Source: Osceola Centennial Issue 1851-1951, section 4, page 2.
The Sentinel office is not designed for display, hence its collection of pioneer articles is necessarily limited. However one item that we have received is worthy of notice. From Mrs. Fred B. Johnson of Springfield, Ore. we received two samples of woolen cloth that were made on the George Paul homestead in Washington township more than 90 years ago.
George Paul was one of the earliest settlers in the township. Frank, Earl and Dr. E.W. Paul, Mrs. Herman Gracey, Mrs. Aletha McIntire and Mrs. LaVere Smith are grandchildren of this pioneer couple. They are children of E. G. Paul. Mrs. Johnson (Grace Paul) is a daughter of Wm. Paul, another son of George.
Here is Mrs. Johnson's statement tht accompanied the woolen samples:
Mr. and Mrs. George M. Paul, pioneers of the Pleasant Ridge community raised the sheep from which the wool was sheared to make the material. Mrs. Paul carded the wool, spun and dyed the yarn and wove this material which, was made into dresses for their daughters, the late Mrs. Mary Neff and Mrs. Della McCaughey. That was over 90 years ago.
The samples are in excellent condition and of a quality that would be most acceptable for clothing today. Two pieces were sent, each a plaid pattern, one with an orange background with navy blue stripes and the other a blue and maroon plaid.
George Paul was born in Illinois in 1832 and married Mehitable "Hetty" Sutton in 1854. They came to Clarke county soon after and their first child, Wm. Paul was born in Washington township in 1855. "Aunt Hetty" Paul was famed as a midwife in the community. Mrs. Johnson's husband, is also a grandchild of Clarke county pioneers. His grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. Freeborn Wesley Johnson, who came to the county in 1854. They settled on a farm four miles north of Osceola and two years later moved to Osceola where he was a merchant for many years. He was one of the organizers of the Methodist Protestant church in 1887.
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