Oral History Interview Kitty Tenny & Hal Tenny

Partial Transcript: Today is May 12th, 1984. My name is Teka Ward. I am interviewing Hal and Kitty Tenny. We are are 1619 Ellwood Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. Our topic is Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Segment Synopsis: Teka Ward introduces the interview with Hal and Kitty Tenny about Lou Tate and the Little Loomhouse.

Keywords: Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Teka Ward; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: Kitty please tell me what you first remember about meeting Lou Tate, or how you happened to meet her.

Segment Synopsis: Kitty Tenny describes how her family first became acquainted with Lou Tate. She also explains that they became Lou Tate's neighbor after they bought a log house on Kenwood Hill. Hal Tenny explains that Lou Tate was a storyteller. Hal Tenny then goes into his own story about how his family lived in the "Hill House," which was the house of the Hill sisters who are credited with writing "Happy Birthday." Kitty and Hal also describe Lou Tate's ice cream trips with her students and her dog, Skipper.

Keywords: Ellen Tenny; Hal Tenny; Happy Birthday; Hill House; Kenwood Hill; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Mary D. Hill; Patty Hill; Possum Path; The Courier-Journal; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: And then Ellen, well she had been weaving for about four years by the time she was 12. And when she was 12, I don't know who made the arrangements, but she went out to Fort Knox and taught a class of children basic weaving, which I thought was a pretty great experience for her as well as for those kids.

Segment Synopsis: Hal Tenny talks about how their daughter, Ellen Tenny, helped Lou Tate teach weaving at Fort Knox, and how this led to a friendship with a Panamanian woman named Diana, who ended up teaching them how to make pottery as well.

Keywords: Alliance for Progress; Ellen Tenny; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Knox, Ky; Ft. Knox, Kentucky; Ft. Knox, Ky; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Panama; Panamanian

Subjects: Clay; Cuna Indians; Dyes and dyeing; Indian art--Panama; Indians of Central America--Panama; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Pottery; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Now do you ever remember her talking to you all about making the loom or how it first came about or anything like that?

Segment Synopsis: Hal and Kitty Tenny talk briefly about Lou Tate's invention of the Little Loom, and then go on to describe Lou Tate's teaching style. They explain that Lou Tate allowed her students to have a lot of freedom of expression, but they also describe her as a disciplinarian. They also explain how Lou Tate incorporated stories and lessons about American History with her weaving lessons. Kitty and Hal Tenny also describe Lou Tate as a reader, and she specifically enjoyed reading mysteries.

Keywords: American History; Ellen Tenny; Little looms; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mr. Heimerdinger; The Little Loom; Top House; Treadle

Subjects: Kentucky—History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Mystery; Pedal-powered mechanisms; Weaving

Partial Transcript: You mean Lou Tate planted a lot of things around the property?

Segment Synopsis: Hal and Kitty Tenny explain Lou Tate's relationship with her property, and how she came to own the cabins. They also talk about Lou Tate's coverlet collection, and her collections of antique china and silver. They recall Lou Tate hosting them to eat chili at her house, in her antique china, using the antique silverware.

Keywords: Bottom House; Chili; Ellen Tenny; Esta; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Coverlets; Coverlets--Private collections; Kentucky—History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Outhouses; Weaving

Partial Transcript: Mrs. Frederica Dunnagan and I were two of the last of her friends to see Lou alive.

Segment Synopsis: Hal Tenny recalls that he was one of the last friends to see Lou Tate before she died. Hal and Kitty's grandchild was born the day after Lou Tate died. Hal Tenny recalls a story about he and Lou Tate hiking to the grocery store in a winter storm.

Keywords: Frederica Dunnagan; Kenwood Hill; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky

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

Partial Transcript: At that time I was in the music business. I was selling musical instruments.

Segment Synopsis: Hal Tenny explains how they began hosting a summertime Arts and Crafts festival on Kenwood Hill with Lou Tate. They called it the Midsummer Festival.

Keywords: Kenwood Hill; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Midsummer Festival; Saint Meinrad Archabbey; St. Meinrad's; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: It was just a tremendous experience, living experience, for us. I regret having lost the house because of the water damage, but we had 15 years there.

Segment Synopsis: Hal and Kitty Tenny explain that they lived in Hill House for 15 years, but that they lost the house because of water damage.

Keywords: Hill House; Kenwood Hill; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Water damage

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

Partial Transcript: This is the beginning of side two. Please continue, you were talking about the children coming to visit the place.

