On this day in 1916, future car racing legend Louise Smith is born in Barnsville, Georgia. Smith was the first woman to be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame. She was recruited for the fledgling National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) circuit by a promoter named Bill Frances who was looking to attract new spectators by featuring a female driver. Smith was known locally for outrunning law enforcement and agreed to race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in a 1939 Ford, finishing third.

Addie Sims Hardiman made this Wild Goose Chase quilt around 1905. The quilt was hand and machine pieced and hand quilted and is 74” x 78”. Hardiman made the quilt in Georgia, but it was documented during the Quilts of Tennessee project by the family member who inherited it.

View this quilt on The Quilt Index to read more about it’s history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view.

Source:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-lady-of-nascar-louise-smith-born

Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org