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 (Biography)-

Born Jeanette Bell, November 20, 1881, in Ashland, Kentucky, she was the daughter of
George and Kate Smith Bell. After graduation from Holy Family School, she attended
business school and became a court stenographer. Her first position took her through
the mountains into several communities, where she learned much about Appalachian and
particularly Kentucky folklore.

She also learned about the folk songs of the area and began collecting them, first as a
nobby, later as part of a dedicated work to save the songs for her people.

She worked in New York as a free lance writer and had her work published in several
magazineso She also worked for a National League Baseball team in New York. She met
and married Bert Thomas of New York. Later they were legally separated and she went to
hollywood, where she worked as a script girl for Cecil B. DeMille.

In 1930, at the age of 49, she organized the American Folk Song Festival, 3 "Singing'
"atherinv" as she referred to it. It was patterned after the Singin' Gatherin's she
:ttended in the Kentucky mountains years before. The people from a surrounding region
would gather to sing the songs of their childhood, old hymns, folksongs, chanteys to
mountain music made with the gourd banjo, the dulcimer, the fiddle and other simple
instruments.

She wrote nine books dealing with the Kentucky folklore: Devil'sDitties, The Traipsin'
fioman, The Singing Fiddler of Lost Hope Hollow, Ballad Makin“ in the Mountains of
Kentucky, The Singin' Gatherin' (Tunes from the Southern Appalachians), Big Sandy, The
Sun Shines Bright, Blue Ridge Country.

huring the war years (World War II) the Gatherin's were simpler and smaller. But after
L943 they were resumed with crowds attending them, becoming larger each year.

The Gatherin's were always held in a natural amphitheater on the land adjacent to her
iome. The first festivals were held at her home on Mayo Trail, the others at the home
to which she moved on Cogan Street in Ashland. “

Aecause she collected artifacts and memorabilia of all kinds, her home became a trea-
n.re house of the passing times, antiques and trivia increasing in value in the passing
Jears.

as her home assumed museum proportions she expressed the wish that the state of
tentucky would take it over, complete with furnishings and use it for a museum.

' ‘-»( '
Jot until after she had entered a nursing home, when her nepHeW‘and niece offered it
or her, were funds found to make that wish possible.

Tarl Sandburg (noted poet) said of her: She knows her people and their songs, has

ived long with her materials and has framed them in book-scheme that is an admirable
recomplishment. Jean Thomas gets our praise fbr devotion and skill in rendering her
,eople.

(rskine Caldwell (noted author) said to her: I think you are the one person in this
sountry to write a volume covering the mountain region from Virginia to Georgia.

‘bnstruction fer the Appalachian Park funded by the Kentucky Convention Cbmmunity
‘enters, and Recreation Fund through Fivco Development District. Interpretation of
Lhis project funded in part by the Kentucky Humanities Council.

 

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Jean Bell Thomas lived through more than a cen-
tury.of Northeastern Kentucky history and, in her uni—
que approach, recorded a lot of that. Because she decid-
‘ed, sometime early in this century, to focus upon the
songs and tales of the country around us, they are
transcribed in book, on tape, by word and note.

Jean Thomas created her own stage and brought

these players to the world, demonstrating in person how

‘they sounded‘ a foxhorn or strummed a dulcimer. The
color and Showmanship she added to her own collection
,Of characters gave charm, although some around her
often considered it overly creative.

V Daughter of a railroad engineer and teacher, she
based her total work upon what she traditionally termed
a'chance finding.

. It was on a warm Sunday in June, she said, while
riding a ,jolt wagon, that she accidentally came upon a

' group of'older mountain folk and children, gathered in

, their own annual “singin’ gatherin’f,’ From that point

onward."she transcribed their lyrics and tales and

'l ' ' preserved them for posterity.

If transcription wasn’t enough, she presented them
for the public. Through the years, she put much of
~ herself into the act, showing the world on her own stage

3' her version of how things were done. -,
,‘ ‘Whatever Jean Thomas did, it was totally her show.

