My Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt and an Irish Tea

Welcome to my Irish tea!  It feels like spring inside

with my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt as a tablecloth. 

 

 

Some Irish Breakfast Tea, a few cookies, and some lively Celtic music

while outside my window . . .

 

 

 

 It is definitely still winter!

Do you take time for tea during the day?  Inquiring minds want to know!  If you are reading via email, click on the title at the top of the post so you can comment and read the comments of others.  By commenting, you'll be entering to win a copy of A Time for Peace (Quilts of Lancaster County) by Barbara Cameron.  The more posts you comment on, the greater your chances of winning.  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others. The winner will be announced on April 1.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Mystery Quilt Block and the Setting of A Drunkard's Path by Clare O'Donohue.

March Irish Tablecloth Quilt

It's spring inside my home with this Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt that I use as a tablecloth in March. 

 

even though it's still winter outside!

 

 

The March wind roars
Like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver
As he passes by.
When winds are soft,
And the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb,
Then spring is here.

 

        -  Author Unknown

 

Is your March weather acting like a lion or a lamb?  Inquiring minds want to know!  By commenting, you'll be entering to win a copy of A Time for Peace (Quilts of Lancaster County) by Barbara Cameron.  If you are reading this via email, you must click on the title of my blog post to be able to comment and read the comments of others.  The winner will be announced on April 1.

 

You might also enjoy my previous blog post March Wind Quilt Block and Emily Dickinson.

Bear Tracks Quilt Block and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge

Bear Tracks Quilt Block Pattern Information

 

This month, I participated in the 3rd Annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge as well as the Reading to Know Classic Book Club. I read the first two books in her Little House Series, Little House In the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie.  These are actually re-reads for me, having read them when I was growing up and later with my sons and my students.  I have a classroom set of 25 copies of each book from when I was teaching 3rd and 4th grades! 

 

My favorite chapter in Little House in the Big Woods is called "Two Big Bears."  Ma accidentally slaps a bear, thinking it is Sukey, the cow.  Pa is scared of a bear in the nighttime that turns out to be nothing but a stump!

 

The best part of reading Little House on the Prairie is seeing how similar my great-grandfather's experience was with that of the Ingalls family.  The Ingalls family lived near Independence, Kansas from 1869-1871.  My great-grandfather, James Lynch, moved to Kansas in 1867, two years earlier than the Ingalls family, and settled about 100 miles north of them. 

 

My grandmother (his daughter) wrote a biography about him.  Here are some excerpts:

 

"James stayed in Illinois until November 1867 when he went to Kansas after getting letters from former neighbors. . . These neighbors had written to him that he could buy cheap land in Kansas.  He took the train to Topeka and the stage to Burlingame (in Osage County, Kansas) and visited these friends.  He bid on and bought 134 acres at four dollars per acre.  He then went to live with his younger brother Thomas and worked there that winter to get money to farm with.

"The next year, he (James) used a breaking plow hitched to a pony and an oxen and worked for Mr. Condell to pay for the use of them.  He made posts and used smooth wire to fence his land.  He later bought two oxen.  The grass was shoulder high.  His land was next to Elm Creek, with running water and shade.  On week-ends, he walked to Burlingame and back to get supplies (fifteen miles one way).  He bought lumber in Burlingame to build a one-room house east of where the present house is.  Mr. Condell and Mr. Cunningham were kind to James and took care of him when he was ill with ague.  It was a form of malaria, with chills and fever.  It came on regularly each afternoon, so he could only work in the mornings.

"There was only one house between his place and Emporia.  It was the Phillips rock house.  It was a stage rest stop and inn between Emporia and Burlingame, a distance of thirty miles.  There were many Indians near his land, but they gave no trouble.  They camped in the timber south of his house and came begging.  He would dig a hole in the ground to hide his meat and other foods they wanted, so they couldn't find it.  In 1868, the government rounded up the Indians in that timber and sent them to a reservations in Oklahoma.  Some wandered back and stayed around." 

 

James and Caroline Lynch Wedding Photo
Emporia, Kansas
March 3, 1880

 

I have made a quilt to go with his complete biography.  My grandfather led a very interesting life!  Click here if you'd like to see my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Country Farm Quilt Block and Tea with Susan Branch.

My Irish Great-Grandpa Quilt Up Close and Personal, Part IV

I created my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt to accompany a biography of my great grandfather, James Lynch, written by my grandmother, Hazel Lynch Skonberg.  Read the idea behind the quilt. 

