Oral History Interview Micki Lawson

Partial Transcript: Today is March 25th, 1985. My name is Teka Ward. I'm interviewing Micki Lawson. We are at 329 Possum Path, Louisville, Kentucky. 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 (Lawson), their location, and the topic.

Keywords: Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Micki Lawson; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: As we begin, tell me something about yourself first.

Segment Synopsis: Lawson describes herself briefly and jumps quickly into talking about Lou Tate. She tells about hearing of and meeting Lou Tate because her children went up to The Little Loomhouse to weave. She mentions the story of Lou Tate taking kids to get ice cream cones with her dog as well. Lawson's family ended up building a house on Kenwood Hill in the mid 1960s. After that, they would invite Lou Tate over for holidays sometimes.

Keywords: Esplanade Avenue; Kenwood Hill; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Building; Dogs; Erosion; Holidays; Ice cream cones; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Station wagons; Storytellers; Teachers; Teaching; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Did your children learn how to weave?

Segment Synopsis: Lawson speaks highly of the way Lou Tate interacted with children and her techniques for teaching them how to weave. She often used history in her teaching. Lawson speaks about some of the social gatherings that Lou Tate hosted on Kenwood Hill, including open houses. She also talks about the times that famous people such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Eleanor Roosevelt visited The Little Loomhouse. Lawson refers to Lou Tate as a very famous person in the South End (of Louisville).

Keywords: 3rd St.; Berea College; Cherokees; Eleanor Roosevelt; First Lady Roosevelt; Frank Lloyd Wright; Kids; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mrs. Roosevelt; Native American Indians; Open houses; Researchers; South End; The Little Loomhouse; Third Street; University of Michigan

Subjects: Cherokee Indians; Children; First ladies; Indians of North America; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Presidents' spouses; Research; Teachers; Teaching; Universities and colleges; Weaving

Partial Transcript: And then, when she would use you kind of like, if you could understand something...

Segment Synopsis: Lawson talks about helping Lou Tate with her publications by reading over some of the things she wrote to see if she could understand them, and by drawing images. They then move on to talking about open houses again, and about how Brother Kim Malloy attended some of the open houses, as well as how people from all over the world would visit Lou Tate.

Keywords: Brother Kim Malloy; Designs; Indiana; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Open houses; Saint Meinrad Archabbey; Saint Meinrad's; St. Meinrad Archabbey; St. Meinrad's; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Drawings; Dyes and dyeing; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Publications; Sheep; Weaving; Wool; Wool-carding

Partial Transcript: Did she ever talk to you about any of her trips, say to Chicago or to Nova Scotia?

Segment Synopsis: Lawson talks briefly about many of Lou Tate's travels. She mentions Florida, Nova Scotia, and The White House specifically. They return to talking about visitors who often taught at Lou Tate's open houses, including basketmaker Sarah Bailey.

Keywords: Basket weaving; Basketmaking; Basketweaving; Brother Kim Malloy; Canada; Chicago; Ed Dienes; Florida; Honeysuckle baskets; Illinois; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Nova Scotia; Sarah Bailey; Shakers; South Union; The Little Loomhouse; The White House; Vegetable Dyeing

Subjects: Basket making; Baskets; Dye plants; Dyes and dyeing; Honeysuckles; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Shaker art; Spinning; Travel; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Did you ever watch her weave?

Segment Synopsis: Lawson talks again about how Lou Tate's teaching style was important because she actually enjoyed working with children and genuinely wanted them to learn how to weave, not just look at the weavings. Ward asks Lawson how she would characterize Lou Tate over the decades, and how she was later in life. Ward also asks about the landmarks dedication, which leads to a brief conversation about the preservation of the buildings.

Keywords: Dexter Wright; Kids; Landmarks dedication; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Children; Education; Erosion; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Preservation; Squirrels; Teachers; Teaching; Weaving

Partial Transcript: You said that you knew Nelle Peterson?

Segment Synopsis: Teka Ward asks Lawson if she ever met Nelle Peterson, which she says she did not. This leads them to talking about a newspaper article that Lawson had clipped featuring her teachers at the Arts Center and the Little Loomhouse, years before she knew the Little Loomhouse existed. They also talk about a Letter to the Editor written by Lou Tate about Lawson.

Keywords: Arts Center; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Nelle Peterson; Newspaper article; Newspaper clipping; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Art centers; Kentucky--History; Letters to the editor; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Newspapers; Weaving

Partial Transcript: We have a...we took a photograph of a drawing that you made and then painted in, and then we had three other pieces in it. Tell the story on those.

Segment Synopsis: Lawson talks about the objects that are featured in a photograph that she and Ward are looking at. Most of the items photographed were made by Lou Tate and given to Lawson as gifts.

Keywords: Change purse; Forsaken Lover; Kleenex holder; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Photographs; Pillows; Place mats; Weaving

Partial Transcript: You were on the founding board of directors? Tell about the time leading up to Lou Tate's death, and then what happened afterward.

Segment Synopsis: Lawson talks about trying to visit Lou Tate in the hospital when she was dying, and being turned away due to a miscommunication. She also talks about being on the founding board of directors of the Lou Tate Foundation and some of the struggles they had on the foundation. The interview is interrupted by the phone ringing and when they return, Lawson mentions a basket that Lou Tate gave to her towards the end of her life.

Keywords: "On Death and Dying"; Ann Kiper; Cherokee baskets; Founding board of directors; Land boundaries; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Lou Tate Foundation; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mysteries; Mystery books; Property boundaries; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Baskets; Boards of directors; Cherokee Indians; Foundations; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Mystery; Neighbors; Reading; Right of property; Weaving

Partial Transcript: You were telling me about the soldiers...

Segment Synopsis: Lawson tells about how Lou Tate's family would invite the soldiers from Fort Knox to their house during the war to have dinner. She then jumps to mentioning that Lou Tate would come for dinner at her house, but she never liked desserts. Finally, Lawson talks a little bit about how Lou Tate described the history of Kenwood Hill. The interview tape jumps around in this section.

Keywords: Buffalo; Devil's Backbone; Fort Knox; Ft. Knox; Kenwood Hill; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Native American Indians; New Cut Rd; New Cut Road; Sunshine Hill; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: American bison; Bridge (Game); Card games; Desserts; Hunting; Indians of North America; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Soldiers; Weaving