The Log Cabin Quilt Story

When I was five years old, I started hand sewing my fourth quilt, my log cabin quilt. When I was picturing it, I was imagining the Story of "This Old House", a story told by my Great Aunt Chris Coutts about our family's 200 year old homestead. I loved hearing how it was rich with the proud history of our country and the brave men and women who defended it. This story ties my quilt to our family history and acts as a tribute to our Country. The log cabin quilt pattern is made of pieced strips built up like logs and represents the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, the log cabin President, and the simple pioneering values of frontier America: honesty, hard work, humility and liberty.

In 1862, Abraham Lincoln said "In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best, hope of earth. Interestingly, Underground Railroad quilt coders believe many different quilt patterns may have represented messages or clues to runaway slaves escaping north on the Underground Railroad. These patterns may have included the log cabin pattern, bear paw, flying geese and star; all these patterns are in my log cabin quilt.

"This Old House of ours has seen many families raised under its roof, and it has lived with them all the joys and sorrows that make up life. First, before ever there was a building here, the land looked upon some important events in the early Wallenpaupack Settlement of Pennsylvania." Chris Coutts 1977

This Old House, the inspiration for my The Log Cabin Quilt Story, was built in the early 1800's.
Before it was built some interesting history took place on the site of This Old House homestead in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Let's begin a long time ago, before the Revolutionary War, around the 1750's. A brave family, the Carter family settled in Pennsylvania alongside the Wallenpaupack River among the Paupackan Indians, who soon became their friends. These first white settlers built their log cabin out of logs cut in the forest, constructed a stone chimney from the rocks along the hillside, and plastered the crevices with the clay from the river. Tragedy struck when Mr. Carter and his family were killed and their house burned during the French and Indian War.

"The Indian Chief Paupackan's heart was sore within him for he loved his pale-face neighbor."
Tales and Lore of the first Settlers, Traditions of Wallenpaupack, Helen M. Cooke 190l

The log cabin is a symbol of an expanding America and a testament to the ingenuity of the American spirit. The log cabin quilt pattern is made of pieced strips of fabric built up like logs. My log cabin quilt is set in the barn raising pattern, which depicts the community cooperation that was necessary to survive newly settle territories.