On some of our trips we see something as we are driving and then look it up. Might be an interesting name of a town, or a museum that is advertised... or like our trip on Thursday... we noticed something.
Going through the area around Dalton Georgia we notice a lot of carpet manufacturers. Being able to look online to learn about a town is so fun! I went to Wiki for Dalton Georgia and learned it is home to over 150 carpet companies and is considered the Carpet Capitol of the World.
But that wasn't all they said.
It seems that the whole reason they are is because in 1895 Catherine Evans Whitener made her brother a wedding bedspread that consisted of 'tufted' yarn.
This caught the attention of local people who wanted one, then even more people wanted them... and soon Catherine was running a thriving business of making Chenille Bedspreads. These were done by hand, so it was employing people for piecework, and it even continued through the depression.
The story of the bedspread business is so interesting, you can read about it HERE and HERE
But how does this turn into carpet?
It seems when carpet making machinery was being refined, the hand 'tufting' skills of the people in the Dalton Georgia area was in huge demand, so the companies built their manufacturing there!
All because a teenager made her brother a bedspread.
So on the rest of the drive I took a little trip down memory lane. My grandmothers and maybe my great-grandmother's had simple chenille bedspreads.
I think they were more of the 'dot' version than anything fancy.
But if you want to see some incredible ones, check them on pinterest...including the bathrobes!
That of course prompted a search for new Chenille bedspreads, which are plentiful!
You can click the photo to those, and find more HERE
What memories do you have of Chenille Bedspreads? I'd love to hear!
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