 

 

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The Singin ’ Gatizerén ’

Arrayed in her traditional long, black dress with white collar, Jean

Thomas presides over the 1969 version of her American Fcik Song

Festival. This show, on a stage created at Cascade Caverns, duplicates

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the McGuffey Log School platform in Ashland where the show was long

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 CFICI mi" ‘ i9 \ . . I .
\ At thattI-me, she lived In Greenwich Village and was a t. . , _ 2 , Iiowell and BU”
Iaie nographer for people like the Rocketeilers and -‘ . =en 2’ t d _
I‘I’anderbilts. At one time she was a stenographer for; 7 -. _;' .- - — Icap Iure , In
”Texas" GUinan, colortul ImpressarIo of the Roaring ~ . ' ‘Slirs'te :01”: Sliyle
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While in New York workIng and studyIng, Mrs. '3. Hollow I, J. W.
Thomas often existed on nothing but a doughnut and a_. ‘ . tiers. Da
:up of coffee. ”You know, the cup of coffee was a nickle . _- . ’ t Y was a
and the doughnut was free.” Now, she does not eat many. ’ ' _- '- . "2 2' I)“ 0 perform at
jOUgH-nufs . .3 _ - . Isl great to get a
Mrs. Thbmas also worked In Holly/Wood as a script girl 2 ' 2 , t ' ’ . _
1or Cecil B DeMille, where she met ”all the very best ._ 1 3: istl parkof the
geople, like Beulah Bondi and Mary Margaret McBride. 3:“ , 2, . , 1e second '5
”You know, the greater people are, the humbler, I . ,V “d active. She
-Impler and easier toapproach they are. Itis people who: - ,. "j . - .I ’ 3 .
are inéecure within themselves that are afraid someone“; . 1* - - ’ atates. One tIrne
Ilill call their hand. ” - ' : -~ ’ » ’ ' . , sQldIer hleld In
But the tiny woman finnally came back to the land of .. ' ~- - ‘3” audience‘sof
her birth Where, at the age of I7, she began ”traipsin’-" 1 - 2 - ‘
as a coUrt ‘tenographer! riding the circuit. in a . . .- 2 , I-atihome In h?r__ _
wagon - 4 ._~. 7.6" .- _ the smallest In -
- :1] dopt now what they mean about this women s _; . 4 3. .0” know, 1L'15
'1‘ moving all around the coUntry Is part (3 ' ' E' ‘ , ‘1 moved from 7
it, theniguessi . , I;- ef- 011']! yes, the .
She notedjthat most women of her day; stayed ' . ~ , 99k - 3 -
Iddtake shorthand at" 280 wordsper minute i' - ' , ’ . ome, smce thé.
~. . _ . _ ._ -. _ . rical Society.

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strong. ,
' ' ' “lnever dreamed i would come back to KentUcky. but * V I
xie {vi/ho died six years ago) talked me into - ' THE TRAIPS'N WOMAN—Although She M” be 92 years or}: No“ “I Iomas says she i.
‘ (Continued on Page 16. Col. 3) .. . _ j -> I; S Thomas, "The Traipsin Woman,” '3 interested in only one thing —k6( I
. . 3 . , . .. - _ '.-' .t :f .. “active Offhose 94 years she .53st . Whata “35: {FY friemL ah, whafa V Itall,bU1‘ I do
. ' - ~ ‘ i: we" ...IIIgsI1Ia"I I have Iearned the hard way.
1 - . "But I have to keep moving, even here in the h0use.
_Don’t expect me to sit Jady- like, like a pedagogue,
_ because my life has been one of learning and sharing.
. ”Maybe I talk too much but I’ m afraid I will miss
something and when I'm not talking I’ m singing.”

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H, (SLYIT‘ g Cl‘lCACl, Plea S, a’y‘heye ” ' . ”H“ » \

Mrs. Thomas said lhsee so: .95 mounlain people Sing 3
al .7. Is had a fascinalion for her. While she was riding l
circuil, she collecled many of lhem. l

g The folklore, lradilions and music of lhe Inounlain Vt
people were viI lgually unchanged from lhe ElizaLe lhan
ballads lhal immigranls bIoughl lo lhis counlIy from
lhe Brilish lsles. Jean lhoughl lhey Inig hl be WOIlh
preserving.

