Memory Quilt

Memory Quilt

This hexagonal quilt was found on the third floor of the Blackwell home located at 3077 Sycamore View Road after the Browns, Walt and Becky, purchased the property in 1983. The Blackwell Home was built in 1869. 

There are over 130 names and initials on the quilt. It was probably done by Mrs. Willie Blackwell Miller, daughter of Dr. Nicholas Blackwell and Virginia Ward Blackwell. Mrs. Willie Blackwell Miller was born in 1868 and died in 1943. She gave 7 acres of land to Shelby County in 1917 for a new high school and requested it be named after her father.

The quilt has dates of 1902 and 1903 on it. Names and initials are embroidered on individual pieces. Some interesting names include Gotten family members whose descendants were Dave and Willie Gotten who resided on Sycamore View Road. They purchased their property on which their home stands from Miss Louise Miller. Dave Gotten was born in 1906 in the Gotten House located at 2969 Court Street. Leona B. (Bledsoe) Gotten and David Gotten, Dave’s parents, are listed on the quilt. “Julia” may be Julia Gotten.

Susie Freeman is listed. She died in 1904. She was the daughter of W. and Bettie Freeman, who were the grandparents of former Bartlett Alderman Jodie Freeman. Mr. Freeman’s mother’s side of the family are present. They were the Smiths. S.F. and Mamie Bond, the Allens, Gowens, Taylors, Yates, Deesons, Ramseys, Massey, Tate, Mrs. Elmore and Millers are included. The Allen's sold the land to the Methodist Church for $2,500.00 and then donated the money back to the church.

The Blackwell Family Dr. Nicholas Blackwell Virginia Ward Blackwell

Mrs. Willie Blackwell Miller Mr. Ben R. Miller

Miss Louise Miller Nick B. Miller Katherine Miller

The name Louise Miller is particularly interesting because she was born in 1893 and died at the Blackwell Home in 1982. She must have been very familiar with this quilt.

Miss Louise never married and seemed to devote herself to the Blackwell- Miller Estate which was approximately two thousand acres at one time. Louise Miller’s father was Ben R. Miller who was a planter and banker. He raised goats, lambs, strawberries, cotton and hay. He died in 1921.

In her early twenties, Miss Louise got her first car. The roads to Memphis were

Gravel and bumpy but everyone who lived in Bartlett and worked in Memphis

Drove and eventually the passenger trains stopped coming to Bartlett.

When Miss Miller was 32, she took over the responsibility of running her family farm. They used men and mules and plows. During the Great Depression they always had plenty to eat and helped others. Tenants were given plots of land and chickens and cows. Miss Louise enjoyed riding her horses over the cotton fields and supervised the workers and tenants. She stopped farming in the 1950’s when “tractors and things that hooked them” were in use. The remaining land was gradually sold and dwindled to six acres. In 1930 Miss Louise was elected alderman.

In 1948 the Blackwell Home was “preserved with original furnishings – lovely walnut bedroom suites, twin mahogany parlor suites, marble table tops, a silver water set given to Dr. and Mrs. Blackwell as a wedding present and carpets put down over 80 years” before.

In 1983, after the death of Miss Miller, the house was in grave disrepair and the Browns, who purchased it from Mrs. Dallam, attempted restoration. The Browns bought an eight foot high walnut armoire with the house and acquired other pieces of antiquity including the quilt.

Many Thanks to: Elva T. Bledsoe

The Bartlett Historical Society 

Dave and Willie Gotten

Becky Brown

Goodspeeds History 

Bartlett High School Gleener 1948 

The Memphis Press Scimitar

The Commercial Appeal

Blackwell Family Bible 

The Bartlett Express

Katherine Miller

Eliza Blackwell

J. R. Smith

Henry Allen

Susie Freeman

Mary Coulter

OWG

Blanche Davis

Bessie Deeson

Ruth B. Gowan

H.F. Deeson

Ruby Smith

Fannie Williamson

W.A.

Henry

J.J. W d

Winfred B. Pann

LEW

Deeson

ΜΙΟ

SWC

L.D.

Thomas Yates

GWG

Olga B. Smith

Rev. TP Ramsey

Joe Smith

Julia

HL Reeves

J.F. Pa

Joe Walker

WMB

JM Tate

WE Smith

A

LA

JOB

ET

Estella

Mrs L. Ramsey

UT

О

Nick B. Miller

Mrs. Smith

Theo

Louise Miller

John Jackson

Ella Edwards

Roy O

Gotten

WAE

Willie B. Miller

Nannie Ed

JWY

Addie

Dicky DWG

Willie Allen

Henry Allen

FM Davis

Susan M Yates

Lucy Allen

O Allen

JE Allen

Ed Massey Les B. Yates

Fred Stone Bean & Mercantile

OWG

Lara Gowen

MS

Nick Taylor

Florian Dicky

Joe Taylor

May Jeffries

MAB

JDB

RB Yates

Elosie Dicky Yates

RB Yates

May Jeffries

MAB

COMG

Bettie W

1902 June

25 G W Bond

JDB

JA Anderson

Patti Yates

OBW

Agnes Bond Annie M C

Charles Masey

F.K. Spicer

MEY

Mrs. Ida C Ramsey

Ales Reeves

WIC

KIC

WIC

Mattie Yates

LPC

Thomas

Deeson Bond

CMB

Joe Gowen

S.F. Bond

Mrs. Taylor

Mrs. Cooper

MPL

Gatta Gates

Mamie Bond

Mrs. Elmore

DOW

KLW

Eugene Smith

Dickey

Leona Blec soe Gotter Susie Yates

LPG

BR Miller

Lauren

Dr. N. Blackwell Aug 2 Lillie Dunn

May Frances

Olivia Anderson

Avery

Elizabeth Deeson

Gotten