 

My long-armer and friend, Jane Heroux, did a wonderful job quilting my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  The block above is the Yankee Puzzle block, the seventh one in my quilt.  You can find the link to the free pattern and the biography portion behind this block right here.

The eighth block in my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt is called Courthouse Steps.  You can find the link to the free pattern and the biography portion behind this block right here.

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post My Irish Great-Grandpa Quilt Up Close and Personal Part III.

My Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt Up Close and Personal Part III

I created my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt to accompany a biography of my great grandfather, James Lynch, written by my grandmother, Hazel Lynch Skonberg.  Read the idea behind the quilt. 

 

My long-armer and friend, Jane Heroux, did a wonderful job quilting my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  The block above is the Panama block, the fifth one in my quilt.  You can find the link to the free pattern and the biography portion behind this block right here.

 

This is the sixth block in the quilt - Gold Nuggets.  You can find pattern information and the biography portion behind this block right here.

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Writer's Block Quilt Block and Tea Time with Lucy Maud.

Tall Ships Quilt Block and Cotton Boll Quilt Block Up Close and Personal

I created my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt to accompany a biography of my great grandfather, James Lynch, written by my grandmother, Hazel Lynch Skonberg.  Read the idea behind the quilt. 

 

My long-armer and friend, Jane Heroux, did a wonderful job quilting my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  The block above is the Tall Ships block, the third one in my quilt.  You can find the link to the free pattern and the biography portion behind this block right here. 

This is the fourth block, the Cotton Boll block.  Click here for pattern information as well as the biography portion this block represents. 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post My Irish Great-Grandpa Quilt Up Close and Personal Part I.

My Irish Great-Grandpa Quilt Up Close and Personal Part I

I created my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt to accompany a biography of my great grandfather, James Lynch, written by my grandmother, Hazel Lynch Skonberg.  Read the idea behind the quilt. 

 

My long-armer and friend, Jane Heroux, did a wonderful job quilting my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  The block above is the Celtic Twist.  You can find the link to the free pattern and the biography portion behind this block right here. 

This is the second block, the Broken Irish Chain.  Click here for pattern information as well as the biography portion this block represents. 

 

I really enjoy the combination of quilting and family history.  There are thousands of quilt block patterns, so it is not difficult to find a pattern to represent a portion of your family history.  Try it!  I think you'll enjoy it!

 

Have you ever combined quilting and history?  Inquiring minds want to know!

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Night and Day Quilt Block and a Song for Sunday.

My Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt - My First 2014 Finish!

 

My Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt is my first finish of 2014.  I made it to accompany the story of my great-grandfather James Lynch.  Each of the twelve blocks represents a portion of his biography, written by my grandmother.  I love the combination of quilting and history! 

 

My wonderfully creative long-armer returned it right before Thanksgiving.  I got busy with the holidays and have just now finished the binding.  

 

I imagined this quilt would be different shades of green with touches of yellow and brown.  But after I made the sashing from alternate 2" squares of yellow and green, it turned out to be much more yellow than I had originally expected.  It's certainly a cheerful quilt! 

 

I plan to use this quilt as a spring tablecloth.  It is cold and snowy here during April and May, so this quilt will make it feel like spring inside even though it still feels like winter outside!  

 

 

The wind and the low sun made it hard to get a good photo outside!

 

 

Have you finished a project this year?  Inquiring minds want to know!

 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post Contrary Wife Quilt Block and the Characters in The Healing Quilt, Part II.

Father's Choice Quilt Block

This 12" Father's Choice quilt block is the twelfth and final one of my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  I found the pattern on Block Base, but a 10" block found at Quilters Cache is very similar but with different block coloration.   

While my maternal grandmother was still in high school, she interviewed her father, James Lynch, at the urging of her older brother Will, who was living in China at the time.  (Read his letter to her here.)  Later, she wrote a biography of her father from the notes she'd taken during the interview.  Following is the final part of this biography:

"On March 3, 1880, James Lynch married Caroline Eliza Dunmire in Emporia, Kansas.  She was the daughter of Reuben and Susanna Canon Dunmire.  Caroline was born in Fulton County, Illinois on January 19, 1863. 

James and Caroline Lynch Wedding Photo
Emporia, Kansas
March 3, 1880
 

This certifies that James Lynch and Carrie E. Dunmire
Were solemnly united by me in the Holy Bonds of Matrimony
at Emporia, Lyon County on the third day of March
 in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty
conformably to the Ordinance of God, and the Laws of the State.  

