What is a tick mattress?

A sack made of cloth with three one end left open for stuffing feathers or straw was called a tick. They were also called a feather tick if made with feathers and goose feathers were the most cherished. Usually the tick (sack) was made of tightly woven cloth such as canvas, broadcloth, or hemp and once the open end was sewn closed it became a cherished family mattress. These mattress were very valuable and remained in families for several generations, but of course when people used tick mattress their life span was much shorter than it is today.