Anita Stanley of West Liberty displays her historical themed quilt that she created for the Logan County Fair. (EXAMINER PHOTO | Mandy Loehr)
An avid reader and quilter’s purchase of a unique book during the pandemic sparked a special historical entry in the Logan County Fair open class quilting contest earlier this month, as a tribute to a young girl who lived in Logan County in the early 20th century and her pony that she boarded at the fairgrounds.
West Liberty resident Anita Stanley said while stuck at home as a result of COVID-19, she happened upon a book entitled, “The Farmer’s Wife Pony Club Sampler Quilt” by Laurie Aaron Hird on eBay, and was instantly interested.
The book features letters from young children all over the country who were part of the The Farmer’s Wife’s Pony Club. The club was created in 1907 by the Webb Publishing Company in St. Paul, Minn., inviting children to join and compete for prizes by selling subscriptions to The Farmer’s Wife magazine, which was printed in the early 1900s.
The grand prize was a Shetland pony with a saddle or carriage. To satisfy skeptics, who doubted that a child would actually receive a pony, the winners were asked to send photographs of themselves with their ponies. Many of the children sent thank-you letters along with their photographs.
The author, Hird, wrote the book based on the children’s letters and developed a 90-block quilt as well, with each individual quilt block detailing the story of a different child from The Farmer’s Wife’s Pony Club. The book was published in 2011 by Dunbarton Press LLC of Shullsburg, Wis.
“I love reading about quilt and needlework history, and this book sparked immediately my interest,” said Stanley, who also serves as a secretary of the Logan Piecemakers quilting guild.
“It gives a historical glimpse of what life was like for children at that time, and what the special gift of a pony meant to the child.”
After her book arrived, Stanley was surprised to find out that a letter from a Logan County, Ohio, girl named Anna Ruth Miller in 1915 was featured among the 90 children in the book.
“I had no idea when I first purchased the book about the local connection, and here there happened to be a young girl from our county. She was one of only a few children from Ohio featured in the book.
“That got me thinking that I wanted to create a quilt for the fair to commemorate this history in Anna Ruth’s honor and in honor of the Logan County Fair.”
Similar to the quilt block contained in the book, Stanley’s quilt features watermelon in some of the border blocks, as a nod to Anna Ruth’s letter that mentions her pony Kip’s love of eating watermelon.
Also within her quilt, Stanley incorporated horse fabric and a horse that she embroidered. In the center of the quilt, she included the full text of Anna Ruth’s letter that appears in the book.
The longtime West Liberty resident and Hancock County native, who learned to quilt in the early 1970s from her grandmother, received a first place ribbon for her entry in the Logan County themed category at the fair’s quilting contest. Stanley also received Best of Show awards this year for another quilt entry and for a crochet entry in the needlework contest.
While her historical quilt was on display throughout the fair in the open class building, those who stopped in could learn more about Anna Ruth Miller, who was enamored by her new pony from day one.
“I want all my friends to know what a lovely pet I now have,” Anna Ruth writes in her letter. “When I received the telephone message, telling me that ‘Kip’ had arrived, I just couldn’t get to the depot fast enough. Mama, papa and I went right away.
“They had already taken him out of the crate and he was in a livery barn and, bless his little heart, when he heard us coming he whinnied. It was the sweetest sound to me just then I tell you. “
In her letter, Anna Ruth mentions that she lives nearby the Logan County Fairgrounds, where her father has horses in training as well.
“All the trainers said he (Kip) was a fine one and their horses weren’t in it with ‘Kip,’” she said.
The youngster also notes that “a pony is the best playmate a child can have.
“You ought to see him eat watermelon, cakes, crackers, candy, sugar and fruit. We feed him oats three times a day besides hay and then when in pasture he gets all the clover and grass he wants.…
“Although I am so young, I can hitch and unhitch him and do everything for him. I want to do all for him myself, he is so gentle and kind. My first thought in the morning is of my darling, what good times we will have together.”
With her letter to The Farmer’s Wife’s Pony Club, Anna Ruth enclosed a photograph of herself with Kip and her “little racing cart,” which she felt very comfortable driving at a young age.
“Sometimes I drive home alone if papa isn’t quite ready to come,” she said. “We only live about half mile from Fair Grounds but I pass a great many autos and other vehicles. I have always been used to horses so that I have no fear about driving alone. I always keep to the right and then you are all right. One feels safe with a little pony, as they are not afraid of anything.”
Stanley noted that the Logan Piecemakers are accepting new members. The quilting guild meets the second Monday of each month at the Logan County History Center.
Logan County resident Anna Ruth Miller, her pony “Kip” and their “little racing cart” are pictured around 1915. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