"They had five children: Carlos James Lynch (November 8, 1882), William Reuben Lynch (June 5, 1885), Floyd Thomas Lynch (February 6, 1894), Franklin Benjamin Lynch (March 20, 1896), and Hazel Lucile Lynch Skonberg (July 11, 1904). 

My grandmother, Hazel Lynch Skonberg, and her brother Frank Lynch
She was scared to have her picture taken,
so her brother was (very) reluctantly recruited to sit with her.

William Reuben Lynch played baseball at Kansas State Normal School in Emporia.
The school is now called Emporia State University.

"James Lynch died at his home in Miller, Kansas (where they had moved after he lost his sight from cataracts) on April 8, 1923.  Caroline died at that same home on January 11, 1941.  James was 87 at his death.  Caroline was 77, lacking eight days of being 78.


My grandma Hazel Lynch Skonberg (on the right)
with a friend in front of the Lynch farm house



Siblings Floyd, Hazel, and Will Lynch



"Burkes Registry records that the name of Lynch came from the O'Loingsigh family and was the Gaelic way of spelling.  It was Anglicized to O'Lynchy in the 1500's, then to just Lynch.  This name was first recorded in the Irish counties of Galway, Antrim, and Down.  It was translated as "Sons of the Navy Man."  They were one of the original "Tribes of Galway."  The Lynch Shield was a blue shield with a gold chevron between three rosettes." 

                  
                     - by Hazel Lynch Skonberg, James Lynch's daughter

 Are you interested in reading more about this quilt?  You'll find it all right here.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Kansas Troubles Quilt Block

I found this Kansas Troubles quilt block here from Barbara Brackman.  The pattern directions are for an 8" block, and I enlarged it to 12" finished.  It's the eleventh block of my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt. 

While my maternal grandmother was still in high school, she interviewed her father, James Lynch, at the urging of her older brother Will, who was living in China at the time.  (Read his letter to her here.)  Later, she wrote a biography of her father from the notes she'd taken during the interview.  Following is the eleventh part of this biography: 

"There was only one house between his place and Emporia.  It was the Phillips rock house.  It was a stage rest stop and inn between Emporia and Burlingame, a distance of thirty miles.

"There were many Indians near his land, but they gave no trouble.  They camped in the timber south of his house and came begging.  He would dig a hole in the ground to hide his meat and other foods they wanted, so they couldn't find it.  In 1868, the government rounded up the Indians in that timber and sent them to a reservations in Oklahoma.  Some wandered back and stayed around.

"1874 was a terrible year for farming.  In August, the grasshoppers came like a cloud and ate everything until the ground was bare.  Many tales are told of these times and of how devastating these grasshoppers were.

"1876 was another bad year.  A flood that year wiped out all of the shocked wheat in just a matter of six or seven hours.  Two feet of water covered the whole farm.  There was a similar flood in July of 1908.  The water was in the cellar, so that Mother's geese swam in and out of the windows.  Men were waist deep in water on the road between the houses."

  - by Hazel Lynch Skonberg, James Lynch's daughter
 


 Are you interested in reading more about this quilt?  You'll find it all right here.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Fields and Fences Quilt Block

Fields and Fences Quilt Block

This 12" Fields and Fences block is the tenth block of my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  I found the pattern for this block in Block Base.  It was first published by Nancy Cabot in 1938.      

While my maternal grandmother was still in high school, she interviewed her father, James Lynch, at the urging of her older brother Will, who was living in China at the time.  (Read his letter to her here.)  Later, she wrote a biography of her father from the notes she'd taken during the interview.  Following is the tenth part of this biography: 

"The next year, he (James) used a breaking plow hitched to a pony and an oxen and worked for Mr. Condell to pay for the use of them.  He made posts and used smooth wire to fence his land.  He later bought two oxen.  The grass was shoulder high.  His land was next to Elm Creek, with running water and shade.  On week-ends, he walked to Burlingame and back to get supplies (fifteen miles one way).  He bought lumber in Burlingame to build a one-room house east of where the present house is and later added another room.  These he moved to where Inez and Frank Lynch live.  These are the south room.  He added a large room on the north in later years, which became the kitchen.

