The number of Murray citizens who slept in unheated bedrooms was far higher than the number who had heated bedrooms until about 1970. Most homes simply did not have central heating; homeowners heated only those areas where family members spent lots of time. With the temperature in many bedrooms being only slightly warmer than the outside temperature, people tended to sleep under quilts for warmth.

Although some homes had very elaborate quilts, in general quilts were utilitarian in nature. They were made as simply and quickly as possible, using materials available at the time. Many were colorful because they contained pieces of fabric from old dresses, shirts, skirts, etc. In Murray County, the white feed-sacks were used for the backside or lining of the quilt. Sometimes they were bleached, sometimes they were dyed. The goal was to create whatever number of quilts a household required as quickly as possible, so the goal of many of the quilters was to hold the parts of the quilt together rather than to exhibit their needlework skills.

This collection of quilts associated with Murray County will contain quilts of both varieties. If you have a quilt (or quilts) you'd like to show here, send pictures of the quilts (no people in the pictures, please), along with a brief description of each. Email: murraymuseum@aol.com to let us know what you want to show.