Segment Synopsis: Kitty Tenny recalls that Lou Tate taught many grade school age children about weaving and history. She specifically remembers a trip when Lou Tate took students to Mammoth Cave. Lou Tate always encouraged her students to teach others as well.

Keywords: Kenwood Hill; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mammoth Cave; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Children; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; National parks and reserves; Teaching; Weaving

Partial Transcript: I think an interesting little side-light would be to tell about when Ellen went to the Smithsonian to the exhibit of weaving one day...

Segment Synopsis: Kitty Tenny tells a story about when her daughter, Ellen, visited a weaving exhibit at the Smithsonian. The docent at the exhibit was impressed to learn that Ellen had learned to weave from Lou Tate, and realized what a national reputation Lou Tate had. Kitty Tenny mentions that Lou Tate worked for Lou Henry Hoover.

Keywords: Eleanor Roosevelt; Ellen Tenny; First Lady Hoover; First Lady Roosevelt; Lou Henry Hoover; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt; Mrs. Herbert Hoover; Smithsonian

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

Partial Transcript: We had a...the second dog that we had on the hill there...our dogs loved Lou Tate.

Segment Synopsis: Hal Tenny recalls how much their dogs loved Lou Tate and vice versa. He tells a story about how one of their dogs used to climb into bed with Lou Tate when they were away from home. Lou Tate loved any animals but squirrels because of the damage they would do to the cabins. Hal goes on to explain how they ended up living in Louisville.

Keywords: Coon Trail; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Knox, Ky; Hal Tenny; Kenwood Hill; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Possum Path; The Little Loomhouse; WHAS

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

Partial Transcript: Kitty did you yourself ever take lessons from Lou Tate about weaving?

Segment Synopsis: Kitty talks about how difficult it was to warp a loom, and how that was about the only thing she got to do at the Loomhouse. Kitty describes some photos of items that Lou Tate wove for the Tenny family: a table runner and some placemats. She also talks about a chair and a bowl that Lou Tate gave to them. Kitty describes a photo of Lou Tate wearing a coat made by the Seminoles.

Keywords: Florida; Kenwood Hill; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Opium bowl; Seminoles; The Little Loomhouse; Warp

Subjects: Gifts; Kentucky--History; Looms; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Opium; Photographs; Seminole Indians; Weaving

Partial Transcript: And you were telling me about that. Can you talk about that more?

Segment Synopsis: Hal Tenny explains that their grandson was born just a day after Lou Tate died. They find a special meaning in that transition of life. He also describes his last visit with Lou Tate in the hospital just a few days before her death. Further, Hal Tenny talks about the memorial held at The Little Loomhouse after Lou Tate's death.

Keywords: David Banks; Ellen Tenny; Frederica Dunnagan; Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; Salem, MA; Salem, Massachusetts; The Little Loomhouse

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

Partial Transcript: But then before she died, that's when she decided who would get what. She didn't wait.

Segment Synopsis: Hal Tenny describes that Lou Tate did not have a will to give items to people. Instead, she gave the items to the people she wanted to have them prior to her death, or told them what she wanted them to have.

Keywords: China set; Ellen Tenny; Frederica Dunnagan; Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Porcelain; Rugs, Oriental; Weaving; Wills

Partial Transcript: One other thing that Lou was great with was she was able to get people to contribute things to the Loomhouse.

Segment Synopsis: Hal Tenny talks about how skilled Lou Tate was at getting people and companies to donate supplies to The Little Loomhouse. Kitty Tenny talks about how Lou Tate also bought everything in bulk to save money.

Keywords: Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; The Little Loomhouse

Subjects: Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Postage stamps; Weaving; Yarn

Partial Transcript: Now in Wisteria...what did she use the Wisteria cabin for mostly?

Segment Synopsis: Hal Tenny talks about what Wisteria was used for (storage) and what Lou Tate dreamed Wisteria would be used for (a gallery). She lived in one of the other cabins, and used the other for teaching. Hal Tenny also talks about how the wisteria plant is beautiful but is also very destructive, and he thinks that the plant helped to damage the Wisteria cabin. Hal Tenny says that they helped a little with The Loomhouse after Lou Tate's death, but not as much as many others. They still return to The Little Loomhouse now for open houses though. Hal Tenny ends by stating what a profound effect Lou Tate had on their whole family's lives.

Keywords: Galleries; Gallery; Hal Tenny; Kitty Tenny; Lou Tate; Lou Tate Bousman; Louisa Tate Bousman; Louisville, Kentucky; Louisville, Ky; The Little Loomhouse; Wisteria

Subjects: Art museums; Kentucky--History; Louisville (Ky.)--History; Restoration and conservation; Weaving