History of Cotton

This is the time of year that the cotton fields are harvested.  We were driving yesterday down to Jackson and seen cotton all over the road.  (The pieces that were blown out of the truck)  It made me wonder when and where did the United States start making their own cotton fabric?

I went a digging and I found that the United States got it's first Cotton Textile plant in 1792.  This plant was located in Pawtucket, Rhoad Island. It was Samuel Slater that started this first yarn spinning Mill.  Then one year later in 1793, Eli Whitney and Hogden Holmes designed and simplified the method of removing cotton lint from the seed.  This revolutionized the cotton industry by increasing the productivity of Cotton Ginning.   (Before this the cotton fabric was imported here, mostly from England and France.)

Then in 1800 the south started growing the cotton and exported the cotton to England and up to the north to the Cotton Gins

The inexpensive and washable cottons opened up a new creativity in quilt making.  Patch work emerged in the early 1800's and so it began.

                                                 

The Nine Patch, Sawtooth, Star, Pinwheel, and Flying Geese were some of the earlist patterns.  Quilt making then started to become more widespread.

WOW....We sure came a long way, Didn't we?

Happy Quilting..........Have a Great Day!

                         






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