CHARLEMONT — With their “Ladies Moral Compass Quilt,” local historians Mary Boehmer and Bambi Miller are highlighting the political actions of 19th-century women.

As part of their effort, residents who are interested in seeing the quilt for themselves are invited to Tyler Memorial Library, 157 Main St., on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 1 p.m. for a history program.

In the 19th century, women were largely confined to the domestic sphere, said Miller, former library director and a member of the town Historical Commission. They had limited rights to vote, own property, run for office or access education. Nevertheless, they persisted, and did what they could to support causes they believed in, particularly the abolitionist, women’s suffrage and women’s education movements.

Even in the small, rural towns of Franklin County, women worked to support these movements, such as Mary Lyon, founder of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary that would later become Mount Holyoke College, and Chloe Maxwell Leavitt, who gathered roughly 143 signatures from Franklin County women for a petition supporting the abolition of slavery in Washington D.C., Miller said.

Inspired by the actions of these women, Miller, Boehmer and six other local women crafted the quilt. Each woman created a square highlighting moments or figures in history that empowered women to act. The quilt includes depictions of an Underground Railroad map, including a stop in Charlemont at the home of Hart Leavitt, and ledgers of funds that local women raised by selling hand-sewn and baked goods to support those journeying to freedom.

Many hands make light work, and the women were able to create all the individual squares in one day. The squares were then sewn together to make the complete quilt over the course of a week, according to Miller.

Boehmer and Miller have been quilting together for more than 20 years. In 2003, the pair organized 80 women across western Franklin County to create quilts dedicated to the memory of Louisa Dorsey, wife of Basil C. Dorsey who escaped slavery in Maryland, and the Network to Freedom. They raffled the quilts to raise money to buy a headstone for Louisa, as well as get two locations in Charlemont recognized by the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Registry.

The quilts offered a visual representation of their research, which they showcased to their students at Hawlemont Regional School. Boehmer worked as the Hawlemont librarian for many years, and Miller as Tyler Memorial Library’s director.

The “Ladies Moral Compass Quilt” is a continuation of the research they began with the Underground Railroad quilts, focusing more on the women behind the movement.

The quilt was completed in late 2018, however, due to pandemic delays, Miller and Boehmer put public programs or lectures on hold. Miller said in recent months they decided it was time to begin work again and scheduled the library event to talk about the quilt and the history that inspired it.

“I hope people walk away from this inspired to act and to take action for causes they believe in,” Boehmer said.

The program is free to attend and is expected to run for approximately an hour.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.