Katherine Pettit
Encyclopedia
Katherine Rebecca Pettit (February 23, 1868 – September 3, 1936) was an American
educator from Kentucky
who contributed to the settlement school
movement of the early 20th century.
, Kentucky
, Pettit attended two years at Sayre School
in Lexington
. A member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
and the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs
, she became a progressive
educator.
, and Sassafras Social Settlement. Their journals, filled with words to local ballads and idiomatic expressions of their students and families from homes nearby, describe in detail their classes in health and homemaking, as well as teacher training. A local elder Solomon Everage watched the two women -- “quare fotched-on women from the level land,” -- for some time and eventually asked them to establish a permanent industrial school in the Troublesome Creek area.
in Knott County, Kentucky
. Pettit said that the goal of Hindman was "to know all we can and teach all we can." The Kentucky WCTU sponsored the school until 1915, when it was formally incorporated as a private, non-profit, non-sectarian, and non-denominational corporation.
May Stone remained at Hindman as principal until 1936. Many of the graduates remained in the area. Carl Perkins
, a native of Hindman who served thirty-six years in the United States House of Representatives, was a graduate of the settlement school.
with Ethel deLong Zande in Harlan County, Kentucky
. At Pine Mountain, Pettit directed outdoor work while Zande directed academics.
Founding Pine Mountain as an example of the settlement movement
, Pettit and deLong modeled the school after Hull House
. According to Berea College
's Southern Appalachian Archives,
Pine Mountain Settlement School is a National Historic Landmark.
n culture through arts, folk songs
, and customs
.
Her teachings on natural vegetable dyeing
were recorded in The Katherine Pettit Book of Vegetable Dyes. Wilmer Stone Viner, who had worked at Pine Mountain Settlement School, published this in 1946 after moving from Kentucky to Saluda
, North Carolina
. Consequently, Pettit's recipes have influenced craft practices in western North Carolina.
The book, dedicated to the memory of Katherine Pettit, quotes a memorial tablet in the Pine Mountain Settlement School Chapel:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
who contributed to the settlement school
Settlement school
Settlement schools are social reform institutions established in rural Appalachia in the early 20th century with the purpose of educating mountain children and improving their isolated rural communities. Settlement schools have played an important role in preserving and promoting the cultural...
movement of the early 20th century.
Background
Born the child of Benjamin Pettit on a prosperous farm in Fayette CountyFayette County, Kentucky
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 295,083 in the 2010 Census. Its territory, population and government are coextensive with the city of Lexington, which also serves as county seat....
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Pettit attended two years at Sayre School
Sayre School
Sayre School is an independent, co-educational school in Lexington, Kentucky. The school enrolls 610 students from preschool to twelfth grade. It has 76 full time faculty members....
in Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. A member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union was the first mass organization among women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far-reaching reform strategies based on applied Christianity." Originally organized on December 23, 1873, in...
and the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs
General Federation of Women's Clubs
The General Federation of Women's Clubs , founded in 1890, is an international women's organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service...
, she became a progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
educator.
Settlement schools
Under the auspices of by the Kentucky Federation of Women’s Clubs beginning in 1899, Katherine Pettit and May Stone spent three summers in social settlement work in Kentucky at Camp Cedar Grove, Camp Industrial (which later became the Hindman Settlement SchoolHindman Settlement School
Hindman Settlement School is a settlement school located in Hindman, Kentucky in Knott County. Established in 1902, it was the first rural settlement school in America.-Mission:...
, and Sassafras Social Settlement. Their journals, filled with words to local ballads and idiomatic expressions of their students and families from homes nearby, describe in detail their classes in health and homemaking, as well as teacher training. A local elder Solomon Everage watched the two women -- “quare fotched-on women from the level land,” -- for some time and eventually asked them to establish a permanent industrial school in the Troublesome Creek area.
