View Larger Image
Pamelia's Path by Betsy Chutchian for Moda
For Pamelia’s Path, I drew inspiration from the life of Pamelia Dillin Fergus, born in 1824 on the early frontier of upstate New York. At 18, she journeyed west to Illinois, where she married James Fergus and began raising a family. In 1855, she followed him by steamboat to present-day Minnesota, and later endured four years alone with four children while James sought gold in the Rockies. In 1864, armed with gold dust and determination, Pamelia outfitted two wagons, gathered her children, and joined a wagon train bound for Montana. Driving one team of oxen herself, she completed the arduous journey to what would become her final frontier home. Circle the Wagons, Nuggets and Dust, and The Path Toward Home are all rooted in the courage and resilience of this remarkable pioneer woman. ~Betsy
