Chautauqua in Oklahoma

By Jeffrey Scott Maxwell

Oklahoma Community Chautauqua References and Notes

• Ada Redpath

• Alva 
• 1911, July 9-15. 
• William Jennings Bryan, Ruthven McDonald, Lee Lathrop-Fullenwider Company, Ferrente's Italian Guards Band, Hattie Root Grace Concert Company, Killarney Ladies Orchestra, Father P. J. MacCorry, Mrs. A. C. Zehner, Sylvester A. Long, Brush the Magician, Allan A. Tanner, Francis J. Heney, Judge George D. Alden, impersonator Adrian M. Newene, Ernest J. Sias.  From the Alva Times Courier, May 18, 1911. 
• The Courier later reported "... the big tent was crowded to hear the 'Silver Tongued Orator from Nebraska' on the lecture platform and none were disappointed, for Mr. Bryan made a far better impression than he did here before as a political speaker." 
• MacLaren (209), MacLaren wrote: "[William Jennings Bryan] left Geary the thirteenth [July 13, 1911] at 8:20 a.m. and arrived at Alva at 12:38, where he lectured at 2 p.m., leaving at 4 p.m. and arriving at Kingman, Kansas, at 7:20 p.m. … 
• Redpath 

• Ardmore  TLT1908 Met June 24-July 1, 1908. E. P. Downing, Roff, Indian Territory

• Beaver 
• 1921, July 24-28.  Hon. Joseph G. Camp, Colligian Male Trio 07/24, Elsie Mae Gordon 7/24, Madrigal Four 7/25, Ernest J. Powell 7/25, "Too Much Business" Company 07/26, Australian Bird Circus. 

• Beggs  Redpath 25 miles south of Tulsa

• Checotah  Redpath

• Durant  Redpath

• Edmond  Redpath

• Enid 
• 1912, July 10-17 (Redpath-Horner Chautauquas) $2.00 season.  E. E. Stauffer, manager.  Judge Lindsey, William Rainey Bennett, Byron Piatt, Lincon McConnell, Joseph W. Folk, William Jennings Bryan, Sybil Sammis MacDermid, Royal Italian Guards Band, James Francis O'Donnell, Harmony Concert Company. 
• Harrison (180), Harrison's reference is to Jehu DeWitt Miller (humorist) receiving mail (books, magazines, and newspapers) in Enid, Oklahoma during the week that the Redpath Chautauqua was in town. 
• Redpath 

• Eufala 
• 1919, July 2-6, Redpath-Horner Chautauquas - Helen Waggoner, The Betty Potter Company, Charles H. Plattenburg, Eugene Laurant magician - From Eufala Indian Journal June 12 and 19, 1919. 

• Frederick  MacLaren (256) MacLaren's reference is of flying from Wichita Falls, Texas, to Frederick Oklahoma, in the days before air pessenger service was available.  On her way to the Chautauqua event in Frederick, the pilot stuck the plane's nose in the mud when landing and tore up the propeler, but MacLaren made it to her engagement on time.

• Gage  Redpath

• Geary 
• 1918, Aug 17-21 (Redpath-Horner Chautauquas) 
• 1920, Aug 23-27 (Redpath-Horner Chautauquas) 
• No year, Aug 27-31 (Redpath-Horner Chautauquas) 
• No year, July 10-14 (Redpath-Horner Chautauquas) 

• Goodwell  Redpath

• Guthrie 
• 1905, Aug 16-24, Island Park (The Oklahoma Epworth Assembly, Inc. 1905) Season tickets $1.50 - Dr. Frank Bristol "The Little Giant of Methodism"; Dr. Camden M. Cobern, lecturer; Capt. Richmond P. Hobson, of Merrimac fame; Col. Lou J. Beauchamp "Comic Philosopher"; Montaville Flowers, dramatic orator.  From Aug 9, 1905 issue of The Guthrie Leader Aug 9, 1905; The Lexington Leader Aug 11, 1905. 
• 1908, Met - J. E. Disch, pres.  From Oct 1908 The Lyceumite and Talent. 
• 1910, Reference to Guthrie Chautauqua in Altus Review-Courier, July 21, 1910, pg 1. 
• 1911, July 11 - MacLaren (209) MacLaren's reference is to the July 11, 1911 visit of William Jennings Bryan to Guthrie where he arrived by train at 8:10 p.m.  She wrote: "Here he lectured to a jam at the Chautauqua pavilion, rushed back to catch the 10:50 p.m. train, and arrived in Oklahoma city after midnight. 
• Redpath 

• Guymon 
• 1930, "Other People's Business" comedy, Chester Scott Co., Loveless Quartette, E. J. Powell "The Masters of the Morrow," Associated Players, Lethe Coleman, "The Big Pond" comedy. - From Panhandle Herald Aug 7, 1930. 

