were carried into the basement just after the funding for the project was granted in March. Two weeks later, a flu epidemic swept through the center, and the building was under quarantine for six weeks. When work commenced, the smell of the primer turned out to be too strong for residents, so an empty tobacco barn became the painting location, as the June bicentennial event was fast approaching. “Carrying those boards up and down, oh gosh, I thought my arms were going to stretch,” Denise said.
The Wardsville Quilt Trail was received with great enthusiasm, and its creators had another endeavor already in mind. The Longwoods Road Quilt Trail has as its theme the women of the area and their lives as pioneers, as mothers and grandmothers, as well as the women’s experiences during the War of 1812. The first block is Memory, which stands for the women who came from England and the things they left behind. A block named Broken Hearts represents the constant fear and worry of women whose husbands were gone to war and the sadness of widowhood for many.
Some of the quilt blocks represent more positive aspects of early pioneers’ lives as they settled along what was once an Indian trail through the wilderness. Dogwood is a favorite, as it represents the first tree to appear in the spring. The center of the flower with its cross-like shape was further symbolic of religious faith. Common patterns such as Spools and Grandmother’s Flowers Garden are emblems of women’s domestic activities, and Baby Blocks stands for the new generation being born.
Old Indian Trail
The project opened up opportunities for community groups to earn funds for their organizations. We visited with a group of Boy Scouts who painted five of the barn quilts on the Longwoods trail. The scouts primed and drew out their quilt blocks after school and then taped on Friday before heading out for a camping trip. By the end of the weekend, the painting was complete. We joked that there should be a barn quilt badge, or at least a community-service badge, but the young men were just pleased to be able to say, “I painted that.”
Two local Lions Clubs each contributed five quilt blocks to the quilt trail. The men of the Delaware Lions Club turned out wearing purple vests with brilliant gold fringe and pins designating their accomplishments, every bit as proud as the scouts had been. The men welcomed the chance to add barn quilt painting to their fundraising, which supports building of community centers and parks, and youth and sports programs. One of the members said, “We live the Lions’ motto: ‘We Serve.’” The Delaware Lions Club had painted a block in Lions’ colors of purple and gold, as well as four others. My favorite was the intricately designed Thames River block at Roks Farms.
Mary Simpson explained that a wave of Dutch families immigrated to the area after World War II to seek better opportunities. John Roks came to Canada in 1950, having received a letter from his brother stating that he was immigrating. John said, “I was in the army in Indonesia for two and a half years, then came home for six weeks; that same boat brought me to Canada. Then we burned the boat on the shore.” My confusion must have been evident, because John added, “You know—like burning the bridge.”
John’s wife, Lenie, had immigrated with her family as well. The two moved to the farm with their three children in 1958. Lenie said, “It was a big change for me. From a neat little house in the village to this big farmhouse. There was so much to keep clean—that’s the Dutch in me. It needed a lot of elbow grease.” The couple had three more children, and John farmed with his brothers, both on their property and on land owned by the seminary next door. The Thames River quilt block is on the oldest barn on the property, which, Lenie said, had been a house in the late 1800s. The blue and black are the water and the fish, and the yellow is the sun.
Denise recalled that when Lenie, an avid quilter, decided she wanted a barn quilt, she said to her reluctant husband, “John, I have never asked you for very much, but I want one of those on the barn.”
The third Western Ontario quilt trail recognizes a group who are often absent from our historical narratives. Mary Simpson informed me that we were going to visit the First Nations Trail, and at my perplexed look explained that the tribal groups we refer to as Native Americans are called First Nations in Canada. I had seen one or two quilt blocks elsewhere with Native American themes but never an entire quilt trail. With all of the thousands of individuals to whom quilt blocks paid homage, it seemed fitting that the Chippewa should have their story told in barn quilts as well.
Thames River
Denise said, “I was embarrassed that I didn’t know about my neighbors. We learn about the Dutch and the Belgians who immigrated but nothing about the First Nations. Why didn’t I learn about them?” After talking with some of the women of the nearby First Nation communities and inviting them to participate, it became apparent that their experiences comprised a completely different story. Denise described the interaction between cultures: “We are like canoes paddling down the stream, each in their own canoe.”
Chippewa Nation member and quilter Alfreda Henry gathered thirteen quilters who designed thirty-one blocks that reflect the traditions and lives of the First Nation families during the nineteenth century. The cloth quilt was completed first, and the Chippewa Nation women called it the Trail of Tears Quilt because of the sadness present throughout many of the stories.
Several Chippewa Nation families worked together to paint the quilt blocks on the wooden panels and mount them on buildings and posts. The first was a tribute to Tecumseh, the Shawnee leader during the War of 1812 who was known for his ability to unite warriors from many nations to defend their way of life. The quilt block went up on the 19th anniversary of Tecumseh’s death, October 5, 2012.
Freda Henry and her friend Maxine Hendrick joined us for the afternoon. Maxine had been instrumental in helping convince members of various tribes to join in the quilt trail effort. From the backseat of the vehicle, the two women shared their stories and guided Mary as she drove along the trail. We visited the Munsee Delaware Nation Tribal Administration building, where the Thames River Canoe block hangs. The block depicts a lone woman in a canoe, her paddle deep in the water displaying the physical strength that represents women’s abilities.
A great deal of the conversation focused on the native women’s lives and the ways in which the dominant culture attempted to teach them new ways. Maxine said, “They tried to take our language but they could not. They tried to assimilate us, but we still speak our language.” The women did not seem bitter but did seem to believe that the story was one that needed to be told and remembered. Maxine explained that some of their English lessons consisted of songs, which they learned in their native language and then in English. She sang a song whose nasal-toned words we could not understand and then repeated the tune, this time in English: “Me and my teddy bear, have no worry have no care. Me and my teddy bear, playing all the day.” I was reminded of high school German lessons that had employed the same method.
The trail includes symbols commonly associated with native culture, such as Bow and Arrow, Wigwam, and Peace Pipe. Others evoke natural elements, such as the Turtle, who plays a role in many native myths; Fire, which in native tradition lies at the heart of all creation; and Grandmother Moon, who ensures the rhythms of Earth and nature. Scorched Earth, an original design created by quilter Shirley Baker, stands for the struggles of women to navigate forests from one camp to another after their trails and gathering grounds were burned.
Scorched Earth
Denise said, “The Americans think they won the war, and the British know they won, but for sure the Indians lost. Indians saved the day but they get no credit.”
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