Basketmaking has been a Washoe tradition in the Great Basin for thousands of years, with different kinds of baskets used to hold water and for cooking, winnowing seeds and nuts, collecting and storing food, catching fish, and caring for babies. After settlers arrived in the mid-late 1800s, the traditional Washoe way of life was disrupted, and many skilled Washoe basket weavers began making fancy design, or deh- 'gee-kup, baskets for sale to tourists, though only about a dozen were considered major weavers. Dat So La Lee, also known as Louisa Keyser, was among the first Washoe women to gain recognition for innovative deh- 'gee-kup baskets made for this new art market. Abe Cohen, owner of the Emporium in Carson City, recognized her talent and from 1895 until her death in 1925 served as her sponsor, business manager, and press agent. In exchange for baskets he sold for hundreds of dollars each, he provided her and her husband Charley with room and board, clothing, and some cash. Summer tourists arriving by train or steamship in Tahoe City visited the Cohens' Basketwork store at the end of the boardwalk near the Truckee River outlet, where they watched Dat So La Lee make baskets from traditional materials such as mountain willow, sedge, braken, fern, and redbud. Her baskets became known worldwide for their exceptional artistry, and today they are worth many thousands of dollars and are exhibited in museums.