Donna Farow Austin
The image of the woman is Donna Farrow Austin, Mollie Austin’s daughter; she is used to bring a face to the family, so the quilt is more relatable.
Donna Farrow Austin (courtesy of the Austin Family)
Corn
Isaac Austin worked as a self-employed farm laborer. While none of the collected documents referred to the type of crop he raised, we included a symbol of farming to represent Isaac Autin’s work and the family farm.
Welcome to Wake Forest Sign
Mollie Farrow’s news article discusses how she enjoyed her move to Wake Forest and the country life that came with it.Wake Forest is a historically African American town with deep roots in the descendants of enslaved and formerly enslaved people from the Kent Plantation. According to oral history, James Kent permitted newly freed enslaved persons to settle in the Wake Forest area on his land. During Reconstruction through the 1920s, farming and railroad-related industries were Wake Forest residents' primary employment sources.
Wake Forest Sign (courtesy of Kamille Simon)
Garden Tools
Used to show how the Austin family, specifically Isaac Austin, worked and lived through a rural farming lifestyle. Our nation’s history reflects the many barriers to land ownership and financial independence for Black farmers due to widespread racial discrimination. Generational debt was perpetuated by sharecropping and discriminatory New Deal policies, making it harder for Black farmers to thrive. However, Black farmers began to use their ingenuity and resilience to form cooperatives and support their community. By 1954, 129,854 non-white farmers in the South wholly owned and operated their farms.
Pulaski County Sign
The sign is meant to show that Mollie Farrow missed Pulaski but truly loved Wake Forest, highlighting the contrast between the two places as referenced in the article. Pulaski was initially known as “Mountain View Plantation” and was owned by a man named Robert Martin Jr. With the construction of the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad in 1854, the area became a railroad stop named “Martin’s Tank.” The land was primarily used for agriculture during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. The discovery of coal deposits in 1877 spurred the area’s shift to industrial land use. Pulaski received its modern name after the Martin family sold their land to various companies, including the Pulaski Land and Improvement Co.
Pulaski County Sign (courtesy of the Town of Pulaski)
Named Participant List
This document ensures that all family members—Mollie, Mary, Nannie, and Isaac Austin—are represented by name on the quilt. Isaac Austin is the father of the Austin family. Mary Austin is the eldest daughter signed onto the case Mollie Austin is the second-oldest daughter signed onto the case Nannie Austin is the youngest daughter signed onto the case
The transcript reads "Mary L. Austin, Mollie Austin, and Nannie B. Austin , infants, by Issac Austin, their father and next friend."
Corbin et al. v. County School Board of Pulaski County, VA. et al. Plaintiff List (courtesy of the District Court of the United States for the Western District of Virginia Roanoke Division)
Isaac Austin WWI Draft Registration Card
We included Isaac Austin’s registration card because it highlighted his work as a self-employed farmer. U.S. Registration Cards provided critical information and insights about several families and family members involved in the Corbin et al. v. County School Board of Pulaski County, VA. et al. case.
Issac Austin WWI Draft Registration Card (courtesy of Ancestry.com)
Images of the Wake Forest Church
Mollie Austin was a devoted member of the Wake Forest New Pentecostal United Holy Church at 200 Wake Forest Rd, Blacksburg, VA. The Wake Forest New Pentecostal United Holy Church was a historic church for the area's community. However, the congregation has declined over the generations due to the aging population of churchgoers, resulting in its recent closure.
Wake Forest Church
Wood Stove
Mary Austin was a houseworker, and we represented her occupation through tools she may have used during that time. In the 1950s, it was difficult for African American women to acquire skilled labor jobs. During World War II, Black women were encouraged to help the war effort by taking domestic labor jobs so that white women could work in the manufacturing industry. In 1960, around 33 percent of Black women worked as domestic laborers. Also, in the 1960s, less than 20 percent of Black women held clerical jobs, compared to around 50 percent of white women.
Mollie Farrow Newspaper Clipping
This newspaper clipping demonstrates the Austins’ enduring connection to rural life and shows that Mollie Farrow enjoyed country living after her marriage. Agriculture is one of the most populous industries in Southwest Virginia. The fertility of the soil and the vast waterways that inhabit the region solidified its status as a growing area for both the colonists and modern-day farmers. With the arrival of railroads in the mid-19th century, Pulaski's agricultural market expanded across the nation. However, there is a current decline in agriculture in Pulaski. There is a need to encourage younger generations to pursue this career and to ensure and improve the economic resilience of farms.
Wringer
Mary Austin was a houseworker, and we represented her occupation through tools she may have used during that time. In the 1950s, it was difficult for African American women to acquire skilled labor jobs. During World War II, Black women were encouraged to help the war effort by taking domestic labor jobs so that white women could work in the manufacturing industry. In 1960, around 33 percent of Black women worked as domestic laborers. Also, in the 1960s, less than 20 percent of Black women held clerical jobs, compared to around 50 percent of white women.
