Rabb, Kate Milner. Indiana coverlets and coverlet weavers. Indianapolis: Printed for the
Society, 1928, p 408. On the occasion of a visit to the Fountain County, Indiana home of
the LaTourettes, the description of weaving on the "double" coverlet loom was
given the writer some years ago by Captain Schuyler LaTourette, son of the famous John
LaTourette, weaver, a sketch of whose life appears later in the pamphlet. Captain
LaTourette who died in March 1926 was so brisk in movement and so gay in manner as to give
the impression of being much younger than 88 which age he claimed at that time. His
French inheritance was evident in every look, word and gesture; his intelligence and his
interest in every subject made his conversation delightful. He related the history of the
family, showed us the old family BIble with the records and deplored the fact his father
had changed his name from Jean to John. Captain LaTourette did not learn the art of
coverlet weaving but his brother Henry who also lived in this coutny was an expert weaver
who carried on the business for 20y ears. He gave us an elaborate description of the
process, however; calling the making of double coverlets "division weaving," as
did Arthur Osborn a very good descriptive name. The patterns were of heavy cardboard (we
saw some later, looking much as music rolls for the pianola except that the holes are much
larger). These patterns came in strips 15" long and 3 1/2 " wide and were
joined together to make a strip half the width of one of the strips that make half a
finished coverlet. These strips, numbered and joined together by threads, turned on a
metal cylinder and there wer eneedles which fitted into the perforations. Complicated as
this sounds, it is nothing to what is to come. There were linen threads weighted at one
end and controlled by what he called "hand holts." There were many treadles and
the weaver, who sat before the loom, must feel for the pedals with his foot, much as does
the performer on the pipe organ, throw the shuttle, reach up without looking to catch the
proper one of the many "hand holts," release it, catch the returning shuttle and
so on. The more I heard the process described, the less I understood it, but neverthe
less it was interesting to hear Mr. LaTourette describe his father's skill in weaving,
how he could throw the shuttle so fast that one could haerdly see it, how he and his
daughter could reach up without looking and uneeringly take the proper 'hand
Holt" and how much he enjoyed standing by and seeing the pattern reveal itself as the
fabric grew. "If I could see a loom, perhaps I could have a better idea of how it
was all done," I said to Mr. Fred LaTourette, a nephew. "What is left of th
eold loom is out here," he said and took me out to where he had dragged out the loom
just before the original log house used as a loom house had fallen to ruin. We looked
with awe at this old loom to which some of the threads and needles are still attached.
Lying around it were some of the cardboard patterns, which have defied the wather, even to
the penciling which indicates their number. Some of the professional weavers in this and
in other states made a practice of weaving on the two lower corners of the coverlet,
making the device on one corner right side out and wrong side on the other so that
whichever side of the cover was put "up" on the bed, the insciription might be
read. The "double" coverlet repeats the design ont he so-called wrong side, with
colors reversed. Sometimes these weavers wove only the date, as "1846" in a
square, sometimes they wove their full names and date; again,t he name or initials of the
owner of the coverlet, the weaver's name, place of residence and dates sometimes a
design of some sort and date. So far as I have been able to learn,t he suggestion that
this device was a stradmeark used by the weaver to identify his coverlets was made for the
first time by Wm. Ross Teel of Indianapolis. ...
=====
Beckwith, H. W. History of Fountain County, Indiana. Chicago: HH Hill, 1881, p. 387 --
Schuyler LaTOURETTE, farmer, Covington, was born in Wabash Township, Fountain County,
Indiana in 1834 and is the son of John and Sarah SCHENCK LaTourette, who were among the
early and respected pioneers of Fountain. The subject of this memoir was raised on a
farm, and received a common school education, and has followed agricultural pursuits all
his life. In the beginning of the rebellion he enlisted in Co. H 63d Ind. Vol. Inf., as
private and at the organization of his company he was elected as 1st Lt, and after serving
six months was promoted to captain, which office he honorably filled till the close of the
war, participating in many of the hard fought battles: Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain and
numerous other engagements. His company was composed of men from his own neighborhood, and
comprised some of the best soldiers Fountain afforded. At the close of the war Mr.
LaTourette was honorable discharged and returned to his native county where he has been
quite extensively engaged in farming. He is the owner of a well improved farm of 240 acres
of which 160 is the old homestead. In 1863 he married Kate COOPER, daughter of John and
Lotta Cooper, and a native of NJ. Mr. LaTourette is a member of the AF & AM and is one
of Fountain's staunch republicans.