Christmas
always holds special memories, but the Christmas of 1928 held special
memories for Alice Gibson who lived on Antioch Farm in the Norma
Community. Alice told the story of her little Christmas basket to John
Rice Irwin, founder of the nationally known Museum of Appalachia, and he
featured it in "Baskets and Basket Makers in Southern Appalachia."
Irwin recounted the following story:
"In the late 1970s, I visited Alice Gibson, who lived in a two-room log house near Norma in Scott County, Tenn. I knew that Alice possessed a myriad of interesting Appalachian artifacts, and I was hoping that she would sell me some of these items so that I could put them in the Museum. Alice was most generous; she sold me clothing, tools, guns and much more. Alice showed me a beautiful white oak gizzard basket; naturally, I wanted this piece, too. When I asked if I could buy it, she quickly replied, “Lord no, honey, that’s my Christmas basket, and I wouldn’t take a million dollars for it.”
Alice explained that she had a younger sister who lived “way over across the mountain” in Caryville, Tenn. “She came here the day before Christmas in 1928 – the first time I’d seen her for a year. It was a 12-hour walk, and she was cold and wet when she got here. I’ll never forget, she packed her Christmas dinner in that little basket and walked all the way from Caryville. It took her all day (it’s a half-hour drive from Norma to Caryville). Rather than pack the basket back the next day, after she spent Christmas night with us, she give it to Mommy (who later gave it to Alice).
She took sick on her way back to Caryville, and they had to take her out on a push car (on the railroad). That was in 1928, and she took pneumonia and never did get over it. She died the 9th of March in 1929. So you can see why I wouldn’t sell the little basket. So, I call it my Christmas basket, and I keep it here to remember her by. I put it out every Christmas and put some spruce and mistletoe it.”
Merry Christmas from the Museum of Scott County family.
Irwin recounted the following story:
"In the late 1970s, I visited Alice Gibson, who lived in a two-room log house near Norma in Scott County, Tenn. I knew that Alice possessed a myriad of interesting Appalachian artifacts, and I was hoping that she would sell me some of these items so that I could put them in the Museum. Alice was most generous; she sold me clothing, tools, guns and much more. Alice showed me a beautiful white oak gizzard basket; naturally, I wanted this piece, too. When I asked if I could buy it, she quickly replied, “Lord no, honey, that’s my Christmas basket, and I wouldn’t take a million dollars for it.”
Alice explained that she had a younger sister who lived “way over across the mountain” in Caryville, Tenn. “She came here the day before Christmas in 1928 – the first time I’d seen her for a year. It was a 12-hour walk, and she was cold and wet when she got here. I’ll never forget, she packed her Christmas dinner in that little basket and walked all the way from Caryville. It took her all day (it’s a half-hour drive from Norma to Caryville). Rather than pack the basket back the next day, after she spent Christmas night with us, she give it to Mommy (who later gave it to Alice).
She took sick on her way back to Caryville, and they had to take her out on a push car (on the railroad). That was in 1928, and she took pneumonia and never did get over it. She died the 9th of March in 1929. So you can see why I wouldn’t sell the little basket. So, I call it my Christmas basket, and I keep it here to remember her by. I put it out every Christmas and put some spruce and mistletoe it.”
Merry Christmas from the Museum of Scott County family.
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