Sunday, December 14, 2008

Historic Jacquard woven coverlet comes home to Lebanon, Oregon

Jacquard coverlet is possible Moist family heritage

Seattle couple donates historic jacquard coverlet to Lebanon
Donation 4pm, Saturday, December 20, 2008

LEBANON, OREGON Saturday, December 20, 4 pm...At a small ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. GT Jones, of Seattle, Washington, will donate a bit of Lebanon's heritage to the Lebanon Museum and community of Lebanon.

For more on how Giff and Mary Jones received the coverlet and planned their gift back home to Lebanon, check out Lebanon's Woven Coverlet on the Alaska Quilt web site.

Came west on the Oregon Trail
It's possible this beautiful coverlet was woven in Virginia in the early 1800's and came west via the Oregon trail in the 1840 to 1850 era.

Joseph Moist, who came to Oregon in 1845 as a young man of 22 or 23, eventually married Elizabeth Jane Ralston in 1849 in Lebanon, Linn county, Oregon territory. In the 1850 census he was listed as a 28 year old farmer and "Jane" was his 22 year old wife.

Jeremiah Ralston, Elizabeth's father, is known as the founder of Lebanon, Oregon.

It is believed Joseph Moist was born in 1822 or 1823 in Juniata/Mifflin county, Pennsylvania. Local historians are seeking more on Joseph's family back in that beautiful farmland country along the Juniata river.

Coverlet used daily—Who brought it west?
Being a historical bit of Lebanon's early pioneer days...This jacquard woven cotton and woolen warp coverlet was likely a staple of everyday use in the early Moist or Ralston or McDonald homes.

Pat Dunn is trying to determine how the coverlet actually arrived in Lebanon. If anyone has any information on the early Joseph Moist family or other local families who married into the Moist line, please respond here or call 541-258-1774.

Display in new Lebanon City Library, July 2009
Lebanon Museum accepts coverlet, may display this bit of Lebanon's heritage

Larry Nelson, board member Lebanon Museum, will accept the woven coverlet on behalf of the entire community.

Eventually the plan is to create an educational display around the coverlet. However, since Lebanon does not have a local museum, it is planned to display in the new Lebanon City Library which is to be opened in July 2009.

There may be a temporary rotating display in such locations as the Santiam Lebanon Community Hospital, the Lebanon Center Linn-Benton Community College, local schools and senior centers. If you have a suggested place to add to this list, please call.

Pat Dunn, another board member and Lebanon historian, who has done major research on the local Moist family, could not come to the ceremony due to a prior engagement—A granddaugher's dance recital up in Portland. ('Course it is well known—All grandmas got to watch all grandkids dance.)

The Lebanon Museum, is an IRS 501(c)(3) organization which accepts, documents and preserves historical items from Lebanon’s immediate area. Their goal is preserving local articles that would otherwise be discarded until a suitable building is acquired.

Moist family members, Lebanon City Librarian, others to be at ceremony
Also representing Lebanon will be: Denise Lee, Lebanon City Librarian; Noel Storms, Renee Wooldridge & Susan Wilson–Moist family descendants; representatives of Scroggin's Mill Rural Heritage Foundation; and possible textile art historians.

The small ceremony will take place in the living room of Peggy's Alaskan Cabbage Patch B&B at 194 S Second St, Lebanon. It is open to the public.

If you are interested, please call Peggy at 541-258-1774.

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