1914 - 1917

Friendship Quilt

Towards the end of the nineteenth Century, Fort Wayne's population was rapidly growing and the city became more dense and industrialized. With expanded transportation options, including the electric trol-ley service available by 1892, residents began moving to the "suburbs." The first subdivision in Fort Wayne, Lakeside Addition, was platted in 1890 and offered larger landscaped lots only minutes from downtown. A "Friendship Quilt" is made by several quilters with each friend or relative contributing a block for the larger project. This quilt belonged to Katie A. Weiler and contains names of friends and relatives, many from the Lakeside area, who contributed to the quilt from 1914 to 1917. This particular quilt is also an example of a "Crazy Quilt," made with a patchwork of different sizes, shapes, colors and fabrics.