To honor the Douglas County Historical Society’s 75th anniversary, the Watkins Community Museum of History, 1047 Mass., will be hosting quilt shows throughout 2008. The first exhibition highlights quilts of the 1930s and 1940s, open now through March 22.

Many of the quilts are from the museum’s collection. One such quilt was donated by Georgia B. Willman. In 1933, her bridge club made four quilt blocks each to serve as prizes. Georgia won so many that she made a quilt. Three quilts of the John B. and Marian Rose Collection are also on display.

Several of the quilts were loaned for the exhibit by historical society members and members of the Kaw Valley Quilt Guild. Betsy Joy is exhibiting an unusual quilt she found in an antique store; it combines hearts and a wedding ring pattern. Ferrol Lattin has loaned several friendship quilts. Church ladies, clubs and friends often made quilt blocks, embroidered their name on them, and then gathered to make a quilt – a friendship quilt.

Future quilt shows will be “Quilts of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s,” April 22 through June 7, and “Quilts of the 1980s, 1990s, and Present,” Sept. 2 through Oct. 18.