An 1826 needlework sampler showing great skill in its stitching has been put on display at the Thomas T. Taber museum in Williamsport, Pa., according to the Lycoming Country Historical Society, situated on Fourth Street in a locale known as Millionaires Row. The historic piece was created by Jane Morison, who likely was born in 1811 and lived in the Pine Creek Townshi section of the county. Her sampler inscription reads, Jane Morison her Sampler wrought in th/e fifteenth year of her age August 21 AD 1826 Pine Creek Township; Ly/coming County State of Pennsylvania. (The two slants are part of the inscription). Morisons needlework is the byproduct of an unknown instructor who showed her not only simple cross-stitching but the sophisticated moves of Algerian eye, satin, split and Queen stitches, according to Gary Parks, museum director. This is an exciting acquisition for the museum, Parks said in a news release. We have very few artifacts in the collection which relate to the pre-1850 history of the county, especially beyond Williamsport. Parks said the museum also has a sampler from adjoining Columbia County and one from Lancaster County. A friend told him of the Morison sampler, and the museum was able to negotiate a price to obtain it, he said. At 17.6 inches long and 12 inches wide, the framed sampler shows two uppercase alphabets and one lowercase plus the numbers 1 to 9 and is enclosed by a strawberry border. It is currently displayed in the Fine and Decorative Arts Gallery of the museum. In early America, most young women gained instructions in basic needlework to help fulfill future duties as wife, mother and housekeeper, according to the museums news release, which added that in 1826 there were few commodities in rural Lycoming County and that darning stitches and sewing were taught in order for a woman to clothe her family and prolong use of a textile via repair and modification. Textiles at the time often passed through the generations via wills, it was explained. We do not have any Williamsport samplers,, and I find that puzzling, said Parks. I know of several made in Muncy and Jersey Shore in the county but thus far I have not seen one made in the town of Williamsport. We would certainly like to add county samplers to our collection, as they reflect the life and times of an under-represented portion of the population (young women) within our collection, said Parks. The museum is named in honor of local historian and philanthropist Thomas T. Taber III. He has shared his knowledge of the regions railroads and its once-vast lumbering industry in 13 books he has authored, including Sunset Along Susquehanna Waters, Williamsport Lumber Capital, Sawmills Among the Derricks and The Williamsport and Elmira Railroad. The museum holds and displays the large collection of the Lycoming County Historical Society, which was formed in 1907. To learn more, visit www.tabermuseum.org.