So in me l le T9305, v- ilh lhe help of lIiends in New
Yoxk and l iollva/ood, including Brook 5 Alkinson, i'nen
drama crilic forl he l.’:w YOI k Times, she founded lhe

. American Folk Song Feslival and Sociely lo bring Ihe

”singin’ galher' In’ oul of lhe mounlains. ”

For years, lhe rich music, accompanied by dulcimer,
fiddle, lule and IeCCI o'er was co Ilinued in lhe feslival,
along wilh elaborale coslumes

“l lhink lhe Be efealers coslume was lhe besl, ” she
recalled.- -

Many of lhe coslumes are upslairs in her home. .

' During lhe years of lhe leslival, which she had lo give

up lhree years ago, many peIsonal friends and

acquainlances have helped by serving on her advisory ‘ .
‘ board. -

‘ She also appeared on nalional lelevision wilh sUch
nolables as Carl Sandburg, Erskine Caldwell and Burl
lves in ”Galeways lo Folk Music. ” .

The lradilions and folklore have been caplured in
some of her nine books She lI ied lo preserve a life slyle
lhal would have olherwise been losl lo lulure’
generalions '

_ ln lhe “Singin’ Fiddler of Losl Hope Hollow,” J. W.
Day has been immorlalized as Jilson Sellers. Day was a
blind fiddler Mrs‘. Thomas look lo London lo perform al
lhe invilalion of Brilain’ s royally. _”ll is greal lo gel a
slanding ovalion in Royal Alberl Hall. ” . .

”The Sun Shines Brighl” is lhe firsl parl\ of lhe .
~Traipsin’ Woman’ 5 aulobiography and lhe second is g
promised soon. ”I have lo keep my mind aclive. ” She
also wrole several folk operas. -
> Mrs. Thomas also performed' In olher slales. One lime
she look a group from Kenlucky lo Soldier Field in
Chicago, where lhey performed before; an audience of

'vmore lhan 80,000. -» g .. ~ ‘

‘ Now she does nol lravel. She slays al home in her,
”Wee HoUse In lhe Woods," a museum, ”lhe smallesl‘ In 'i
lhe world ,’{ and works on her book. ”You know, lhis
house is more lhan a cenlury old. I had il moved from
lhe riverfronl because I havea fear of waler. Oh yes, lhe '
old zinclub Is good enough for me oncea week "- ». 3 : 'fl ‘.
. Mrs. Thomas has a few lourisls In her home, since lhe

~ ymuseum is lisled by lhe KenluCky Hislorical Sociely. ,
~ “I have an original MtGuffy reading charl and , if l-
sold il, i could live forever on il, bul I am nol selling
' anylhing. “ ~~i .. ' .
' -' If she had lo live her life over, Jean Thomas says she. ,

would change nolhing. . ,

”Allimes il has been hard. ldon’l know il all, bul I do

l know a few lhings lhal l have learned lhe hard way.

. . “Bul l have lo keep moving, even here in lhe house. '
‘ Don’l expecl me lo sil lady- like, like a pedagogue, _
because my life has been one of learning and sharing.

‘ “Maybe I lalk loo much bul l’ m afraid I will miss
somelhing and when I m nol lalking l m singing. “ ’

 

 

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Today’s Jean Thorncis’ 96in

1:341:57 i" ty To i' '1' if) n or

By Btu- eELAeGER
Horatd-Dispatch Fine Arts Editor ,

ASrlLAND —— Today is the 95th birthday of
Joan Thomas, who spent most of her life pre-
serving end populzxrizing the folklore, music
and ti.iditions of the Appalachian mountain
people.

At 2:30 today, a party in her honor will be
hetd at Wurtland (Ky) Manor Nursing Home,
where she now resides.