Barn Built by James Lynch on His Farm

"The Condells lived in the middle of the field south and east of James' land.  The house is gone now.  In later years, it was reached by a lane that came in from the east.  Condell expanded his land to enclose what later was the Miller Ranch.  He planted trees (hedge, I think) all around the perimeter.  Mr. Condell and Mr. Cunningham were kind to James and took care of him when he was ill with ague.  It was a form of malaria, with chills and fever.*  It came on regularly each afternoon, so he could only work in the mornings."
  - by Hazel Lynch Skonberg, James Lynch's daughter
 
*Chapter 15 of Little House on the Prairie is titled "Fever 'N' Ague."  The entire Ingalls family gets sick with both fever and chills (ague).  Pa thought it was caused from breathing the night air.  Ma blamed the watermelon.  "No one knew, in those days, that fever 'n' ague was malaria, and that some mosquitoes give it to people when they bite them."  Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, page 198. 

James Lynch moved to Kansas in November of 1867.  The Ingalls moved to Kansas in 1869, settling about 100 miles south of James.    

Are you interested in reading more about this quilt?  You'll find it all right here.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Sunflower Quilt Block

I found this 12" Sunflower block in the book Happy Birthday Kansas! by Linda Frost and published by Kansas City Star Books.  It's the ninth block of my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt. 

While my maternal grandmother was still in high school, she interviewed her father, James Lynch, at the urging of her older brother Will, who was living in China at the time.  (Read his letter to her here.)  Later, she wrote a biography of her father from the notes she'd taken during the interview.  Following is the ninth part of this biography: 

"James stayed in Illinois until November 1867 when he went to Kansas after getting letters from former neighbors.  One neighbor was Mr. Phelps, who had bought the farm later known as the Shepherd farm and after that the Kaniper Place.  The other neighbor was Mr. Cunningham, who owned the farm right across the road from where James later built his house.  In later years, James bought that farm, and it was my brother Carl's home.

"These neighbors had written to him that he could buy cheap land in Kansas.  He took the train to Topeka and the stage to Burlingame and visited these friends.  He bid on and bought 134 acres at four dollars per acre.  He then went to live with his younger brother Thomas (who lived between Lawrence and Lecompton) and worked there that winter to get money to farm with."

  - by Hazel Lynch Skonberg, James Lynch's daughter
 


 Are you interested in reading more about this quilt?  You'll find it all right here.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Courthouse Steps Quilt Block

This Courthouse Steps quilt block is the eighth block of my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  I found the pattern for this 12" block here.  Each of the logs is 1" finished, with a 2" center square.  It's one of the variations of the Log Cabin block. 

While my maternal grandmother was still in high school, she interviewed her father, James Lynch, at the urging of her older brother Will, who was living in China at the time.  (Read his letter to her here.)  Later, she wrote a biography of her father from the notes she'd taken during the interview.  Following is the eighth part of this biography:

"After his discharge, he returned to Illinois and worked for a Mr. Countryman at Linnville, Illinois.  He liked Mr. Countryman very much and had letters from him after coming to Kansas.  At Ogle County of Illinois in the town of Oregon, he applied for naturalization papers and became a citizen of the United States on November 9, 1866.  Two witnesses were present - John Rutledge and E. F. Dutchen.  The presiding judge was M. N. Heaton."

 - by Hazel Lynch Skonberg, James Lynch's daughter

   "Be it Remembered, That on the ninth day of November in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty-Six, personally appeared before the Honorable M. N. Heaton, Presiding Judge of the Circuit Court of the County of Ogle and State aforesaid . . . James Lynch an alien born, free, white, male person, above the age of twenty-one years, and applied to the said Court to be admitted to become a naturalized citizen of the United States of America . . .
     "And the said James Lynch having thereupon produced to the Court competent and satisfactory testimony showing that he had heretofore enlisted in the Army of the United States and that he has been honorably discharged therefrom and he having first filed his petition and declaration of his intention to become a citizen of the United States, according to the provisions of the said several Acts of Congress, and the Court being satisfied, as well from the oath of the said James Lynch as from the testimony of E. F. Dutchen and John Rutledge who are known to be citizens of the United States, that the said applicant has resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for at least one year, and one year last past within the State of Illinois; that during the whole of that time he has sustained a good moral character, and appeared to be attached to the principles contained in the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to good order, well being and happiness of the same.
     "It is thereupon Considered, Ordered, and Adjudged by the Court, That the said James Lynch be admitted to all and singular, the rights, privileges and immunities of a naturalized citizen of the United States, and that the same be certified by the Clerk of this Court, under the Seal of said Court accordingly."

