The Winfield Chautauqua

By Jeffrey Scott Maxwell

"The first session of this new Kansas Assembly is to be held from June 7 to 18 at Island Park, Winfdield. The place is easily reached by a branch of the A. T. & S. F. R. R. or by the K., C., L., & S. R. R. The Rev. M. L. Gates of Winfield is Superintendnet of Instruction. The citizens of Winfield have erected for the use of the Assembly a tebernacle, two normal halls, and a secretary's office. 
A large class of Pansies is expected to graduate on Recognition Day, June 17. Dr. A. H. Gillett will be present and conduct fthe C. L. S. C. Round Tables.
The following are some of the lectures: Dean Wright, A. M., the Rev. A. H. Gillett, D. D., Jahu DeWitt Miller, Col. Billheimer, the Hon. R. G. Horr, Mrs. C. McCabe, and the Rev. R. Cruikshank, D. D.
A new departure at Winfield is "Labor Day," when the Hon. R. G. Horr, General Waever, and Sam Jones , will speak. Prof. C. C. Case has been chosen Musical Director.Dean Wright will hold a daily minesteriel conference, and Dr. Gillett will teach the first year's Normal and Intermediate classes." [Chaut v7 p628] 

Articles:

June 1900 - The Winfield Assembly has for years maintained a high standard of work as a representative of Chautauqua ideals.  For the session of 1900, opening on June 21, a strong program is offered.  Dr. Herbert L. Willett, of the American Institute of Sacred Literature, has charge of the department of Sacred Literaturel Professor W. D. MacClintock, of the University of Chicago, will give a course of lectures upon English Literature.  The W. C. T. U. School of Methods, and classes in art, physical culture, domestic science, etc., will be undeer competent leaders.  Among the platform speakers who will appear are Jahu DeWitt Miller, Dr. R. S. MacArthur of New York; Col. George W. Bain of Kentucky; Hon, Alf Taylor of Tennesseel Dr. Z. T. Sweeney, Hon. Charles B. Landis, and Will Cumback of Indiana.  Mr. Frank R. Roberson will give an illustrated lecture upon South Africa, and the Scandinavian Concert Company will be heard repeatedly.  The C. L. S. C. work will take ists usual prominent position under hte leadership of Mrs. A. F. Piatt.  Round Tableswill be held daily, and the five o'clock Vesper Service on Sunday.  On Recognition Day, June 26. Mr. Charles T. Grilley of Boston will give the address, the alumni banquet being held, as usual, at the close of the exercises.

October 1900 - The fourtenth annual session of the Winfield Chautauqua Assembly, opening on June 12, and closing July 2, is concede to have been one of the most enjoyable as well as successful in the history of the association. 
     The department of sacred literature was conducted by Dr. H. L. Willett, of Chicago; English by Professor W. D. MacClintock, of Chiocago University; W. C. T. U. school of methods by Mrs. E. P. Hutchinson, state president; C. L. S. C., Mrs. Alma F. Piatt, of Kansas; physical culture by Miss M. Ona Tourtelotte, of Nebraska; and domestic science by Miss Sarah W. Landes, of Ohio.
     Among the new features of the session were the Educational Day, directed by Hon. Frank Nelson, and the political debate by Mssrs. Landis and Clark.  Both were Successful and will warrant repitition.  Caman's Military Band gave a concert every evening.
     The C. L. S. C., under the direction of Mrs. Piatt, was, as usual, successful.  The Round Tables at the four o'clock hour were well attended, and were intensely interesting.  The large pavilion, seating three hundred, would hardly accomodate the meetings, and from the early morning until the close of the afternoon meeting the visitors loitered about the headquarters, gathering information regarding Chautauqua work.  Recognition Day was a red-letter day this season.  Thirteen members of the Class of 1900 were present to recieve diplomas, and about three hundred Chautauquans were present to take part in the Recognition service.  At the close of the service followed the banquet, which has become a regular feature of Recognition Day at Winfield.  Professor MacClintock, of Chicago University, presided, and the occasion was one long to be remembered.  About ninety members were enrolled for the new year, and we hope to make the number reach the one hundred mark by October.

C. L. S. C. Round Table

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.

