Quilt Symbols - King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation | The Beach Institute & King-Tisdell Cottage

Crossroad

Shoo Fly

Wagon Wheel

Bear Paw

Monkey Wrench

Jacob’s Ladder

Sail Boat

North Star

Drunkard’s Path

Carpenter’s Wheel

Basket

Birds in the Air

Bow Tie

Log Cabin

Call Us

Find Us

Contact

Quilt Symbols - King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation | The Beach Institute & King-Tisdell Cottage – Savannah, GA Museums

Crossroad

After crossing the Appalachians, fugitives reached the “crossroads” in Cleveland, Ohio, the main hub to overland trails and Lake Erie routes leading to Canada and freedom.

Shoo Fly

The Shoo Fly symbol represents someone who secretly assisted and sheltered those escaping.

Wagon Wheel

Wagons with hidden compartments helped to transport runaways. The wagon wheel symbol signaled them to pack provisions and symbolized a “chariot” home, echoed in spirituals like “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

Bear Paw

Runaways were guided by bear footprints, which marked the safest path and led them to food and water, acting like a natural road map through the mountains

Monkey Wrench

The Monkey Wrench symbol was displayed as a signal for the enslaved who planned to escape, to collect tools they would need on their journey north.

Jacob’s Ladder

The Jacob’s Ladder symbol, with its alternating dark and light colors, was used to indicate a direction.

Sail Boat

Black sailors and shipowners aided escapes by hiding fugitives on ships and spreading information, linking enslaved Southerners with free Northern communities.

North Star

The North Star served as a guiding light for the enslaved seeking freedom in Canada and was crucial for navigation, especially for boatmen transporting them from Cleveland to Detroit.

Drunkard’s Path

Slaves traveled in a staggered pattern and sometimes doubled back to confuse pursuing slave hunters.

Carpenter’s Wheel

To the enslaved, Jesus was the master carpenter. In the fields, they sang spirituals about a chariot home, which plantation owners misinterpreted. Runaways understood these songs as instructions to follow the Carpenter’s Wheel west to northwest.

Basket

The Basket symbol signaled the need for provisions. Abolitionists and safe houses supplied food, tools, flint, and compasses to aid runaways on their journey.

Birds in the Air

Birds in the Air symbolized flight or migration. During the 1840s–1850s quilters could subtly indicate a northward route through fabric choice and block placement.

Bow Tie

The Bow Tie signaled runaways to dress formally, as free Blacks and abolitionists would meet them with suitable clothing.

Log Cabin

The Log Cabin quilt guided runaways to a safe house, with the red center symbolizing the cabin’s hearth or fire.

Quilt Symbols - King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation | The Beach Institute & King-Tisdell Cottage – Savannah, GA Museums

Crossroad

After crossing the Appalachians, fugitives reached the “crossroads” in Cleveland, Ohio, the main hub to overland trails and Lake Erie routes leading to Canada and freedom.

Shoo Fly

The Shoo Fly symbol represents someone who secretly assisted and sheltered those escaping.

Wagon Wheel

Wagons with hidden compartments helped to transport runaways. The wagon wheel symbol signaled them to pack provisions and symbolized a “chariot” home, echoed in spirituals like “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.&quot;

Bear Paw

Runaways were guided by bear footprints, which marked the safest path and led them to food and water, acting like a natural road map through the mountains

Monkey Wrench

The Monkey Wrench symbol was displayed as a signal for the enslaved who planned to escape, to collect tools they would need on their journey north.

Jacob’s Ladder

The Jacob’s Ladder symbol, with its alternating dark and light colors, was used to indicate a direction.

Sail Boat

Black sailors and shipowners aided escapes by hiding fugitives on ships and spreading information, linking enslaved Southerners with free Northern communities.

North Star

The North Star served as a guiding light for the enslaved seeking freedom in Canada and was crucial for navigation, especially for boatmen transporting them from Cleveland to Detroit.

Drunkard’s Path

Slaves traveled in a staggered pattern and sometimes doubled back to confuse pursuing slave hunters.

Carpenter’s Wheel

To the enslaved, Jesus was the master carpenter. In the fields, they sang spirituals about a chariot home, which plantation owners misinterpreted. Runaways understood these songs as instructions to follow the Carpenter’s Wheel west to northwest.

Basket

The Basket symbol signaled the need for provisions. Abolitionists and safe houses supplied food, tools, flint, and compasses to aid runaways on their journey.

Birds in the Air

Birds in the Air symbolized flight or migration. During the 1840s–1850s quilters could subtly indicate a northward route through fabric choice and block placement.

Bow Tie

The Bow Tie signaled runaways to dress formally, as free Blacks and abolitionists would meet them with suitable clothing.

Log Cabin

The Log Cabin quilt guided runaways to a safe house, with the red center symbolizing the cabin’s hearth or fire.

Wagons with hidden compartments helped to transport runaways. The wagon wheel symbol signaled them to pack provisions and symbolized a “chariot” home, echoed in spirituals like “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."