Undergound Railroad Quilts

Join the St. Clair County Genealogy & History Society as Algonac’s Piece to Peace Quilters share the fascinating story of Underground Railroad quilts. Learn how quilt patterns may have been used to guide enslaved people through St. Clair County as they made their way toward freedom across the St. Clair River and into Canada.

Underground Railroad Quilts

Thursday November 19, 2026

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

St. Clair County Library – Michigan Room

210 McMorran Blvd, PH

Could a quilt hanging on a fence or clothesline have carried a secret message to someone seeking freedom?

Stories have long connected quilt patterns with the Underground Railroad, suggesting that familiar designs such as the Log Cabin, Flying Geese, Bear’s Paw, and North Star may have conveyed messages about safe places, directions, or preparation for the journey north.

For those of us in St. Clair County, the story has a special connection. Michigan played an important role in the Underground Railroad, and some freedom seekers made their way northeast through the state to St. Clair and Port Huron, where just across the St. Clair River lay Canada—and the promise of freedom.

Exactly how quilts may have figured into these journeys remains a fascinating subject of history and oral tradition. Were certain patterns actually used as secret signals? What meanings have been passed down through generations?

Join us as our guest presenters, Piece to Peace Quilters from Algonac explore the stories, symbolism, and traditions of Underground Railroad quilts and the remarkable history they represent.