oral history and proposal

Virginia and I in front of the Teepee pavilion

As I walk to my place I am with my older brother Brian.  He loves being outside just like me and has been to big rock a few times himself.  Being the big brother he is he naturally takes the lead on the path.  He moves quickly and I break a sweat trying to keep up with his energetic steps.  This moment takes me back to when we were kids running around without a care in the world.  We would always race each other and I was never quite as fast as he was, even though I tried my hardest.  For me this the most beautiful place in all of Louisville.
For this project I came across a foundation for saving the teepee pavilion in Cherokee park.  Through many emails I was led to Virginia Mattingly, no relation to myself.  Funny enough she actually works at the law library at the University of Louisville.  I was told that she was the most active volunteer for the foundation.  When I contacted her she was more than willing to set up a time to meet me.  She sounded excited and ready to answer any questions I had for her. 

            We met at Cherokee park at 12:00 on a Sunday.  The weather was beautiful.  The sun was shining but the heat was bearable.  The park was completely awake and alive.  A family had rented out the teepee pavilion that day so we talked on the outside perimeter.  From the get go you could tell Virginia was super nice and outgoing.  It was easy to start a conversation with her.  With the smell of hotdogs on the grill and the sound of kids laughing from the playground to the side, I started my questions.  Virginia is a talker.  Which was great for all my questions.  She gave good personal details to her stories. 

Me in front of the Teepee pavilion

        Virginia was extremely familiar with Cherokee park as a whole.  She is dedicated to saving the teepee pavilion but she is also someone who just really enjoys going to the park.  She comes to Cherokee about every other day.  During the interview she talked about how the park was in her high school days.  It had been a hangout place back then too.  A particular memory she has of the park is when she was in high school and she attended her first political rally.  Gatewood Galbraith was speaking at Cherokee.  Virginia smiled and said, “It was like nothing I had ever seen before.”  She explained how there were fire throwers there.  People were making speeches.  All the kids were playing hack-e-sac.  This was a turning point in Virginia’s life.  She exclaimed, “This rally is what got me to really start thinking about my own political views.”  For her it opened up this whole new world.  She realized that she had a voice and it mattered.  That memory will always be a cherished one for her. 

         Virginia is a very active person in Cherokee park.  She brings her dog for a walk every other day.  She participates in the races that happen in the winter.  The foundation had a bring your dog day at the pavilion.  Virginia had a smile on her face the entire time she talked about Cherokee park.  She discussed living in other places in the Country.  She states, “I always miss Louisville.”  To her there is just nothing like what Louisville’s park systems have to offer.  There are the benefits of living in the city and also being able to drive a short distance to a peaceful destination.  The Cultural Landscape Foundation expresses, “The rich and varied scenery follows the contour of the land within four distinctive landscapes of the park: hills, slopes, a creek valley, and sinkholes.” I love the description of the park to be seen as “rich”.  This brings a whole new feel to the park.  It is not just a random location filled with trees, grass, and hills.  It is nature’s very own work of art.

         During the course of the interview I learned that the teepee was built in the 1950’s.  Its iconic structure is dedicated to the Cherokee Indians that once inhabited Kentucky.  By destroying this pavilion they would be destroying important history.  This teepee is one of its kind and pays respect to the people who roamed the land before we did.  The teepee pavilion must be saved. 

Proposal

Cherokee park is home to many unique structures.  Including Hogan’s fountain, Big Rock, and the Teepee pavilion.  The Frederick Law Olmsted Foundation wants to tear down the teepee pavilion and build two new smaller pavilions in its place.  I spoke with Virginia Mattingly an active volunteer for the Save Hogan’s Fountain Teepee Pavilion Foundation.  Virginia gave me good insight on what was going on with the pavilion.  The foundation has until next summer to raise $80,000.  If the money is raised than the proper restorations can be made to the pavilion and it will be saved.  I think the teepee should not be torn down.  It is a one of kind structure and its teepee formation gives tribute to Cherokee parks history.  The pavilion is not of any danger to people and only requires some cosmetic changes. 

Works Cited:
Mattingly, Virginia. Personal interview. 3 July 2011.

http://tclf.org/landscapes/cherokee-park

“Cherokee Park” tclf.org. The Cultural Landscape Foundation,  n.d. Web 19 June 2011.