Forty-five minutes of entertuinrnr-nt will be
turnish:d by John Slzaggs, the Follil'o‘iders
with Carol Preitzel, Jhsnda Ste; 5 F‘oynter,
accompanied by Tony Ma} nard. Tie}, will sing
and play sileetions of the music Miss Thomas
helped to make famous.

Tonight a fundraising dinner will be held at
the Bellelunte Country Club in Miss Thomas'
honor to raise money for restoration of the
"Wee House in the Wood."

KNOWN as the “Traipsin’ Woman“ in the
mountains of eastern Kentucky, she was a cir-
t‘Ult court stenographer who traveled on horse—
hzwk to transcribe the testimony of feuds and

!

Vim} host's

murders. Thus she nus (mused to the tradi—
tions of the people.

In her journeys she collected and proserxed
materials that mirrored the civilizotion and
culture of the Kenttir-l;y pio-"Ie.

She founded and opt-rated the Antericusn
Folksong Festival at lit—r harne from 1930 until
i972. The festival was the outgrowth of the
Singin‘ Catherin‘ of the Kentucky mountains.
Tapts of the festival were sent around the
world by the US. infomntjtion Agency

THE FESTIVAL was covered nuth .iatly,
first on radio and later on telet‘ision. Five is rote
books about the vulture, history and arts of the
poogle s‘o ‘-new.

past years John Chincellor telot’ised the
festival for NBCTV news and Due Cg; rowdy
telm'ised the Today Show, both dimrt f; om her
home, known as Wee House in the Wood.

The Festivls were held the second Sunday in
June, rain or shine, for 35 years.

In the 19305 she took Jilson Setters, the blind
fiddler, to England to play before the King and
Queen.

her tostit (11 has fem-dined in Life magazine
With 3 pit ture of Rosie Day on the cover.
She IS the author of nine books.

HER Ftlt,‘Sl~:CSI HOME at 3201 Cogan St. in
Ashlend was visited by tourists {or year
c-rntly all the contents as well as the
were pun hes d by the Creator Ashlazrd '
dzttitn and rorizoved to the Appalachian Citing-i
al Psrk in Armoo Perk. '

'.'T!n:-n reconstruction of the house is can
{ittd And ihe contents, now stored, are?“ I
rned, the house Will be reopened. '
" "l Perk OfSI acres is located off U. S. r if
ughii’iosinee of the festival was the pat.
prtuetign of the Chaurcorien and Elisabetha‘i‘l
language which once were a major part of thc.
sheoah and horitsge of the Kentucky peopli’?
t le‘tC words and phruses, and pronunciatio 3
were [)IF‘J-IV’JJ long after they were dropp. ‘ .
from the British language. ,2

The park, .~till in the planning stages, woulda
giinteincthe Jean Thomas museum, the Jesse'
L uart one Run school, an am h‘ .h ' s '
a midisize convention center. P It ‘edter‘ and ‘

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.31 the

Ah Dunn in the

. .\ .'\ .
\thlcy.” l-tt Kluxggs mug it for her
uhilc she mouthed the wards and
in; ped her feet under the table to
thc music.

A fundrru‘sing v.

"Hirer in Miss
l'lz. :nas‘ h nor toritlueted
Thursday night at Bcllcfonte
Country Club with more than 50
hearing some old time
...‘i1:r'_.-.in string band lTTLlSlL‘ played
by Barbara l‘dxxards. Joe and
T) unis Dobbs‘ and Huber? Rogt rs.

“as

persons

The SIS»a-pl;itc dinner was to raise’

money for the restoration of Miss
Thomas' home. which is on Cogan
Street. but \xhieh will be moyed to
the Appalachian Cultural Park near
krmco Park in Boyd County.

GB. Johnson of the
\shlnnd Foundation said at the
dinner. "You just don't think of
Fustern Kentucky and Jean Thomas
separately."

