Dorothy Thompson was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Monongalia County. Her father, a coal miner and skilled woodworker, made her first loom when she was 10, teaching her old European weaving methods. During the Great Depression, her family moved to Arthurdale, a new community started with help from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

In Arthurdale, Dorothy learned weaving at school and impressed Roosevelt, who helped her study with a master weaver in Kentucky. During World War II, she married Ben Thompson and moved to Tucker County, where she raised a family and kept weaving.

Starting in 1962, Dorothy taught weaving for over 40 years, first at a local school, then in a barn she and her husband built. In 2000, she was honored as a National Heritage Fellow for her skill and for passing down the craft.