In the aftermath of the 1976 Big Thompson Canyon Flood, an unlikely survivor emerged from the wreckage: an unfinished crazy quilt, its vibrant colors marred by water damage, but otherwise remarkably intact.
The quilt now rests in the Loveland Museum’s collection, though little is known about its origins or how it survived. But its faded fabrics and unfinished seams offer a quiet testament to the lives interrupted when a wall of water tore through the canyon that July night.
“It’s really impressive how well it stayed together for how violent the flood was,” said Ashley Yager, the museum’s collections manager, as she showed off the quilt’s intricate embroidery, now marked by moisture stains. “The sad part is we don’t know whose it was or who found it. I’m hoping I’ll be able to find that somewhere.”
The quilt is one of only a handful of physical artifacts tied to the flood in the museum’s collection. As staff prepare an exhibit marking the disaster’s 50th anniversary, they are asking survivors, first responders and community members to share photographs, memorabilia and personal histories to help tell a fuller story of what was lost — and what endured…