flyer here in this newsletter. The bubbles, using cabbage juice to test hc.com. for acidity, making cornstarch goo, quilt will be raffled off on the final Consider a memorial to the Museum rd launching rockets to celebrate the 50th day of the 3 Annual Quilt Show, to honor a loved one who has passed. anniversary of the moon landing and which will be held from November 2 Don’t forget that any donations made MANY other experiments. They got through 9. Plans for a “Music at the to The Heritage Museum are tax de- messy and made a mess, but enjoyed Museum” series are in the works so ductible! All donations of any learning and experiencing hands-on stay tuned for details on it. The Mu- amount are very welcome! science! seum will also be hosting another historical performance by Howard As always, thanks from all of the staff We have a number of upcoming Burnham on November 17 in Sum- and volunteers at the Heritage Mu- events, some of which the details merville. Stay tuned, as well, for seum for your continued support! have not yet been confirmed, but more information on it. We hope to see you soon!! should be in the near future. Keep an Be sure to get your Flags of Honor eye on your e-mails as we will be LaClaire S. Mizell Archivist’s Notes... Still working hard to continue Walker Real Estate Collection!! Library is coming along nicely. At transferring information to the re- As I’m sure you’ve deduced, this is this time, we have approximately search computers and digitizing the quite a collection! I don’t know 8,000 documents already loaded Legare Walker Papers. There are how long it will take to complete onto the research computers. Each now close to 5,000 digitized pages the digitization of this collection, week, more information is added to of the Legare Walker Real Estate but I know this information will be the computers and one day soon all done and that’s only the contents very helpful to researchers and his- will be available to the public for of one and a half of the of 224 torians once it’s available on our research! Christine Rice boxes that make up the Legare research computers. The Research V o lu m e 7 Heritage Highlights P a g e 3 Highlighting a Hero William Calhoun Walters, Veteran John A. Mair recalls: known locally (Reevesville) "I was awakened about 5:45 AM on the morning by a violent as Cal Walters, graduated explosion forward that shook the ship from bow to stern. from St. George High The explosion School in September of threw me off 1942. The United States the cot and I had been fighting the Ger- landed on the mans and their allies for well deck with a about two years when Cal thud! My view bravely volunteered to join the ranks of the Navy forward was in July of 1943 less than a year after his high obscured by the school graduation.

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