SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE:  Flora Goforth talks about her childhood, getting an education at Texas Tech, her teaching career, the beginning of the Archeology Department at Texas Tech, her degree in Archeology, and her involvement in procuring the Spur Ranch letter books for the Texas Tech library.  She also talks about her work with the U.S. Indian Service from 1938 – 1951, her weaving, teaching weaving, and her book, Weave It Yourself.

MAIN ENTRY:                                          Goforth, Flora

DATE OF INTERVIEW:                            November 30, 1999

LOCATION OF INTERVIEW:                  Almogordo, New Mexico

INTERVIEWER:                                          David Marshall

NUMBER OF REELS/TAPES:                    3

TAPE FORMAT:                                        Cassette

LENGTH OF INTERVIEW:                        2 hours, 30 minutes

ABSTRACT:                                                The Life of Flora Goforth

TAPE ONE             SIDE ONE

Goforth, Flora

            Born in Ranger, Texas on May 8, 1907

Parents

            Move to New Mexico because of father’s health – June, 1907

Father

            Went to college in Granbury, Texas in the early 1900’s

            The college was moved to Forth Worth, Texas and became Texas Christian University (TCU)

Parents (again)

            They traveled from Texas to New Mexico by wagon instead of by train due to her father’s health

Father

            His health continuing to deteriorate

Mother

            Was the first school teacher in LaMessa, New Mexico

            Taking Flora with her to work

Goforth, Flora

            Learning by growing up in her mother’s school room

            Lessons her mother taught her early in her life

Parents (again)

            Description of their early social life in Texas

Mother (again)

            Organizing the community holiday celebrations

Community dances in LaMessa, New Mexico

            Holding the dances in people’s homes

4^th of July celebrations

            Fireworks

Mother (again)

            Her biggest influence on Flora’s life

            Her philosophy regarding taking school work home

Teaching career

            First school in Spade, Texas

            Listing of Texas schools where she taught

Texas school classification system

            Experimental schools

Teaching career (again)

            Teaching in the experimental school program

            Taught from 1931 – 1937

            Interviewing with the school board in Spade, Texas

Teacher’s salaries in Spade, Texas

            Being paid in script

TAPE ONE             SIDE TWO

Teacher’s salaries (again)

Rule against women teachers being married

Women teacher’s salaries compared to men teacher’s salaries

Influence of mother’s teaching style on Flora Goforth’s teaching

Goforth, Flora (again)

            Ethnic mix of students when Flora was in grade school

Mother (again)

            Ola Langford

Father (again)

            Ambrose Goforth

Both parents grew up in the Ranger, Texas area

Father (again)

            He was a farmer

            The cash crop was cotton

            He also had subsistence crops and livestock

Move to Abilene, Texas in 1918

Father (again)

            His two great wishes for Flora

            Died when Flora was 4 years old – 1911

Memories of her father and her early life

            Running away from school and walking home along

            Her father rescuing her from a run away horse

            The day her father died

            Building his casket

Mother’s youngest brother moved in with them after her father died

Move to Abilene, Texas (again)

            Maternal grandmother had a small cattle herd

Moving cattle because of draught

            Living in a tent for four months

            Driving cattle to water every day

            Whirl winds knocking their tent down

Riding a horse as a young child

            Children’s size spurs

Goforth, Flora (again)

            Her sheep

Move to Alamogordo, New Mexico

TAPE TWO – SIDE ONE

Move to Alamogordo, New Mexico (again)

Helping the girl next door to start talking again

Maternal grandmother crying to go back to Texas

Move to Abilene, Texas (again)

            Attended school from the 5^th grade through high school in Abilene

Taking extra work to finish high school in three years

            High school graduation

Attending college at Texas Tech

            Why Flora Goforth chose Texas Tech

Family move to Lubbock, Texas to be near Flora

Attending college at Texas Tech (again)

            Received an archeology degree

            All archeology work was completed through the University of New Mexico

            Studying primitive art as a basis for fabric design

Beginning of the Archeology Department at Texas Tech

            Flora Goforth’s involvement

First experience of discrimination against her as a woman

            Dr. Holden’s involvement

Spur Ranch records

            Letter books

Assignment that took Flora Goforth to the Spur Ranch

TAPE TWO – SIDE TWO

Goforth, Flora (again)

            Involvement in getting the Spur Ranch letter books donated to Texas Tech

The problem of horses and cattle stepping into prairie dog holes

Spur Ranch Letter books donation (again)

            Texas Tech’s Library’s use of the letter books

Relaying a story told by an old cowboy from the Spur Ranch

Studying weaving at Texas Tech

            Description of the operation of a loom

            Process of producing thread

            Learning how to dye thread

            Spinning and weaving the fabric for all her clothes

            Building a hand loom

            Making baby blankets for sale

Learning the business side of selling her weaving

Interviewing for a teaching job in El Paso, Texas

Teaching hand weaving to Native Americans in Rose Bud, South Dakota

TAPE THREE – SIDE ONE

Teaching hand weaving (again)

            Building a loom

            Story about her trip to Pine Ridge

Weave It Yourself  - a book by Flora Goforth

            Written while working with the U.S. Indian Service

Weave It Yourself (again)

            Making the drawings for the book

            Reason for writing the book

            Describing the contents of the book

                        Detailed, step-by-step instructions

            Using the book to describe weaving on a hand loom

            The book as a teaching guide

            Using the book to describe weaving (again)

            Published in the 1940’s

Rushing, (?) Doug

            Going into business together

Weaving material for an offuce building

TAPE THREE – SIDE TWO

This side is blank.

RANGE DATES:                                                       1907 - 1951

BULK DATES:                                                          1931 - 1951

AGE OF INFORMANT:                                           92

GENDER OF INFORMANT:                                    Female

ETHNICITY OF INFORMANT:                               Anglo