[2] As part of the World War I war effort, Thornburgh joined the United States Department of Agriculture film department under the supervision of Don Carlos Ellis as a scenario editor, making her the first film editor for the United States Government.

After a celebrated military career, Thornburgh declined a major's commission in the army and returned to Jefferson County to practice law with Confederate Robert McFarland, later moving to Knoxville in 1866.

Laura Thornburgh was an avid reader and a talented student at the Knoxville Girls' School as well as the University of Tennessee, likely due to good influence from her parents’ love for the library.

Her father Jacob donated a large number of books to bolster the collection of the new Lawson McGhee Library in 1889.

The determination borne then never left me.”[7] Her goal of writing led to a position at the Knoxville News Sentinel before she graduated college as she was hired to cover the Summer School in 1902.

Later, Thornburgh became society editor and drama critic, interviewing visiting artists, actors, and musicians for the paper.

Writing and women's clubs were Thornburgh's main passions in the 1910s, but things changed as America entered World War I.

[10] In 1920, both Thornburgh and Ellis were hired by the Harry Levey Company and National Non-Theatrical Motion Pictures, Inc. to briefly work on educational films.

[9] When she and Ellis moved to New York City, she likely became frustrated with the lack of easy distribution to classrooms and communities across the nation, and began to realize that the films they were working on were not being used to their fullest ability.

[7] Realizing that a publication of best practices was necessary, she and Ellis resigned their positions to co-author Motion Pictures in Education in 1923, coinciding with the introduction of 16mm film, which was perfect for school use.

[13] Growing up in East Tennessee, Thornburgh had a long-standing appreciation for the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains near her hometown.

Thornburgh eventually purchased land in Gatlinburg and built a cabin known fondly as Thorn Borough Cottage.

A contrast to Thompson's landscape photographs, Thornburgh focused on capturing portraits of the locals, including well-known guide Wiley Oakley.

She regularly hosted visitors and guests in Gatlinburg, including entomologist François Vaillant, who would later name an insect he discovered there in her honor.