DALTON, Ga. — Each patch on the “Story of the Underground Railroad” quilt tells part of a story.

“The monkey wrench turns the wagon wheel toward Canada. With help from Jesus, the carpenter, follow the Bears’ Trail through the woods,” the description on the quilt reads in part. “Fill your baskets with enough food and supplies to get you to the crossroads.”

The quilt was designed by Peggy Wright and quilted by Anna Quarles. It is one of the quilts on display during the Family Quilt Exhibit hosted by the Dalton-Whitfield Senior Center today through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day. The senior center is at 302 Cappes St.

“People that were helping slaves back in the 1800s (as part of the Underground Railroad) would put out a certain quilt,” Wright said. “The patches on the quilt told slaves what to do and which direction to go toward freedom.”

Quilting classes are held at the senior center the second and fourth Fridays of the month from 12:30 to 4 p.m.

“The ladies are good friends in that class, they laugh, help work on different projects and copy patterns,” Wright said.

A “Log Cabin” quilt by Sue Gibson and “Pinwheel” by Quarles will also be on display at the senior center.

Julie Dyer, program coordinator for the senior center, said more than a dozen quilts are expected to be on display from various women in the community.

“The quilt exhibit is an idea I came up with about 12 years ago,” Dyer said.

Dyer has been with the senior center almost 30 years. She said the exhibit is easy to organize.

“When quilts are brought in I type information about the quilts, like who made it, how old it is and historic information about it,” she said.

She said the quilts vary in size and theme.

“We have some very recent quilts to older ones,” Dyer said. “One time I had a quilt that still had the newspaper for a pattern on the back, it was probably 80 to 90 years old.”

Wright said although some techniques have changed, quilting is a tradition she enjoys keeping alive.