Chautauqua in Kansas

By Jeffrey Scott Maxwell

Call for Humanities Scholars for Kansas Chautauqua 2004
Bleeding Kansas: Where the Civil War Began 

18 January 2002 Kansans will celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Kansas Territory with a "Chautauqua Festival" in June 2004. Alison Watkins of the Kansas Humanities Council sent the following information to share with The Complete Chautauquan readers. 

 The Kansas Humanities Coucil is seeking scholars who can accurately and entertainingly portray historical figures for the Kansas Chautauqua in June 2004. From June 4 to 29, 2004, Kansas Chautauqua will travel to Junction City, Colby, Fort Scott, and Lawrence, spending approximately one week at each location. Each scholar will present one evening program and daytime workshops for adults in each community. 

Bleeding Kansas: Where the Civil War Began will feature six historical figures: John Brown, David Atchison, Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Clarina Nichols, and Frederick Douglass (as moderator). Scholars are invited to apply to portray one of these selected historical figures. Chautauqua programs are costumed presentations based on thorough research of both the character and the historical period. 

The evening program requires an in-character presentation and dialogue with the audience in and out of character.  Chautauquans need to attend all nightly tent performances and be available for a variety of community events and public relations. Applicants may be academic or independent scholars who have a master's degree or other advanced degrees in a humanities discipline. Applicants are responsible for developing their own scripts, costumes, and props.  Chautauquans are paid an honorarium, plus meal, travel, modest costume assistance, and lodging expenses. 

Kansas Chautauqua: Bleeding Kansas: Where the Civil War Began Application 
Send by March 22, 2002: 

• A cover sheet stating your name, mailing address, phone and fax numbers, email address and the historic figure you wish to portray. 
• Your curriculum vitae including public-speaking experience, work in the humanities, knowledge of Kansas and American history from 1854-1861, and references.
• An essay about the historic figure you wish to portray, which should include the significant events of his/her life and his/her vision for America, legacy, how you would portray the person and what personal and intellectual qualities would you emphasize.  How do his/her ideas compare to those of the other historical figures? 
• A bibliography of the 6-10 best sources of information on that person. 
• An outline of two possible 90-minute workshops for adults including at least one important voice or theme not likely to be covered by the presentations of the historical figures chosen by KHC. 
• A 15-minute videotape of a presentation in character. KHC will provide each applicant with a sealed envelope containing two questions. At the end of your presentation, the envelope should be opened on camera and the questions answered, one in character and one as the scholar who offered the characterization as a text for discussion.

Contact the Kansas Humanities Council to request the sealed envelope.

Send applications and videotape to Kansas Humanities Council, 112 SW 6th Ave., Suite 210, Topeka, KS 66603.

Kansas Community Chautauqua References and Notes

• Beloit
• November 1904 - The Epworth Chautauqua of Beloit, Kansas, held a very successful session during its past season.  As its name indicates, it is largely under the control of the Epworth League, but the program contained features of interest to everyone.  The history of the assembly during the past twelve years has shown it has become a part of the life of the people of Northwest Kansas.  Ministerial, Sunday School, and Epworth League conferences vied with musical events and popular entertainments in drawing crowds, on some days numbering 7,500.  Among the prominent speakers were Bishop Joseph H. Berry, Dr. W. Anderson Quayle, Judge E. W. Cunningham, of the Kansas Supreme Court, Congressman W. A. Reeder and W. A. Calderhead and Hon. Ed. N. Hoch.

 
• Cawker City
• October 1904 - The Lincoln Park Chautauqua at Cawker City, Kansas, held its thrid annual assembly from the twenty-first to the thirty-first of July.  About two hundred tents were occupied by families, clubs or societies, and large audiences were present to enjoy the splendid program.  The C. L. S. C. work was in charge of Miuss Meddie Hamilton, of Wichita, and the Rouind Table meetings aroused much interest and a large list of readers was enrolled.  Several clubs in the vacinityare quite active in the work.  While retaining their club names, they find the Chautauqua courses to be most admireably adapted to their needs.  During this session one hundred and eighteen leases of lots at fifty dollars eachwere made and many permanent improvements are planned for next year.

• Kansas -- Beloit, Cawker City, Coffyville, Ottowa each had chautauquas.  "The movement, founded in 1874, caught on quickly and spread west; fifteen Kansas cities from Ottawa and Coffeyville to Cawker City and Beloit sponsored annual independent assemblies at some time between 1880 and 1917. And, while these 'Mother Chautauqua-like' assemblies were quite successful and continued, "the Chautauqua movement entered a new phase in 1904 with the introduction of the circuits of traveling tents," which remained major attractions throughout the state well into the 1930s." -- Source: Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains; Summer 1999 (Vol. 22, No. 2) 
  
  
• Ottawa - SEE: The Complete Chautauquan: Ottawa, Kansas, Chautauqua Assembly.

