Mina Kuthe was inspired to make her All American Signature Quilt by an article in Life magazine describing a quilt signed by Abraham Lincoln. She began writing letters to people requesting signatures in 1974; she received 154 back. Stories behind receiving the signatures tell as much about the state of the country as the presence of the signatures on the quilt. Kuthe received blocks from the Nixon family on the day he resigned followed closely by the newly installed Ford’s signature the following week.