January 2026 Artifact of the Month: Pioneer Cotton Blanket

This month’s featured artifact is a pioneer cotton blanket woven at the Cotton Mill in Washington, Utah, before the 20th century—a tangible reminder of Southern Utah’s Cotton Mission and the resilience of its early settlers.

Woven from locally produced cotton, this blanket shows clear signs of frequent use and careful mending. Each repair tells a quiet story of necessity, thrift, and perseverance during a time when resources were limited and nothing went to waste.

The blanket was donated on February 26, 1983, by the children of Frank and Mary Bryner Cannon, preserving not only a household textile, but a lived experience from Utah’s Dixie. Textiles like this were essential to pioneer families—providing warmth, comfort, and practicality in a harsh desert environment.

As we prepare for this month’s Third Weekend Event on Saturday, January 17, this artifact connects directly to our presentation on the Cotton Mission, which explores why cotton was produced in Southern Utah and how it shaped early settlement, industry, and community life in Utah’s Dixie.

We invite you to see this artifact in person and consider the many pioneer families who depended on the cotton mill’s work for warmth, comfort, and daily living.

📍 On display in Room 5 at the McQuarrie Memorial Museum

🎟️ Free admission

Red Cotton Blanket woven at the Cotton Mill in Washington, Utah, before the 20th Century

Red Pioneer-era cotton-mill blanket with frayed edges.