Oral History Interview Lee Ebner

Partial Transcript: Today is March 25th, 1985. My name is Teka Ward. I'm interviewing Lee Ebner. Our interview is taking place at Top House on Kenwood Hill, home of The Little Loomhouses. Our topic is Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Segment Synopsis: Ward introduces the interview by giving the date, her name, her interviewee's name (Ebner), their location, and the topic.

Keywords: Lee Ebner; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse; Top House

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: As we begin, I want you to tell me something about yourself first.

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Ebner describes his personal and career background. He says that he worked for 32 years as the Staff Artist at The Courier-Journal/Louisville Times. He describes being introduced to Lou Tate through Nelle Peterson at the Art Center, but it took him a while to make his way out to the cabins because he wasn't very interested in crafts at that time. He would take pictures at the Little Loomhouse that would run in the newspaper. He talks about his impressions of Lou Tate, as well as her physical appearance. He also talks about attending some chili suppers in Esta. (There is a lot of background noise in this interview.)

Keywords: B.F. Goodrich; Bottom House; Chicago Academy of Fine Arts; Chili supper; Courier-Journal; Crafts; Esta; Hal Tenny; Kenwood Hill; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville Art Center; Louisville Times; Navy; Nelle Peterson; North Carolina; Pineville, Kentucky; Pineville, Ky; Roy Heimerdinger; Sally Moss; Sue Kendrick; The Courier-Journal; The Little Loomhouse; Top House

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Navies; Textile crafts; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Did you ever watch her teaching the young people?

Segment Synopsis: Ebner talks about Lou Tate's passion for teaching children. He tells a story about Lou Tate's pink lemonde, and how the children would drink regular pink lemonade, and the adults would drink spiked pink lemonade. Ward asks Ebner about the stories Lou Tate would tell when she taught children, and Ebner talks about Lou Tate's relationship with the Cherokee Indians.

Keywords: Cherokee Indian Reservation; Cherokee Nation; Cherokee Reservation; Cherokee, NC; Cherokee, North Carolina; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Native American Indians; Pink lemonade; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Cherokee Indians; Indian reservations; Indians of North America; Kentucky—History; Lemonade; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Teaching; Weaving

Partial Transcript: When you think back on her, and you remember her in the 50s when you first met her, and then in the 60s, and then in the 70s -- tell me what she was like...compare those.

Segment Synopsis: Ebner explains the changes in Lou Tate over the years. He attributes a lot of the changes in her focus and personality to the issues with her property and the erosion caused by nearby development. He talks about some of the photos he took of Lou Tate over the years and what stood out to him.

Keywords: Lawsuits; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Actions and defenses; Cigarettes; Erosion; Housing developers; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: You served on the board of directors of the Lou Tate Foundation Incorporated. Tell me about your involvement with that.

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Ebner talks about how he became involved with the board of directors of the Lou Tate Foundation Incorporated, as well as how he was elected to be president of the board.

Keywords: Bob Douglas; Lee Ebner; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Lou Tate Foundation Incorporated; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse; Top House

Subjects: Foundations; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Tell me how you found out that Lou Tate had died.

Segment Synopsis: Ebner talks about how he found out that Lou Tate had died. He had called the hospital looking for her, but they had no record of her, and a few days later he read that she had died in the newspaper. He talks about becoming involved with the Lou Tate Foundation at the funeral home. He recalls Lou Tate's memorial service, as well as the first meeting of the Lou Tate Foundation.

Keywords: Bob Douglas; Earle B. Fowler; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Lou Tate Foundation Incorporated; Louisa Tate Bousman; Masterson's; Norton Hospital; Sue Kendrick; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Death and burial; Funeral rites and ceremonies; Funeral service; Hospitals; Kentucky—History; Letters to the editor; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Memorial service; Memorial service programs; Weaving; Wills

Partial Transcript: You really liked Lou Tate, didn't you?

Segment Synopsis: Ebner talks about how Lou Tate reminded him of a pioneer, which is one of the reasons he liked her so much. He talks about how Lou Tate gave her car to a young man living in her neighborhood, so Ebner and his wife used to give Lou Tate rides to run her errands.

Keywords: Cars; Great Smoky Mountains; Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Smoky Mountain National Park; Smoky Mountains; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Automobiles; Kentucky—History; Log cabins; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Pioneers; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Now, beside her weaving, what else do you think she did with her time?

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Ebner says that he really didn't know too much about Lou Tate. Ward asks him about the Landmarks celebration, and he recalls who attended the event. He then talks about some of the out of town friends and visitors that Lou Tate had.

Keywords: Canada; David Banks; Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Nova Scotia; Pine Mountain Settlement School; Romano Mazzoli; Sarah Bailey; Senator Mazzoli; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Schools; Social settlements; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Oh, you asked about her background. I didn't know until after she passed away...

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Ebner shares his understanding of how Lou Tate worked for the President and First Lady Hoover, which is something he did not know about until after Lou Tate passed away.

Keywords: Berea College; First Lady Hoover; Herbert Hoover; Lou Henry Hoover; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mrs. Herbert Hoover; President Hoover; The Little Loomhouse; Washington, D.C.; Washington, DC

Subjects: First ladies; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Presidents; Presidents' spouses; Universities and colleges; Weaving

Partial Transcript: There's a photograph here at the Loomhouse. Tell the story behind that.

Segment Synopsis: Mr. Ebner describes how he came to own a newspaper illustration of Lou Tate.

Keywords: Courier-Journal; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville Times; Mary Phyllis Riedley; The Courier-Journal; The Little Loomhouse; Wes Kendall

Subjects: Illustrations; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Weaving