 Are you interested in reading more about my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt?  You'll find it all right here.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Yankee Puzzle Quilt Block

This 12" Yankee Puzzle quilt block is the seventh block of my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  It was originally published in 1929 by Ruth Finley in her book Old Patchwork Quilts and the Women Who Made Them.  This pattern also goes by other names - Hour Glass, Pork and Beans, The Whirling Blade, and Big Dipper.  The pattern plus in-depth historical information by Barbara Brackman can be found here.  Her directions are for an 8" finished block.  I made my block 12" by starting out with 7-1/4" squares of each color instead of her 5-1/4" squares.  Each square is then cut twice diagonally to create the four triangles of each color.      

While my maternal grandmother was still in high school, she interviewed her father, James Lynch, at the urging of her older brother Will, who was living in China at the time.  (Read his letter to her here.)  Later, she wrote a biography of her father from the notes she'd taken during the interview.  Following is the seventh part of this biography:

"On August 12, 1862, James enlisted and joined the Company G of the Illinois Volunteer 74th Infantry on the side of the North in the Civil War.*  His commander was General Thomas, whom he liked.  Some of the battles he fought in were:  Cableorchard (the first one), Peachtree Creek, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Francisville, Liberty Gap, and Perryville.  He was never wounded, but a bullet hit his canteen and he lost all of his drinking water.  He and his comrades were hungry many times.  They were sent out to forage from the farms around them.  Once he and another soldier tried to rob a bee tree, with many stings and little honey.  After the war, he was discharged at Nashville, Tennessee on June 10, 1865."
   
  - by Hazel Lynch Skonberg, James Lynch's daughter 

* Very specific details about Company G of the Illinois Volunteer 74th Infantry and the battles they fought in may be found here on pages 228-233.

James Lynch, Private in Company G of the 74th Illinois Infantry
Union Army, Civil War

Hardtack was a biscuit made of flour with other simple ingredients, and issued to Union soldiers throughout the war.  Hardtack crackers made up a large portion of a soldier's daily ration.  Large factories in the North baked hundreds of hardtack crackers every day, packed them in wooden crates and shipped them out by wagon or rail.  If the hardtack was received soon after leaving the factory, they were quite tasty and satisfying.  Usually, the hardtack did not get to the soldiers until months after it had been made.  By that time, they were very hard, so hard that soldiers called them tooth dullers and sheet iron crackers.  Sometimes they were infested with small bugs the soldiers called weevils, so they referred to the hardtack as "worm castles" because of the many holes bored through the crackers by these pests. Soldiers were usually allowed six to eight crackers for a three-day ration.  There were a number of ways to eat them - plain or prepared with other ration items. Soldiers would crumble them into coffee or soften them in water and fry the hardtack with some bacon grease.

Union Hardtack Recipe
2 cups of flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon of Crisco or vegetable fat

6 pinches of salt

1.  Mix the ingredients together into a stiff batter.  Knead several times and spread the dough out flat to a thickness of ½” on an ungreased cookie sheet.
2.  Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
3.  Remove from oven, cut dough into 3-inch squares, and punch four rows of holes, four holes per row into the dough.
4.  Turn dough over, return to the oven and bake another 30 minutes.
5.  Turn oven off and leave the door closed. Leave the hardtack in the oven until
cool. Remove and enjoy!

James Lynch's Discharge Papers from the Union Army

Illinois Civil War Detail Report
Name:  James Lynch
Rank:  Private
Company:  G
Unit:  74 Illinois US Infantry

Personal Characteristics:
Residence:  Monroe, Ogle County, Illinois
Age:  28
Height:  5'11-1/2"
Hair:  Dark
Eyes:  Blue
Complexion:  Light
Marital Status:  Single
Occupation:  Farmer
Nativity:  Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland

Service Record:
Joined When:  August 12, 1862
Joined Where:  Linnville, Illinois
Joined By Whom:  E. F. Dutcher
Period:  3 years
Muster In:  September 4, 1862
Muster Out:  June 10, 1865
Muster Out Where:  Nashville, Tennessee
Muster Out By Whom:  Captain Chickering

 Are you interested in reading more about my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt?  You'll find it all right here.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post

Gold Nuggets Quilt Block

This 12" Gold Nuggets quilt block is the sixth block of my Irish Great Grandfather Sampler Quilt.  I found the pattern for it at Block Base.  A note said that the center should be yellow.  There are four Y seams in this block, so I hesitated making it.  I'm glad I did, though.  It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.  I sewed all four green diagonal seams first and then stitched around all four sides of the yellow square.   