Hindman Settlement School
In 1902 with financing from the Women's Christian Temperance Union, Katherine Pettit and May Stone co-founded Hindman Settlement SchoolHindman Settlement School
Hindman Settlement School is a settlement school located in Hindman, Kentucky in Knott County. Established in 1902, it was the first rural settlement school in America.-Mission:...
in Knott County, Kentucky
Knott County, Kentucky
Knott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1884. As of 2000, the population was 17,649. Its county seat is Hindman. The county is named for James Proctor Knott, Governor of Kentucky . It is a prohibition or dry county. Notable inhabitants include U.S....
. Pettit said that the goal of Hindman was "to know all we can and teach all we can." The Kentucky WCTU sponsored the school until 1915, when it was formally incorporated as a private, non-profit, non-sectarian, and non-denominational corporation.
May Stone remained at Hindman as principal until 1936. Many of the graduates remained in the area. Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
, a native of Hindman who served thirty-six years in the United States House of Representatives, was a graduate of the settlement school.
Pine Mountain Settlement School
In 1913, Pettit co-founded Pine Mountain Settlement SchoolPine Mountain Settlement School
Pine Mountain Settlement School is located on Pine Mountain in Harlan County, Kentucky. The settlement school focuses on Appalachian and environmental education.-Founding:...
with Ethel deLong Zande in Harlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. As of 2000, the population was 33,200. Its county seat is Harlan...
. At Pine Mountain, Pettit directed outdoor work while Zande directed academics.
Founding Pine Mountain as an example of the settlement movement
Settlement movement
The settlement movement was a reformist social movement, beginning in the 1880s and peaking around the 1920s in England and the US, with a goal of getting the rich and poor in society to live more closely together in an interdependent community...
, Pettit and deLong modeled the school after Hull House
Hull House
Hull House is a settlement house in the United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located in the Near West Side of , Hull House opened its doors to the recently arrived European immigrants. By 1911, Hull House had grown to 13 buildings. In 1912 the Hull...
. According to Berea College
Berea College
Berea College is a liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky , founded in 1855. Current full-time enrollment is 1,514 students...
's Southern Appalachian Archives,
"[Pettit and deLong] hoped that their modern ideas about health, nutrition, work efficiency, farm management, and the cultural value of indigenous crafts would permeate the surrounding communities -- both through the children, and through direct contact with adults."
Pine Mountain Settlement School is a National Historic Landmark.
Appalachian culture
Katherine Pettit labored to preserve and encourage the teaching of AppalachiaAppalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
n culture through arts, folk songs
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, and customs
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
.
Her teachings on natural vegetable dyeing
Natural dye
Natural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, invertebrates, or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources – roots, berries, bark, leaves, and wood — and other organic sources such as fungi and lichens....
were recorded in The Katherine Pettit Book of Vegetable Dyes. Wilmer Stone Viner, who had worked at Pine Mountain Settlement School, published this in 1946 after moving from Kentucky to Saluda
Saluda, North Carolina
The City of Saluda is located in both Henderson and Polk counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 713 at the 2010 census. Saluda is famous for sitting at the top of the Norfolk Southern Railway's Saluda Grade, the steepest main line standard gauge railroad line east of the...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Consequently, Pettit's recipes have influenced craft practices in western North Carolina.
The book, dedicated to the memory of Katherine Pettit, quotes a memorial tablet in the Pine Mountain Settlement School Chapel:
"Katherine Pettit, 1869 - 1936, pioneerAmerican pioneerAmerican pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
and trail-breaker. Forty years she spent creating opportunity for mountain children here and elsewhere. In life, she ever refused praise. In death, she is too great for it."
Additional Resources
- England, Rhonda. "Voices From the History of Teaching: Katherine Pettit, Mary Stone, and Elizabeth Watts at Hindman Settlement School, 1899-1957." Ph.D. dissertation, University of KentuckyUniversity of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, 1990. - Bullock-Pettit Family Papers, 1885-1968, 87M26, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KentuckyLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. - Farr, Sidney Saylor. Appalachian Women: An Annotated Bibliography. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1981.
- Katherine Pettit Papers, 1868-1937, KYSX216-A, Special Collections, Berea CollegeBerea CollegeBerea College is a liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky , founded in 1855. Current full-time enrollment is 1,514 students...
, Berea, Ky.