TEXTILE ARTS OF THE MORMON PIONEERS FROM l847I9OO by HELEN LAMPRECHT A THESIS submitted to OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE June 1963 APPROVED: Redacted for privacy Professor of qlothing, Textiles and Related Art In Charge of Major Redacted for privacy Fléad of Department of Clothing, Textiles and Related Art Redacted for privacy ChairmanASchool Graduate School Redacted for privacy Dean of Graduate School Date thesis is presented 7 Typed by Jolene Wuest A CKNOWLEDGEMENT The author wishes to express her sincere appreciation to her advisor, Miss Dorothy Gatton, for her valuable help and assistance. Her love of historic textiles inspired the writer in catching a glimpse of the past, as well as instilling a sense of responsibility to the future. Miss Gatton was always ready to help, advise, and encourage the writer on those needful occasions during the preparation of this thesis. This thesis has touched many lives.Many women have sensed the spirit of this thesis and have been most helpful in sending valuable material to be recorded. The interest and assistance of staff members of several libraries was helpful in compiling material for this study. A special thanks to Eve Nielson, of the cataloguing department of the Brigham Young University Library. Grateful appreciation to Mary Jenkins and Sam Bailey for correcting the final manuscript. The writer wishes to express her heartfelt thanks to her parents, Egon and Gretel Lamprecht and her sisters, Katherine and Maxine. A special appreciation is given to the writert s brother, Egon Jr., for his help in taking pictures for this thesis.Without the help, love, and support of these family members this thesis would not have been possible. And last, but not least, a thanks to the Mormon pioneers who lived the story gratefully told on the following pages. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Page INTRODUCTION 1 Procedures 2 Purposes 4 Limitations of This Study 4 2 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTERDAY SAINTS FROM 182O 1850 6 3 VARIOUS FACTORS AFFECTING TEXTILE ARTS OF THE MORMON PIONEERS 13 Colonization of the Territory 13 Pioneer Homes 15 Early Home Industry in Utah 19 Relief Society az Retrenchment 24 Cooperative Stores 25 Sericuiture 26 Fairs Dyes 31 4 TEXTILE FIBERS USED BY THE MORMON PIONEERS 34 Wool 34 Linen 37 Silk 40 Cotton 45 Miscellaneous Fibers 51 5 INSPIRATION FOR DESIGNS 53 6 TEXTILE ARTS OF THE MORMON PIONEERS 59 Carpet Weaving 59 Weaving 63 Ticking and Sheets 65 Table Covers and Towels 65 CHAPTER PAGE Coverlets 66 Blankets 67 Flags 67 Clothes 69 Quilting 74 Appliqued Quilt 75 Novelty Quilt EmbroideredQuilt 79 Crazy Quilt 81 Pieced Quilt 84 Petticoats 84 Embroidering 86 Samplers 86 Pictures 91 Clothing 91 Night Dress and Night Caps 95 Shawls 95 Wraps and Capes 96 Stockings 96 Handkerchiefs, Pockets, and Collars 96 Dresses, Aprons and Undergarments 99 Suspenders and Watch Holder 1 02 Knitting 1 02 Fibers Used 102 Stockings 104 Garters 105 Mittens and Wristlets 105 Organ Stool Covers and Petticoats 106 Baby Clothes 106 Knitted Lace 106 Curtains 108 Crocheting 111 Curtains 113 Tablecloths 113 Tidies 116 Covers and OrganDoilies 116 Pin Cushions 116 Baby Clothes 118 Diaper Bags 118 Trimming 118 CHAPTER PAGE MBobbin Lace 120 Netting 120 Tucks and Shirring 124 SUMMARY 129 BIBLIOGRAPHY 134 APPENDIX 1 38 LIST OF PLATES Plate Number Page D Handcart Pioneer Monument Salt Lake City Utah 10 2 Mormon Pioneer Trail 12 3 Mormon Colonization 14 4 The Washington Cotton Factory and its employees at the height of its production, about 1870.The local women and girls were trained in weaving the fabrics by James Davisdon and his wife and daughter who were converts from. Wales 50 Design from nature a deer and her fawn 55 Hand woven carpet 62 Pioneer bed with straw tick 68 Hand woven blanket 68 S Hand woven silk shawl made from silk raised in Utah 70 10 Hand woven silk shawl madefrom silk raised in Utah 72 11 Dress made by Zina D, Young, wife of Brigham Young 73 12 Appliqued quilt 76 13 Pieced quilt, blocks made by Mary Ellen. Fisher Widdison befo:re she was six 76 14 Friendship quilt 78 15 Novelty quilt 'Pebb1es of Arizona 80 16 Embroidered quilt made in the Bear Lake Stake 82 17 Crazy quilt made by Anna Ivans 83 18 Pieced quilt made with a T design 85 19 Combination stitch, alphabet and design sampler a 20 Alphabet sampler a 21 Motto sampler made by Mary Lee Moulton SI 22 Memorial Sampler II 2.3 Sampler of the Nauvoo Temple S 24 Chenille embroidered picture S 25 Embroidered babys waist Plate Number Page 26 Top Babys head shawl Middle Eyelet trim for pantie ruffle Bottom Boys collar Side Neck scarf 98 27 Top Hardanger Middle Shadow embroider, Cut work fagoting Bottom Feather edge Left Crochetwith rick rack 101 28 Top- Netted gloves, Embroidered watch holder