• Wathena
• October 1900 - The Assembly of Wathena, just closing its second yearly season, promises to be a prominent and important center in northeastern Kansas.  The debate on "Expansion," which was a striking feature of the program, attracted much attention, and in other respects the daily exercises have given much satisfaction.  The Work of the C. L. S. C. was brought into great prominence through the effective work of Mrs. L. S. Corey, and a large number joined the Class of 1904.  The management succeeded admirably in providing for the comfort and well-being of thise in attendance, and the outlook for the future of this Chautauqua is propitious. ~ From The Chautauquan (Page 114.)

• Winfield - SEE: The Complete Chautauquan: Winfield, Kansas, Chautauqua Assembly.

• Harrison = Harrison, Harry P. and Karl Detzer. Culture Under Canvas: The Story of the Tent Chautauqua.  New York: Hastings House, 1958. 
• Light = The Sapulpa (Oklahoma) Light weekly newspaper. 
• MacLaren = MacLaren, Gay. Morally We Roll Along. Boston: Little, Brown, & Co., 1938. 
• Redpath = The Redpath Collection, Iowa State University Library.

One of the best sources for tidbits of information on Chautauqua reading circle and assembly activities in local communities is The Chautauquan monthly magazine published from 1880 to 1914. Here are some news items from the local circles in Oklahoma found in The Chautauquan. 
 

April 1900 -- The Chautauquans of Wichita, Kansas, held a veritable jubilee upon the occasion of Chacellor Vincent's recent visit to their city.  The exercises were held in Sedgwick Music Hall, under the auspices of the Wichita Chautauqua Social Union which comprises the following circles: The Sunflower Circle, the Alumni Association, the Assembly Circle, the Alma Circle, and the East Side Circle.  Attractive souvenirs of the occasionwere furnished to all the guests, and on the last page of the little booklet was the following quotation from one of the Chancellor's addresses: "Whoever gives to a house a good book puts a window in that house, and if the book be of the right sort is likely to open a skylight as well."  The hall was appropriately decorated with flowers a, American flags and Chautauqua colors, and the members of the Circles with invited guests brought together a gatheing of nearly five hundred people,  An informal reception to the honored guest was followed by a program of greetings from the circles and response by the Chancellor.  All of the greetings were most happy in their character.  To the Sunflower Circle, organized in 1887, was rightfully accorded the honor of being the mother of the three other circles and the vigorous Alumni Association.  Mr. James Allison, in speaking for the alumni, sketched breifly the entire history of the Chautauqua movement, he himself having been present at Chautauqua in 1878 when the C. L. S. C. was organized.  After the response from the Chancellor, he presented certificates to the members of the circles who had completed the work of the English year, the presentation of those having been deferred for this occasion. ~ From The Chautauquan - Page 92.

April 1904 - "Before we separate, I hope you will look over this copy of the Winfield, Kansas, Chautauqua News, and you will see what our Kansas delegation 
is doing.  They have grown strong enough to have a local round table of their own under the leadership of Mrs. Piatt.  We are all enriched by the inspiration of such a splendid example.  There is a very American spirit out in Kansas as you will see from these reports, and one of the Oklahoma circles has been responsible for securing a town library of which we hope to hear more later.  There are now nearly forty circles in Kansas and Oklahoma." 

November 1904 - Our Kansas delegate here, reports sixty-five new members as enrolled at the Cawker City Assembly and but for floods which interfered with the program of the Winfield and Ottawa Assemblies Kansas would have had a still largerenrollment. 

February 1913 -- Not far from Blackwell [Oklahoma] is Lamont where a new circle has been formed this year.  This circle has grown from small beginnings. One Lamont woman enrolled at the Winfield, Kansas, Assembly[*] in 1911 and read alone until a friend became interested enough to join her. With Number Two the interest was a revival, for she had read before, and now she will graduate with 1913, the first of the new circle to enter the Hall of the Grove.  These two original members are full of enthusiasm over the pleasure and benifit in store for this neighborhood group in the little praire town. ~ From The Chautauquan - Page 342.

Here are references to Kansas that can be found on this Web site: 

• Kansas in Circuit Chautauquas - The Complete Chautauquan. 
• Kansas in the history of community chautauquas in The Ottawa Chautauqua Assembly - The Complete Chautauquan. 
• and The Winfield Chautauqua Assembly - The Complete Chautauquan.

The Island Park Assembly located in Winfield was a popular draw for Oklahoma members of CLSC reading circles.  Visit the Winfield, Kansas, Chautauqua - The Complete Chautauquan. 

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