Sunday, October 12, 2008

A Little Bit of History in our Neighborhood


Although I've lived in or near the community of Salem for over 25 years, I still enjoy a tour of our Historic Bush House. I was especially interested this particular day in touring the old residence because there were heirloom quilts on display. Mr. Bush, who was the owner of this home, founded the Statesman Journal and also the Lad and Bush Bank in Salem. His wife died at age 30 from tuberculosis and Mr. Bush never re-married. One of his oldest daughters, at age 16, took over the duties of a mother.





Most of the quilts on display were over 100 years old. This may not seem very old to some, but it is still an opportunity to appreciate what women before us have done with their time and talents. This quilt was made from hand-woven material.









Some of the quilts were very well-preserved.






This was one of my favorite patterns.














This was an autograph quilt.

















I loved the soft blues of this one. It was also an autograph quilt, and it was tied with tiny silk ribbons.











This log cabin quilt was made with silky materials.














The ever popular crazy quilt!






A fan quilt.











These fabric were very old.



It was fun to tour the home itself, even though I had been there before. This was a gas-powered light at one time.


This was the original cookstove.






A beautiful old candlestick. Many of the furnishings were original to the home.










My favorite bedroom...



Hatpins! This journey back in time was a special treat to myself.

3 comments:

Anne said...

Wow! Didn't know it was there. That looks like a fun place for Matt and I to visit. Don't you LOVE hat pins. I was watching an antique roadshow program and saw a woman who collects them in England. They were beautiful! Looking forward to coming out for Christmas! :>
Anne

Candy Jane said...

Maybe I'll get in another tour my next trip - I remember what beautiful details were in the home, and the feeling of history. Thanks for the reminder!

Megan said...

I would love to see it too. Christmas? sounds like a good time to me too. :)