While my maternal grandmother was still in high school, she interviewed her father, James Lynch, at the urging of her older brother Will, who was living in China at the time.  (Read his letter to her here.)  Later, she wrote a biography of her father from the notes she'd taken during the interview.  Following is the sixth part of this biography:

"They (James and brothers Thomas and Patrick) panned gold around Sutter's Mill (Coloma), Yuba City and Marysville.  Life was dangerous, and robbing and killing for gold were common.  Supplies were scarce and expensive.  A plug of tobacco was five dollars and boots fifteen dollars.  Gamblers took over.  James panned almost $2000 in gold nuggets and gravel.  He kept it in a leather pouch tied around his waist at all times.  His brothers had almost as much as he did but lost it all when the bank president left for New York with all the depositors' money.

"In 1859, James and his brothers returned by the same route to New York.  James then went to Illinois where he got work as a farm hand."

  - by Hazel Lynch Skonberg, James Lynch's daughter
 
 Are you interested in reading more about my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt?  You'll find it all right here.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Panama Block Quilt Block

This 12" Panama Block quilt block, originally published by Nancy Cabot, is the fifth block of my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  I found the pattern for it at Block Base.  This block pattern is also known as Mexican Star and Mexican Rose.  A pattern for a 16" Mexican Star block is available free online here.  A pattern for a 12" Mexican Rose block is available free online here.

While my maternal grandmother was still in high school, she interviewed her father, James Lynch, at the urging of her older brother Will, who was living in China at the time.  (Read his letter to her here.)  Later, she wrote a biography of her father from the notes she'd taken during the interview.  Following is the fifth part of this biography:

"In January 1854, James, Thomas, and Patrick left from New York for California by the Nicaragua Route.  They sailed the Atlantic to the Isthmus of Panama and then rode across on mules to the Pacific side.  The Atlantic trip was rough, but the Pacific side was smooth sailing."

- by Hazel Lynch Skonberg,
James Lynch's daughter

The California Gold Rush began when James W. Marshall found gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California on January 24, 1848.  Some 300,000 people flocked to California, hoping to get their share of the gold.  There was no easy way to get to California.  About half of the people came by sea.  From the East Coast, a sailing voyage around the tip of South America would take five to eight months.  The alternative that James and his brothers chose was to sail to the Atlantic side of the Isthmus of Panama, take mules for a week through the jungle, and then wait for a ship sailing for San Francisco once they got on the Pacific side.  About half of the gold seekers came from the east by land along the California Trail and the Gila River Trail.  Each of these routes to California, whether by land or by sea, had its own difficulties, from shipwreck to typhoid fever to cholera.   

 Are you interested in reading more about this quilt?  You'll find it all right here.

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.

Cotton Boll Quilt Block

This 12" Cotton Boll quilt block is the fourth block of my Irish Great-Grandpa Sampler Quilt.  I found the pattern for this quilt block free on-line here.  This pattern is for an 8" block, so I printed off the pattern on Block Base.           

While my maternal grandmother was still in high school, she interviewed her father, James Lynch, at the urging of her older brother Will, who was living in China at the time.  (Read his letter to her here.)  Later, she wrote a biography of her father from the notes she'd taken during the interview.  Following is the fourth part of this biography:  

"When they came to America, they started working in a cotton mill in Fall River, Massachusetts.  James was given the job of putting the wooden spindles of thread on the pegs.*  He was given the job for one day to see if he could do the work.  He did it so well that he was given the job permanently.  That was when he was still twelve years old.  He earned six dollars a month and stayed for a year.  The three brothers and three sisters lived together in a frame tenement house that was barely furnished.  They slept on the floor.  Some worked nights, some days.  The work shifts were twelve hours.

"They then went to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and the boys did farm work.  Later, sister Ellen married James Main.  They lived at Oak Grove and later at Juneau, Wisconsin.  Sister Mary married Alonzo Wagner in Beaver Dam and later moved to Reading, Kansas."
       - by Hazel Lynch Skonberg, James Lynch's daughter

*James would have been known as a doffer for the work he did in the cotton mill.  A doffer was someone who cleared the full bobbins or spindles holding the spun cotton and replaced them with empty ones.  Although the day was long, doffers only worked for about four hours each day.  In 1830, a doffer boy in Massachusetts would earn 25 cents a day.    

“In the cotton mills, children were good at monotonous repetitive tasks that often required little physical strength, but where small bodies and nimble fingers were an advantage.  Girls started as spinners while boys were doffers and sweepers.  When the bobbins on the spinning frames were full, the machinery stopped.  The doffers would swam into the mill and, as quickly as possible, change all the bobbins, after which the machinery would be restarted and the doffers were free to amuse themselves until the next change-over.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doffer

Are you interested in reading more about this quilt?  You'll find it all right here.   

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.