Columbia River Basin Quilt Project

The great Western movement of the nineteenth century began at the same time that the patchwork quilt reached its uniquely American form. We, at the White Bluffs Quilt Museum, believe that quilts are diaries that speak to us of change, history and family.

Because migration was the essence of Washington's settlement, the Washington Centennial Quilt project collected data on all pre-1970 quilts made or brought to Washington State. White Bluffs Quilt Museum is collaborating with the the Washington State Historical Society and the Quilt Index Project to serve as a repository for this data, making it available to educators, authors, researchers and to the public.

The Quilt Index Project is a partnership project of the Alliance for American Quilts, MATRIX, the Center for Humane Arts, Letters and Social Sciences Online at Michigan State University and the Michigan State University Museum. This resource represents years of planning, research and public access. The program is International.

In 2014, the Benton County Commissioners, through the Historical Promotion Grants Program funded White Bluffs for a pilot program. The Quilt Index pilot was very successful, and accomplished all of the goals set for the project.