LEWISBURG — Ruth Burnham, of Lewisburg, is working on the upcoming exhibit of 19th-century quilts called “Pennsylvania Quilts: Studies in Color/A Century of Antique Quilts from the Packwood House Museum Collection,” which will run June 9 through Oct. 24.

One of the quilts that will be exhibited has 312 names on it, apparently all but two were from Lewisburg, Milton, Mifflinburg and surrounding townships. Many of the names — such as Himmelreich, Meixell and Gundy — should be familiar to locals.

Burnham is seeking information about the people whose names appear on the quilt.

“There is a Prof. Edwards and Mrs. Edwards on the quilt. It turns out that this is Thomas A. Edwards, who was professor of pedagogy and dean of the Department of Women at Bucknell 1904-1914. Bucknell’s Web site says that the Edwards’ son, Merle, ’03, started the intramural program at Bucknell and coached soccer, and that it is for him that Edwards House on the Bucknell campus is named,” Burnham said.

“However, Lewisburg native John Zeller, former vice president at Bucknell, tells me that Edwards House was named for Prof. Edwards, not his son,” she added.

Also on the quilt are the names Mahala Kelly and Mrs. J.C. Kelly.

“These people were Edith Kelly Fetherston’s grandmother and mother, respectively,” Burnham said. “Edith Fetherston and her husband, John, founded Packwood House.”

Burnham has found many names on the quilt in local Census records on ancestry.com in census years 1880-1920 or so. “In an early Census, Mahala Kelly, age 25, was a servant with a family named Barclay in Milton. Later, she was shown living, still in Milton, at age 59, with her sister Margaret, age 57. No occupation listed,” Burnham said.

“I am certain that there are many, many more stories that this quilt could tell if more folks knew about it. We don’t know the exact reason the quilt was made in the first place, for instance. Many times churches did projects like this as fundraisers, but we know that there are people of various religious persuasions represented here — the Kellys were Catholic, Himmelreich probably Presbyterian, Lindigs Lutheran, etc. There was a big centennial celebration in Lewisburg about 1895, which is just the right date for the quilt.”

She wonders whether the quilt was part of that observance.

Anyone with information about the quilt or quilt names is asked to contact Burnham at 523-8311.

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Special quilt weekend

LEWISBURG — As part of its upcoming summer exhibit, “Pennsylvania Quilts: Studies in Color/A Century of Antique Quilts from the Packwood House Museum Collection,” the Packwood House Museum, 15 N. Water St., has planned a three-day weekend of quilt-related activities on Aug. 21-23. This mix of programs will take place at the museum and Country Cupboard, both located in Lewisburg.

On Aug. 21, there will be a dinner at Country Cupboard followed by a lecture presented by Donna Ruppert, “Progressions in 19th Century Pennsylvania Quilting.” Events taking place on Aug. 22 include workshops by Paula Swett, Susan Faeder, Sherry Walter, and Donna Ruppert. Brian Ruppert will present five gallery talks in the Kelly Gallery of the museum during the afternoon. That night, there is another dinner at Country Cupboard, followed by noted local author and historian Jeannette Lasansky, who will speak on “Seeking One’s Quilting Roots: How It began, Where It’s Going.”