Pioneers clothing: Sorry, this is rather long, but I think you'll find it interesting. Not only did immigrants make clothing from wool (linsey wool), but cotton goes back to 1607 in the US. The early explorers to the new world first saw cotton growing in the West Indies. Southerners went from growing tobacco and rice to growing cotton, due to Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in 1793. Don't forget that due to the spreading of slavery in the south, cotton brought about the Civil War. Cotton is still one of the most valuable agricultural products in the US. Remember those LOOMs we discussed? Here again, was what the looms were used for. There's nothing like those good old cotton rag rugs that are washable. Several years ago I purchased one at an antique show in Michigan that was 3-1/2 X 13-1/2 feet long. Carried it home on the plane. My neighbor has one that is long enough for a hall runner and would cover a long flight of stairs--unbelievable!! I saw it being aired on the clothesline one day. It covered one clothesline and went back up another. Cotton is one of the reasons some of our ancestors migrated to the west. They became migrant workers on cotton farms. About 1920, my dad's two brothers and 2 sisters were already in Texas and California. My dad worked for the railroad. His family talked him into going to Texas to pick cotton. He ordered train passes for himself, my mother, and two sisters who were babies. They sold all their material belongings that couldn't be transported by train. About 300 jars of canned goods, milk cows, and other farm animals went back to my grandfather. Household belongings were sold. My mother sold dishes, something like a tupperware party today, received a set of china for her sales, and with $60, she went to Middlesboro, Ky, to purchase wardrobe for herself, and dresses for the two little girls. It was probably the girls' first storebought clothing. She bought herself a broadbrimmed black hat with a large pink plume that went from front to back--very lovely. She had long dark hair. (I have an 18" length of her hair when it was cut about 60 years ago.) They were ready to go to Texas. They waited for the train passes, week after week went by. Passes never came. Finally, the cotton picking season ended; it was too late for them to go to Texas. My dad went back to his job with the railroad. A short time later, he learned that his supervisor had received the train passes and hid them, never telling my dad they had come in the mail. Supervisor claimed he was the best railroad worker he had. Didn't want to lose him. My dad never spoke to the man again. Just a little history on cotton, and another family story!! Pat