Before Woodstock there was Chautauqua Anthony Borgo July 2021

With new Covid cases drastically dropping and nearly fifty percent of the population vaccinated Summer is back. People are traveling and concerts are once again a thing. Traditionally, Summer is a time for musicians to travel a circuit around the country, stopping at ever major city to entertain the masses. In the 1920s, the United States saw a different type of traveling circuit known as Chautauqua, and Whiting, Indiana was one stop on this summer long journey.

Theodore Roosevelt called Chautauqua “the most American thing in America,” Woodrow Wilson described it as an “integral part of the national defense,” and William Jennings Bryan deemed it “potent human factor in molding the mind of the nation.” Chautauqua was a chance for communities to gather for three to seven days and enjoy lectures and courses on a variety of subjects. Audiences also had the opportunity to see classic plays and Broadway hits that they never would have been able to witness. Chautauqua supporters were treated to concerts featuring a wide array of music from Metropolitan Opera stars to glee clubs to bell ringers. In addition, many people saw their first movies inside the Chautauqua tents. Most important, the Circuit Chautauqua experience was a chance to stimulate thought and discussion on important political, social and cultural issues of the day.

The Chautauqua movement was founded in 1874 by Lewis Miller and John Heyl Vincent. The movement in its inception was a program to provide training for Sunday school teachers. As time past and word of the Chautauqua experience grew, families started to meet on the banks of Lake Chautauqua in New York and attended summer camps that were billed “to educate and uplift.” Soon the model of these summer camps were copied and the traveling Chautauqua was born. The goal of the Circuit Chautauqua was to offer challenging, informational, and inspirational stimulation to rural and small town America.

The first traveling Chautauqua paid a visit to Whiting in 1921, when the movement was at its peak. That year residents of Whiting attended a concert by the Toots Paka Hawaiian players and singers, a nationally known musical group and the first to bring Hawaiian music to the mainland. Season tickets for all nine events cost $1.46 plus war tax for adults and 25 cents for children. This first Chautauqua was not a financial success, but city leaders pledged their support stating that the overall good that the event brings to Whiting is worth any loss of revenue.

Children also played an important part in Chautauqua festivities. In 1922, Miss Lillian Johnson arrived in Whiting to help organize community children in their preparation for the Chautauqua. The children where rounded up into the playground beside McGregor school, where the spent the day playing games and hearing stories. A few days later the main touring company would arrive in Whiting, where they would erect a giant tent. Each morning thus after, the youngsters of the city would then be drilled for a pageant that would be held the last day of the Chautauqua.

By Whiting’s third year of hosting the Chautauqua, the community started to understand the movement and they fully got behind the concept. The ticket committee was extremely active. That year the Tri Kappa sorority took on the responsibility of dispensing the tickets. All proceeds from the sale of Chautauqua tickets went to the educational fund, which was used to send Whiting girls to college. Residents could buy their tickets at any bank, drug store or newsstand, as well as contacting many prominent businessmen throughout the city.

The last recorded year that Whiting hosted a Chautauqua was in 1925. That year the city was witness to Miss Eulan Cornor, billed as “an artist whom music critics in future years will accord the honor of a celebrated star”. In addition, Zeliner the Great wowed the crowds, a master lecturer who was able to bring to life the men and women he was portraying. His performances and style where of a quality that could appear on any platform in the better vaudeville theaters.

The Great Depression brought the end to the Chautauqua movement. But, their arrival in cities across America brought people together to improve their minds and renew their ties with one another. The movement was a opportunity to provide not only entertainment but also enlightenment. Chautauqua is still in operation today in upper New York state. Over 150,000 people participate in the summer camp program, where there are over 300 courses in subjects ranging from symphony to sailing. Chautaqua is a summer camp for all ages, especially for those who believe in life long learning.