Keagy and Noble Blankets

The Keagy/Noble Civil War Blanket
Made by Waterside Woolen Mill

Click to see enlarged view of the Keagy/Noble blanket

Detail of the Keagy/Noble Blanket stitched letters.

Who was Keagy? | Who was Noble?
How were Keagy and Noble connected?

The Blankets made by Keagy and Noble

Who made Civil War Blankets?
Woolen Blanket Supply
Civil War Blanket Specifications

The Gettysburg Campaign

The Blankets made by Waterside Woolen Mill

The Blankets Made by Keagy and Noble

The blankets made at both mills during the civil war years were excellent examples of traditional craftsmanship. There are many strengths associated with the 19th century woolen system. One of the advantages is the versatility of the system. Because the procurement of raw material was limited by transportation of the period, these mills had to make the best product possible from the wool available locally.

The history of wool processing is wool history in the making at Waterside Woolen Mill. Click for enlarged view.

Herman Clouse returning from a bartering trip with his loaded wool wagon.

The standard system for procurement of fiber was a barter system with the local woolgrowers. We know for certain that the Waterside mill had several horse-drawn wool wagons circulating in the busy spring and fall seasons. An independent huckster would borrow finished woolen goods on account at a negotiated price and load the precious cargo in the bottom compartments of his wagon. He would then embark on a journey that could last for more than a week, bartering with each grower individually for his greasey wool, stacking it in large bags on the top of his wagon. He returned when the bottom of his wagon was empty of finished goods and he would reckon his account with the mill at the predetermined rate. The difference was his profit.

Original 19th Century Ledger recording wool processing history. Click to enlarge.

Original journals of 1887 illustrate the accounting methods of the wool barter system. There are also records of wool being transported via the Pennsylvania Railroad, undoubtedly some from the Atlantic port cities. But this wool was expensive. The basic challenge for the millwright was to blend the limited types of wool in the most efficient combination to achieve the specific product for his market. The old people used to say "you can spin any fiber with two ends on the woolen system". This exaggeration underlines the confidence the period craftsmen had in their method of production.

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