and suspenders Bottom Embroidered purse 103 29 Knitted lace of cotton used on pillowcases 107 30 Knitted lace wool 107 31 Knitted curtain made by Emeline Zenetta Bower Winsor.It is made of linen raised in Utah 110 32 Crocheted edgings made of Utah silk 112 33 Curtain of filet crochet 114 34 Crocheted tablecloth ofDixieH cotton 115 35 Crocheted doilie of "Dixie' cotton 115 36 Crocheted tidy 117 37 Crocheted pin cushion cover 119 38 Babys dress trimmed in crochet and rick rack 119 39 Crocheted collar of wool 121 40 Martha Priscilla Barker Clark, former lace maker for Queen Victoria 123 41 tBobbin lace" for a handkerchief 123 42 Top Crocheted collar Netting needle Netted collar Crocheted collar Bottom three collars with satin stitch and punch work 125 43 Babys dress with tucks and lace trim 127 44 An everyday baby dress with a draw string waist and a bottom tuck 128 TEXTILE ARTS OF THE MORMON PIONEERS FROM 1847-1900 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In every period of history, the people of each culture has had a unique way of expressing themselves through the media of textile arts. The study of household furnishings, clothing, as well as textiles used in religious ceremonies have been a key to the type of life that existed in the past. Martha Genung Stearns has this to say about the relationship between textile arts and the early history of America. History has given us a vast amount of information about the ideals and achievements of the Founding Fathers; but in this handiwork of the Assisting Mothers, I find an accurate and very personal history running parallel with the written word, of the women who had no small part in building the homes of America.It is a record of the distaff side of the family,..One detects through the work a spirit of intense interest in life, observation of nature, and...joy in the work itself.It forms a consecutive story of the connec- tion between the historical events which shaped the trend of thought, and the simple arts of the peopleH (39, p.1). After the colonies were well established, people began to look westward.The search for wealth, adventure, freedom of religious beliefs, and many other reasons prompted families to leave the security of their homes and follow the wagon master across the great plains to the frontier. As these migrants began to settle in the primitive west, women again took needle and shuttle in hand to add to the beauty and comfort of their lives.The record of their handiwork adds much to our understanding of this era. One such group who journeyed into the territory beyond the then recognized states of the union were the Mormon pioneers.They left the states because of religious persecution, and settled down in an area which later became known as the state of Utah.Their story is briefly told in Chapter two of this study. Many books have been written about the Mormon pioneers and the important part they played in the colonization of the west, but never before has the 1distaffstory been told through the handiwork produced during this time. Proc e du r e5 Most of the source material for this study was found in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho.Through correspondence with the Daughters of Utah Pioneer Museum, The National Society of the Sons of Utah Pioneers, Utah State Historical Society, managers of various restored buildings in Salt Lake City, and relic halls in Logan, Utah, and Franklin, Idaho, information was gathered regarding various types of handiwork on display in their collections.Permission was granted to examine the collections and photograph certain articles. Information regarding Mormon pioneer handiwork not available in museums was obtained by the following methods: 1. Sixty questionnaires were mailed to eleven women in Mormon communities in Idaho and Utah asking their assistance in collecting information concerning and photographs of early needlework and weaving in their locality. 2.In order to stimulate owners of pioneer handiwork to disclose their ownership, five newspaper articles were published in the Idaho Falls, Rexburg, Biackfoot, and Rigby, Idaho newspapers.Information and photographs were then collected by friends and relatives living in these particular areas. 3.The same type of article was written and published in the Deseret News Church Section which has world-wide circulation to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4.Additional correspondence was made with individuals who had published material about Mormon pioneer handiwork, including dyeing methods and fibers used, to see whether they had additional information not included in their articles. 5.Personal visits were made to homes of individuals who had privately owned biographies of Mormon pioneers, as well as actual pioneer handiwork in their possession.