Austin Family Quilt Square
Jill Williams
Created on July 2, 2025
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Transcript
Donna Farow Austin
The image of the woman is Donna Farrow Austin, Mollie Austin’s daughter; she is used to bring a face to the family, so the quilt is more relatable.
Donna Farrow Austin (courtesy of the Austin Family)
Corn
Isaac Austin worked as a self-employed farm laborer. While none of the collected documents referred to the type of crop he raised, we included a symbol of farming to represent Isaac Autin’s work and the family farm.
Welcome to Wake Forest Sign
Mollie Farrow’s news article discusses how she enjoyed her move to Wake Forest and the country life that came with it.Wake Forest is a historically African American town with deep roots in the descendants of enslaved and formerly enslaved people from the Kent Plantation. According to oral history, James Kent permitted newly freed enslaved persons to settle in the Wake Forest area on his land. During Reconstruction through the 1920s, farming and railroad-related industries were Wake Forest residents' primary employment sources.
Wake Forest Sign (courtesy of Kamille Simon)
Garden Tools
Used to show how the Austin family, specifically Isaac Austin, worked and lived through a rural farming lifestyle. Our nation’s history reflects the many barriers to land ownership and financial independence for Black farmers due to widespread racial discrimination. Generational debt was perpetuated by sharecropping and discriminatory New Deal policies, making it harder for Black farmers to thrive. However, Black farmers began to use their ingenuity and resilience to form cooperatives and support their community. By 1954, 129,854 non-white farmers in the South wholly owned and operated their farms.
Pulaski County Sign
The sign is meant to show that Mollie Farrow missed Pulaski but truly loved Wake Forest, highlighting the contrast between the two places as referenced in the article. Pulaski was initially known as “Mountain View Plantation” and was owned by a man named Robert Martin Jr. With the construction of the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad in 1854, the area became a railroad stop named “Martin’s Tank.” The land was primarily used for agriculture during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. The discovery of coal deposits in 1877 spurred the area’s shift to industrial land use. Pulaski received its modern name after the Martin family sold their land to various companies, including the Pulaski Land and Improvement Co.
Pulaski County Sign (courtesy of the Town of Pulaski)
Named Participant List
This document ensures that all family members—Mollie, Mary, Nannie, and Isaac Austin—are represented by name on the quilt. Isaac Austin is the father of the Austin family. Mary Austin is the eldest daughter signed onto the case Mollie Austin is the second-oldest daughter signed onto the case Nannie Austin is the youngest daughter signed onto the case
The transcript reads "Mary L. Austin, Mollie Austin, and Nannie B. Austin , infants, by Issac Austin, their father and next friend."
Corbin et al. v. County School Board of Pulaski County, VA. et al. Plaintiff List (courtesy of the District Court of the United States for the Western District of Virginia Roanoke Division)
Isaac Austin WWI Draft Registration Card
We included Isaac Austin’s registration card because it highlighted his work as a self-employed farmer. U.S. Registration Cards provided critical information and insights about several families and family members involved in the Corbin et al. v. County School Board of Pulaski County, VA. et al. case.
Issac Austin WWI Draft Registration Card (courtesy of Ancestry.com)
Images of the Wake Forest Church
Mollie Austin was a devoted member of the Wake Forest New Pentecostal United Holy Church at 200 Wake Forest Rd, Blacksburg, VA. The Wake Forest New Pentecostal United Holy Church was a historic church for the area's community. However, the congregation has declined over the generations due to the aging population of churchgoers, resulting in its recent closure.
Wake Forest Church
Wood Stove
Mary Austin was a houseworker, and we represented her occupation through tools she may have used during that time. In the 1950s, it was difficult for African American women to acquire skilled labor jobs. During World War II, Black women were encouraged to help the war effort by taking domestic labor jobs so that white women could work in the manufacturing industry. In 1960, around 33 percent of Black women worked as domestic laborers. Also, in the 1960s, less than 20 percent of Black women held clerical jobs, compared to around 50 percent of white women.
Mollie Farrow Newspaper Clipping
This newspaper clipping demonstrates the Austins’ enduring connection to rural life and shows that Mollie Farrow enjoyed country living after her marriage. Agriculture is one of the most populous industries in Southwest Virginia. The fertility of the soil and the vast waterways that inhabit the region solidified its status as a growing area for both the colonists and modern-day farmers. With the arrival of railroads in the mid-19th century, Pulaski's agricultural market expanded across the nation. However, there is a current decline in agriculture in Pulaski. There is a need to encourage younger generations to pursue this career and to ensure and improve the economic resilience of farms.
Wringer
Mary Austin was a houseworker, and we represented her occupation through tools she may have used during that time. In the 1950s, it was difficult for African American women to acquire skilled labor jobs. During World War II, Black women were encouraged to help the war effort by taking domestic labor jobs so that white women could work in the manufacturing industry. In 1960, around 33 percent of Black women worked as domestic laborers. Also, in the 1960s, less than 20 percent of Black women held clerical jobs, compared to around 50 percent of white women.