She “as knoun all o\er Eastern
Kentucky as the Traipsin' Woman
luciiuse of her stint in a jolt wagon
as a circuit court stenogrupher.
During her trayels she “as exposed
to the mountain people's traditions,
.shich she collected and preserved.
She started the festivals :it lwr

Greater

(flu n.
L. W. l’ilstl. foziucr e‘tttutiu‘ \ice
p;t_{;lt-nt of the .‘. “wad v‘wq
(“1w litr til” (T ":i I t

l 1C” ,

V

‘ -\ in TllC
1‘88, llis
wrzi'td by Miss
,s" i: i‘s. FriCra-utwr’l.
.i s g twics in the
l‘n 1r tit papers long heft-re she eyer
met her husband.

John C. C. Mayo ll] of the office of
John Meyers. architect for the
Appalachian Cultural Park. said
plans for the project are being
reviewed in Frankfort by the
Kentucky Convention Board and
work will probably start by the end
of this year.

"By spring. we should have a
Functional facility." he said. He
militied the park's facilities.
including Miss Thonias' home.
which uill be used as the ,lean
Thomas museum: the MeGuffy 1.0g
School; the Jesse Stuart Cane Run
school; A amull comention center or

r ,lfit a "*‘l \‘
h M York

ii. . i

ti, ) l! k
Times in
t\ »- ‘

,l‘it l ‘ '.\ s‘

"eutherin' play”; and an amphi—
thi-gucr \xhcrc the American Folk
Song l:L'\ll\.’tl “Ill be reinstated.
\T;1)0dl\0\tlltlplilllN tall for nature
trails in the area and a camping
ground that will combine With the
other attractions to make "the
facility knoxyn beyond the state of
Kentucky."

Clyde Weblx \ice president of

 

 

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: HAPPY BlRTHDAY—JeanVThomas, the "traipsin'
woman" credited with immortalizing Eastern Ken-

tucky folk music. celebrated her 98th birthday Tues- L

day at Wurtland Manor. Here she smiles as
candles were lighted on her birthday cake. On the

left is Ethel Dowdy, another resident of the manor _

1: who was celebrating a birthday: Three others were

I

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celebrating birthdays along with the two; They were ' '

Murt Walker, Ella Rifle and Robert Eaton. John '

_ Skaggs of Ashland, who performed many times at

Jean Thomasf American Folk Song Festival.
appeared at the party and sang a» number of talk
songs. He was accompanied by Tony Maynard on -
the guitar- . (Staff Photo by G. Sam Piam‘

ASHme puauc LlBRARY A31 ,

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1.1”

By JOHN CANNON
Citv Editor

“It 13 my hope to leave ‘Wee House 111
the Wood' as a shrine to Kentucky
mountain minstrels. it is indeed an
archive of American folk songs and
Kentucky mountain handicrafts with
primitive homemade dulcimers.
banjos native art by untrained
mountain boys and girls. It is filled with
treasures I have gathered across the
years ‘traipsin’ through the mountains
of Kentucky.?”-—Jean Thomas, the
Traipsin‘ Woman.

Today—on the occasion of her 1111111
birthday and more than a quarter of a
she wrote those

Thomas' dream 0‘

preserving the culture of the Kentucky

‘ mountains in a museum has come t1 ue.
The J an Thomas
Museum—centered around a
reconstructed Version of the “Wee
House in the Wood"—will have. its
official opening during a reception from

_ o 9 tonight. Built through a grant
‘ from the Kentucky Convention,
Community Centers and Recreation

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Fund, the museum is part of the
Appalachian Cultural Park, which
eventually also will include an
amph1theater and a McGuffey school
house

Miss Thomas operated her home on
Cogan Street as a museum for many
years, and the creation of a permanent
museum has been iliss Thomas
“fondest dream since i have known
her,” said Sandy Crawford, wife of
Miss 'l‘homas' nephew and Closest
relative, Sam Crawford. “In fact, at
one time she wanted Sam and I to
prom1se her to keep it as a museum, but
for an individual, that would really be
im )oss1ble to do.

