2021 Museum Artifact Donations

 The Benton County Historical Society continues to add items related to Benton County to its collection. Here are some that were donated in 2021.

“Flustered Four-in Hand” print

 

This chromolithograph print advertising the City Livery Stables is entitled “Flustered Four-in Hand.”

It was a popular print often used in advertising in the era when automobiles were starting at appear on roads along with horses. The print itself dates from 1907 but this poster was from 1909-1912 when Gray was manager of the livery stables. The City Livery Stables were located at Third and Madison in Corvallis.

This object may be familiar to some of you as similar items are still in use. It is a spiral horse grooming brush.  The circular steel blades are serrated on both sides. They are attached to the handle with a spring that allows it to be pulled and twisted to reverse the comb.  Grooming a horse with the comb removed mud and excess hair. It was used on the Wiese family farm which was located on what is now the Timberhill development.

Wiese Farm, Corvallis, Oregon

Appliqued butterfly quilt

This quilt with appliqued butterflies was assembled by Corvallis resident  Wilma "Billie" Josephine Finster Gretz in the 1940s or 1950s.  The antennae were hand embroidered.  Martha Marie Laack Finster (Wilma's mother) and her church quilting circle did the hand quilting. 

 By Martha Fraundorf, Volunteer for Benton County Historical Society, Philomath, Oregon