"Barn Quilt Guy" speaks in Beaman

Barn quilts are about as Iowan as corn and pork tenderloins, but they have a secret history that many residents may be unaware of: they were actually used as codes to help escaping slaves along the Underground Railroad during the 19th century. Danny Steiber of Waverly, informally known as the “barn quilt guy,” addressed a crowd of about 15 on Saturday morning at the Beaman Memorial Library to explain this process and show off many of the barn quilts around Grundy County.
           
“Some of these people love their barn quilts more than their John Deere tractors,” he said.
           
As Iowa was a free state bordering a slave state (Missouri), it was a crucial point on the journey to freedom for slaves attempting to escape. One of the primary routes led from the Kansas City area through southwest Iowa and Des Moines and then east along the route that is now Interstate 80. 
 
Read more in this week's Grundy Register.