Piecing together a pioneer life story

A box containing an intricate, handmade quilt and a few index cards that had been kept from public view for more than 30 years held the key to “Uncovering the History Behind Ziller’s Quilt,” a new exhibit opening at the North Lincoln County Historical Museum on Thursday, Sept. 18.

The opening will include a talk by Executive Director Christopher Melton, who will share the steps he took to trace the history of the quilt, uncover evidence of its maker, Ziller Smith, and imagine what Ziller’s life might have been like in early 20th-Century Oregon.

Smith was a Black woman who moved from Missouri to Oregon around 1900. Until the quilt's rediscovery in 2024, her life had been omitted from the historical record.

An exhibit highlighting the quilt will be on view in the Anne Hall Gallery on the museum’s second floor through March 2026.

Thursday’s talk begins at 5:30 pm at the North Lincoln County Historical Museum, located at 4907 SW Hwy. 101 in Lincoln City and open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm. For more information, go to nlchm.org or call 541-996-6614.