• Hobart 
• 1907, June 16 (The Southwestern Chautauqua Association) Season tickets $2.00 - William Jennings Bryan, Robert L. Taylor. - From the Frederick Enterprise, June 6, 1907. 
• 1908, met, J. A. Hyndman, Pres.; Jno. W. Dickson, Secy.  From The Lyceumite and Talent Oct 1908. 

• Hooker  Redpath

• Hugo  Redpath

• Hunter  Redpath

• Kingfisher 
• 1899, May - First Assembly at new grounds - From the Norman Transcript Jan 20, 1899. 
• 1908, Met, J. E. Burns, pres. - From The Lyceumite and Talent Oct 1908. 

• Langston  Redpath

• McAlester  TLT1008 Met July 16-23, 1908, Fletcher Cook.

• Muskogee 
• Redpath 
• TLT1008 Met July 16-23, 1908, F. W. McAffee 

• Norman  Redpath

• Oklahoma City 
• 1905, June 14-24, Wheeler Park - First Assembly Meeting - William Jennings Bryan 6/20; Gov. Robt. L. LaFollette 6/23; Sam Jones 6/21 -- Rev. Thomas H. Harper, pres.; Edmond Thurman, Secty.  From The Daily Oklahoman, June 11, 1905. 
• 1907, June 23-July 4. William Jennings Bryan 6/26, Sen. Robert M. LaFollette 6/24, Sen. J. P. Dolliver 6/25, Gov. Folk 6/27, Edmund Vance Cooke 6/26, 27, Capt. Richmond Pearson Hobson 6/30, John G. Woolly 6/28, Father Daly 7/1, Ladies Harmony Concert Company 6/24, Dr. Frank Gunsaulus 6/23, I. M. Holcomb 6/25, Reno the Magician 6/29, Ellsworth Plumstead 7/1, Meressa Thompson 7/2, Dr. Kokichi Morimoto 7/2, The Kilties Scotch Band 07/04. 
• TLT1001 Met 1908, Hathaway Harper. 
• MacLaren (209), While MacLaren mentions that William Jennings Bryan stayed in Oklahoma City on the night of July 11, 1911 (when he was lecturing at other Oklahoma Chautauqua programs), she does not specifically state that he lectured at Chautauqua there. 
• Redpath 

• Pawnee  (or Pawnee City) 
• Harrison (96), Harrison's reference is to a company renting tents for families to stay in during the week of Chautauqua. He wrote, "In Pawnee City, Oklahoma, I once happened to read an ad: 'Tents with floors one dollar extra.' " 
• MacLaren (209), MacLaren's reference is to William Jennings Bryan (See Pawhuska): "The road [from Pawhuska to Pawnee] was the worst ever staked, being merely a trail part of the way and almost impassable.  Four autos started with the party, but only one arrived with Bryan at Pawnee at nearly ten o'clock that night [July 10, 1911], having stopped on the way while he addressed the towns that massed as he went through.  Four addresses and four handshakes the first day. He closed his lecture at Pawnee about midnight." MacLaren states that he left Pawnee the morning of July 11, 1911 to go to an afternoon engagement in Stillwater. 

• Pawhuska  MacLaren (208) 44 miles northwest of Tulsa MacLaren's reference is to William Jennings Bryan.  She wrote, "He [Bryan] arrived in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, at 12:40 p.m. [on July 10, 1911], and lectured at the Chautauqua,  then made an address downtown, shook hands with the entire population, jumped into a car with Manager [Charles F.] Horner, and headed for Pawnee,sixty miles away."

• Poteau  Redpath; TLT1008 Met 1908, E. P. Downing, Roff, IT.

• Sapulpa - SEE: The Complete Chautauquan: Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Chautauqua.

• Shawnee 
• 1908, June 26-July 4, Woodland Park - Hon. John Sharpe Williams 06/29; Totten the magician 06/28; Dr. Rowland Dwight Grant 07/01; Dr. W. A. Quayle 07/02; Wisconsin Sen. Spooner 07/03; Hon. hnarry B. Darling 07/04; Oklahoma Congressman Scott Ferris 07/04.  - From the Shawnee Daily Herald June 11, 1908, pg 5. 
• Redpath 

• Stigler  Redpath

• Stillwater  MacLaren (209), Redpath MacLaren's reference is to William Jennings Bryan. She wrote: "The next day, July 11 [1911], he [Bryan] went from Pawnee to Stillwater, shaking hands at every station with a cheering crowd, was met and paraded at Stillwater at one o'clock, spoke, then took an hour's sleep and at three o'clock lectured to 2000 people for two hours." He immediately left after the lecture to go to Perry to catch a train to Guthrie.

