Elizabeth Roseberry Mitchell started this quilt top in 1836 as a memorial to her family. Two sons, John V. and Mathias (Bub) Mitchell, are named on it, and other sons were veterans of the Civil War. A finished quilt was made from this practice pattern piece. In the 1800's, quilts like this were made to preserve family history. This quilt top and the finished quilt are historical artifacts in women's quilt history and are nationally known as the only two existing memorial quilts of this era.