Amazing Women from Appalachia

Teri Lott, a professional storyteller, will share the life story of Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, the first woman to walk the Appalachian Trail solo. Emma raised 11 children almost single-handedly while also working in the fields and dealing with a violent husband. She is truly the embodiment of the hard-working, underappreciated Appalachian woman. The next twenty minutes or so are devoted to The Pack Horse Library Project, which was established by the WPA in the 1930’s. People, mostly women, were paid to travel throughout Eastern Kentucky to deliver books to folks who lived in remote regions of Kentucky. Some rode horses, some mules, and some hiked to deliver the books in all kinds of weather – just like the United Postal Workers!

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Bio: Teri Lott spent her early years in Portsmouth, Ohio, a city nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. She enjoys telling traditional tales, original stories, and personal tales. Although Teri delights in telling tales to all ages of listeners, she especially likes to share stories with multigenerational audiences and has done so at many festivals and other venues. Teri has also published four books for children and their families. Contact her at lotts.of.tales@gmail.com.