Signature Blocks

First I must just tell you after my previous post, Regan  of Floating on a quilted cloud took up the reigns and has visited the Hamlin Historical Society and taken lots and lots of photos of the Paris Hill Freindship Quilt. So if you want to see some more hop over and see what she did.

Last year when I was at the Vermont Quilt Festival I purchased these old signature blocks of the sale table. Seven blocks for 15 dollars BARGAIN!!!!
I recently started googling the names on the blocks and pulled up some small snippets of information. Fortunately good old Mrs Osman Parker signed where she was living , Franconia New Hampshire so as these blocks were all together I assumed everyone else was from the area. I found Mr Osman Parker was treasurer of the Dow Academy in 1884.
Lucy H Goss is on the 1880 census and seems at the time she was 39 and was living in Henniker NH.
The other names I have is Winnie Perkins, Lucy M Grout, M M Connar, Katy Pettingill, and another Goss but can't read the first name. They all seem to come from various place in NH and  two of the blocks  that are made in the same fabric are related and may have been married sister's.

I love this sort of history and the fact from the other side of the pond I can research these women is just fantastic.