Antique Genealogy
Item #444

1840-50’s Signed Hand Sewn Quilt Square:

This is a beautiful old hand signed antique quilt square, handmade of early fabrics. 18 different squares were found in Portland Maine, Cumberland County. They are all on our ancestor site.

This one has the signature ‘Emma Axtel’ handwritten in center, in old early dip pen ink from the period. Most likely there was a quilting bee and each member made their own squares. Some of the family members are related by same surnames, others may also be related family members also. For whatever reason, the handmade quilt was never finished.

This square is hand sewn with the utmost care. Found in Portland, Maine area, which is in Cumberland County. They came directly out of a house in Portland.

Census records: Emmiline Berry was born 12 March 1820 in Kennebeck Maiine, married John Axtel in Maine 1844. They moved to Wisconsin in the late 1840’s. More info from web: John Axtel born 1818 in 1846 took his wife and daughter by boat, railroad, Erie Canal, Great Lakes and ox-team through the wilderness to N. Wisconsin near Oshkosh, where his father and 6 brothers were already settled. Emeline is said to have been the 1st white woman to set foot in what is now Waupaca County WI.

See the 18 quilt squares found on our site at numbers 2551 Rogers, 2346 Kenyon, 2799 Guy, 1301 Rogers, 2895 Wright, 2900 Whitham, 1810 Rogers, 113 Champlin, 779 Wheeler, 1546 Rogers, 1272 Fisk, 1723 Rogers, 380 Rogers, 444 Axtel, 1678 Wheeler, 1806 Benton Rogers, 1827 Thompson, and 2194 Guy. A wonderful piece, can you imagine her trip?

Size: 12 × 11 inches approx