Wheeler and Wilson sewing machine, 1869

Made by Wheeler and Wilson, Bridgeport, CT

In 1870 over 460,000 machines were manufactured in 13 different American factories. Wheeler & Wilson marketed this popular, light-weight machine with a special glass presser foot that allowed the seamstress to see the stitching and sew close to an edge. Although sewing-machine prices dropped after the Civil War, a machine was still a sizeable investment. Some neighboring families pooled their money to share a machine or purchased a machine on an installment plan. This machine was purchased from a dealer in St. Louis by Maria de la Fontaine Heimberger of Mascoutah, Illinois.

Gift of Ethelyn Draser Boyd, Mascoutah, IL (1989.32.1)

Other

© Illinois State Museum 31-Dec-96