White Oak Basket
and Chair History
The Cannon County area has a long tradition of fine crafters. In fact, many local families turned to making white oak baskets and chairs as a means of survival during the Depression. They traded them for lamp oil, sugar, coffee, cloth, thread and other things they couldn't grow or hunt. The stores hauled the baskets and chairs to major cities like Detroit, Miami and New York, and peddled them on the streets.
In the 1960's, a wave of newcomers yearning to get "back to the land" began to settle in the area and put down roots. Today, many of these "Transplants" have joined with the traditional local crafts families (now fifth and sixth generation crafters) to create a vibrant crafts community.
This rich crafts tradition, couple with the activities and reputation of The Arts Center of Cannon County, caused Woodbury to be the only town in Tennessee selected by John Villani in his book, The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America.