While the Crawfords could not
maintain the “Wee House" on them
own. they took the steps necessary to
establish the new museum The ' sold
the house to the Greater Ashland
l: oundation, Inc., and donated ad of its
contents to the museum. t those
contents that forms the bulk of the
material in the new museum.

While Miss Th01 ms is in poor health
and confined to a nursing home, Mrs.
Crawford said the Traipsin' Woman

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would be “thrille .0 know what has
become of he1 dicam of preserving the
Appalachian heritage

110111 111Ashlan<1 on t111sd1'1‘1e in 11181,
Miss"1110111as1nadelther'111e:-. work to
preserve the culture of the Kentucky
mountains. She authored seven books
about the people of the mountains and
wrote hundre is of 111a'h'azlne ano
EL'QWSPHPCIartltlL‘515llL‘ talkeu about
the people of his re.11111 11111111,; her
travels thro uighout t11c

But Miss 1111111 1115 15 b.‘ at 1111 m. as ti c
founder of and drivi1'15f01ce11e11111dt11e
American l oik Sont: l‘estiva1 the

‘Singin Ga1l1c1in ' s11e piodu ed for
more than 40 years in: binnnn; in 19110
Thousands of ;1eop1e tr1'1ve1ed to
Ashland on the second S1;1‘1 ‘11y 111 June
of each year to hear the singing of
mountain song:

When 1‘1 111111c to p1oi111c1n1: the {(1.21
festivals, Mrs. C1111v1o1: 1 said ’
Thomas '11 was 11 ,1c1111.1o1111'." wno
demam ed that tl11n1;s be done her ‘va ,.

15“ver_v11111 . had to be authentic even
down to the little cl111<1ren l11'1v111; to
wea1 black shoes.'1\1is C111vtiord

(Continued on l age 2, Col. 1)

'1'1' 01 1(1.

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The Tr1'11psin’ Woman

 

 

  

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now long for - got - ten—
is it for — bid - den,
still re - mem - her

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COYRIGHT1949.ADAMS VEE 6L ABBOTT, INC,
216$.Wabash Ave. Chicago Ill.
Made in U S

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

International Copyright Secured All Rights. Reserved

 

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love 0? Rosanna “c130 ' »2 " «
3 ‘9’:ch «Lac

 

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FHA. S K FORT. K r. NTI'IIZK T
May 7, 1964

KDW‘Q RI) '1‘: ‘i‘HKA’I’HIT'X‘

“(IVHRVOR

Dear Miss Thomas:

As much as I should enjoy the American
Folk Song Festival to be held on June 1a,
I find that it will be impossible for me to
accept your kind invitation. I already have
an engagement for that particular Sunday--
one which can't be canceled, So I will have
to forego the pleasure of attending the
Festival.

1 am most appreciative and send my very
best uishes for another enjoyable and success-
ful program.

Sincerely,g

WWW " ’

Miss Jean Thomas
3201 Cogan Street
Ashland, Kentucky

 

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Ngfbf‘fl' “1. Vt 111’? 20573341; Y7};

April 19th, 1953

Miss Jean Thomas
3201 Cogan Street,
Ashland, Kentucky.

Dear Miss Thomas:

I am afraid that I do not have good

news for you in connection with your country
Operetta.

I sent this down to Mr. Max Dreyfus

of Chappell and he sent back word to me that
Rodgers and Hammerstein only write their own books
or librettos, and therefore, do not want to examine

the works of anyone else, so that they cannot be
accused of plagiarism.

I am sorry that I have to return your
manuscript, but there is just nothing 1 can do
about it —- I tried my very best for you.

Sincerely yours,

a .f’ A“
Elliott'SWapiro\fii,‘

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Jean Tfiomdi

Usiflg an; accompanying article, The Chan? ‘7 ab Q gin Rely

.as a basis or synopsis, in 15 my plan to prefienb Luraugh an

axgundod 353195 of suories, an authentic, a fair gnu 30mpiute

:fyiccure of life in the Cumberland mountains. The once iand~iuckcu

region of the douthern Appalachians of w