• Sulpher 
• 1926, Chautauqua planned by womens club. From The Daily Oklahoman, Aug 18, 1926. 

• Sulpher Springs 
• 1908, E. E. White. - From The Lyceumite and Talent Oct 1908. 

• Tahlequah  Redpath 55 miles east by southeast from Tulsa.

• Taloga  Redpath

• Tulsa  There is no reference to Tulsa in the Redpath Records or any of the books written by Redpath employees, because Redpath didn't attempt to bring Chautauqua to Tulsa.  Because of the fact, I didn't really consider that Chautauqua was known to Tulsans in Indian Territory other than a CLSC circle or two.  The first reference I found to any sort of Chautauqua activities in Tulsa was in the October, 1907, issue of The Lyceumite & Talent listing of planned Chautauquas for 1908.  This lead to easily one hundred hours of research in Tulsa newspapers of the day on microfilm at the library.  It was exciting to learn that Tulsa had a circuit Chautauqua brought to town from 1905 through 1908 by Siloam Springs, Arkansas, promoter Fred W. Bartel and his Associated Chautauquas agency.  It is a fascinating study of the "commercial" side of the circuit Chautauquas as the story unfolds on the pages of The Tulsa Daily Democrat and, later, The Tulsa Daily World.  I am so pleased that I found this information in 2000 as preparations were being made for the Tenth Annual Arts and Humanities of Tulsa Chautauqua to be held in June 2001.  Please visit The Complete Chautauquan: Tulsa, Oklahoma, Chautauqua.  Also, take a look at the page on the modern Chautauqua in Tulsa in The Complete Chautauquan: Tulsa Council Chautauqua.

• Vinita  Redpath; TLT1001 met 1908, Fred W. Bartell, Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

• Watonga  Harrison (109) Harrison's reference is to a Hawaiian musical group holding their instruments overhead to cross a bridge on the way to Chautauqua in Watonga, Oklahoma.

• Weatherford  MacLaren (209), MacLaren's reference is to William Jennings Bryan's visit to Weatherford on July 12, 1911. She wrote: "A few hours' sleep [in Oklahoma City] and out at 6:05 a.m. the morning of the twelfth to Weatherford, where he lectured in the afternoon.  Then back to Geary, where he spent the night."

• Willburton  Redpath

• Wynona  Redpath

• 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. 

• May 1887, page 493.  "INDIAN TERRITORY.--A more earnest body of workers than the twenty-one members of the TAHLEQUAH Circle would be hard to find." 
• April 1893, page 115.  "OKLAHOMA.--A circle of fifteen members enrolls from Chandler. 
• May 1893, page 234. "INDIAN TERRITORY.--Members of the Local Chautauqua Circle at Wynne Wood organized as late as February 4, were brave enough to enlist as 96's.

OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.--In Guthrie there is a fine class of twelve members who have adopted the name Mistletoe Circle, as the mistletoe grows abundantly in this territory.  Their motto is, "We Surmount difficulties."  They meet every Saturday afternoon and are going doing good work. 
• March 1894, page 754.  "INDIAN TERRITORY.--A class of two '96's and two '97's is prospering in Wynne Wood. 
• February 1913, page 342.  "C. L. S. C. activities are advancing in Oklahoma.  The circle at Tulsa has diligent readers who also prove themselves capable and forceful program makers and leaders. Blackwell is a Chautauqua stronghold, and has been for years.  A group of its readers is shown in this Round Table.  Not far from Blackwell 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.

*Visit the The Complete Chautauquan page on the Winfield, Kansas, Island Park Assembly.

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

• Oklahoma in Circuit Chautauquas - The Complete Chautauquan. 
• Oklahoma in the history of circuit Chautauquas in Sapulpa, Okalahoma, Chautauqua - The Complete Chautauquan. 
• And historic information on the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Chautauqua - The Complete Chautauquan. 
• Oklahoma in the Modern Humanities Chautauqua Movement in Tulsa Council Chautauqua - 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. 

Historical Society Assistance

Much help in identifying sources for information on Chautauqua programs in Oklahoma has been given to me by the Oklahoma Historical Society.  Special thanks goes to Judith Michener, an archivist who has spent a great deal of time putting together sources of information for my research. Due to these resources, many more items will be added to this page in the future.

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