Quilts of many hands

Six fourth-grade classes in Kansas worked to create quilts, then these quilts, along with a national park quilt, have been on display in each of the five National Park sites in the Sunflower State.

The quilt squares depicted historic scenes such as "White Only" school houses, sheep grazing, snakes, cannons, Indian chiefs, and 1849 US Army soldiers.

The quilts vary as widely as the five National Park sites in Kansas. One quilt project came from Monroe Elementary School in Topeka. This is the site of the "Brown versus the Board of Education" legal case which was settled by the American Supreme Court in 1954. This site actually has two quilts since two different classes participated in the project.

The second quilt site is Fort Larned National Historic Site at Larned, Kansas. This 1858 fort was established to protect travelers on the Santa Fe Trail and work with the affairs of American Indian.

The third site is Fort Scott which was established in 1842 as a boundary protector for Indian Territory. Soldiers from Fort Scott also patrolled the Santa Fe Trail and were sent south to fight in the Mexican/American War. During the Civil War it also had a large contingent of Black American "Buffalo" soldiers.

Nicodemus National Historic Site preserves, protects, and interprets the only remaining western town established by African-Americans after the Civil War.
The Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve was established in 1990 to help protect the state's few remaining tall grass prairies. It is estimated that less than four percent of the original American tall grass prairie lands remain Kansas, mostly in the Flint Hills area this preserve is located.

Cooperating schools used field trips and special lessons to teach fourth graders the history of the national site where they live. The students then designed quilt blocks to illustrate a part of history they learned. Quilt guilds helped put the blocks together to create historical interpretation quilts.

Besides designing a quilt piece, the students also had to write a short essay describing what their block represented.

Most fourth graders are not thought of as quilt makers. But this was not true in Kansas during the past school year and this summer. A project called "Building Common Ground" through a program called "Quilts of Many Hands" has tied the National Park Service, quilting guilds, local artists, and fourth graders together.

Six fourth-grade classes in Kansas worked to create quilts, then these quilts, along with a national park quilt, have been on display in each of the five National Park sites in the Sunflower State.

The quilt squares depicted historic scenes such as "White Only" school houses, sheep grazing, snakes, cannons, Indian chiefs, and 1849 US Army soldiers.

The quilts vary as widely as the five National Park sites in Kansas. One quilt project came from Monroe Elementary School in Topeka. This is the site of the "Brown versus the Board of Education" legal case which was settled by the American Supreme Court in 1954. This site actually has two quilts since two different classes participated in the project.

The second quilt site is Fort Larned National Historic Site at Larned, Kansas. This 1858 fort was established to protect travelers on the Santa Fe Trail and work with the affairs of American Indian.

The third site is Fort Scott which was established in 1842 as a boundary protector for Indian Territory. Soldiers from Fort Scott also patrolled the Santa Fe Trail and were sent south to fight in the Mexican/American War. During the Civil War it also had a large contingent of Black American "Buffalo" soldiers.

Nicodemus National Historic Site preserves, protects, and interprets the only remaining western town established by African-Americans after the Civil War.
The Tall Grass Prairie National Preserve was established in 1990 to help protect the state's few remaining tall grass prairies. It is estimated that less than four percent of the original American tall grass prairie lands remain Kansas, mostly in the Flint Hills area this preserve is located.

Cooperating schools used field trips and special lessons to teach fourth graders the history of the national site where they live. The students then designed quilt blocks to illustrate a part of history they learned. Quilt guilds helped put the blocks together to create historical interpretation quilts.

Besides designing a quilt piece, the students also had to write a short essay describing what their block represented.

Learning history through a hands-on experience and seeing history through the eyes and interpretation of ten-year-olds, can both be enlightening.

Another quilt, created by National Park Service, depicts a map of the United States showing all the National Park Service areas. This quilt, along with the six designed by Kansas children, was displayed at each Kansas site. Visitors at these sites were invited to select their favorites. When the tour is finished, the votes will be tallied.

Building Common Ground through the Quilts of Many Hands program has been an interesting and educational project: one which could be duplicated by many historic groups throughout the country. And, one thing is certain, several Kansas students now have a better understanding of the history in their state and nation.