March 1912 - "Winfield," said a Kansan, " has had a revival of C. L. S. C. enthusiasm. Perhaps it should be called an 'extension' of enthusiasm to a larger number of people, for Winfield Chautauquans have never lost their enthusiasm. I don't believe Chautauquans ever do. I have never known nor heard of a 'backslider'." "Nor we, nor we." came cries from all over the room. "The revival began with the splendid work of Miss Hamilton, the Field Secretary, at the Assembly in July, and was further developed through the activities of the permanent office which Winfield established and which has enrolled about fifty members of the Jane Addams Class beside many of the old readers. Winfield alone has three Circles and some independent readers and informal groups." "When we say 'Winfield' as applied to matters Chautauquan," broke in another Kansan, "we mean more than the beautiful little town on the Walnut. We mean the territory of the Island Park Assembly; and when I remind you that Island Park has graduated about four hundred people, which is nearly half of all the Kansas graduates for the past twenty-five years, you will know that we have been giving some attention to the reading course." "Bishop Vincent says it is the 'soul' of the Chautauqua movement, so you ought to," commented Pendragon. "The Winfield territory includes," went on the first speaker, "well, not so large an area as it used to, for there are more Assemblies, but it includes--" "Sylvia, for instance," cried a fresh, clear voice. "Yes, Sylvia carried off one of the diplomas for 1911. And when that diploma reached the little town of West Winfield it excited so much enthiusiasm that a vigorous Circle of sixteen sprang into being, all but two members of the Jane Addams Class." "An Englishman born and reared in London has been a valuable help," added the Sylvian, "especially in the study of the first book of this year." "Sylvia is one of the new Circles," explained still another Kansan. "The older Circles, too, are showing fine interest. College Hill Circle in Winfield, after a lapse of two years, was hungry for the reading again and was reorganized amid great rejoicing at a social meeting in October. A remarkable member of this circle is one of the graduates of 1911, a former college professor, now seventy-three years old. At his suggestion this circle gave a thorough reading to Bishop Vincent's last Baccalaureate sermon, using it by paragraphs for a roll call. The class greatly enjoyed the richness of this sermon, as they discovered it for themselves, nugget by nugget." "We of the Charles Dickens Circle of Arkansas City, which is joined to Winfield by the interurban," began a member, "think that it is distinguished by several superior advantages. One of these is its much travelled president, who has seen most of the important countries of the world, and is, of course, familiar with the sources of culture in these lands. She regards Chautauqua as the best means for general culture that she has found. In her travels last summer she made a motor trip through England. Imagine the interest she added to the study of 'Twentieth Century American'!" "Wichita, too, belongs to us," continued the first enthusiast, "though as a city she is bigger than we are." Wichita last summer sent us a graduate having thriteen seals including the Crown Seal. This achievement broke all records in seal work at Island Park." "Blackwell also belongs to the Winfield territory," said an Oklahoman, "and is a circle to be proud of. These Chautauquans have managed an excellent lecture course for years and have raised the money and purchased a good nucleus of a city library. They have made Blackwell know that Chautauqua means culture for the people." "I belong to Winfield too, but I am reading alone in Topeka this winter," said a man with a legal air and a strong, square jaw. "This is my ninth year. Each year is new. There has been no duplication. A Chautauqua reader gets the advantage of careful examination of reading matter by educated men, and much time is saved thereby to the reader.  ~ From The Chautauquan

The charter transcribed below is from the Winfield Chautauqua Assembly collection of the Cowley County Historical Society:

     The undersigned, citizens of the State of Kansas, do hereby voluntarily associate ourselves together for the purposes of forming a private corporation under the laws of the State of Kansas, and do hereby certify:

     FIRST: That the name of this corporation shall be The Winfiled Assembly.

     SECOND: That the purposes for which this corporation is formed are to establish and maintain encampments and assemblies at Winfield for the purpose of normal training in Sunday school work and bible study for educational purposes, and the promotion of science, art, music and literature, and for holding in connection these with ministerial conferences, to acquire by lease gift or purchase, real and personal property to hold, improve, mortgage and sell same.

     THIRD: That the place where its business is to be transacted is as Winfield, Kansas.

     FOURTH: That the term for which this corporation is to exist is ninety nine (99) years.

     FIFTH: That the number of Directors Trustees of this corporation shall be twenty one; and the names and residences of those who are appointed for the first year are--H. E. Silliman Winfield Kansas, Jno. A. Eaton Winfield Kansas, F. S. Jennings Winfield Kansas, B. F. Wood Winfield Kansas, W. P. Huckney Winfield Kansas, A. H. Limerick Winfield Kansas, Tom H. Soward Winfield Kansas, J. E. Conklin Winfield Kansas, Aus. F. Hopkins Winfield Kansas, J. H. Snyder Winfield Kansas, J. M. Vawter Winfield Kansas, J. C. M. Muller Winfield Kansas J. H. Reider Winfield Kansas, M. L. Gates Winfield Kansas, M. L. Read Winfield Kansas, K. Miller Winfield Kansas, J. W. Curns Winfield Kansas, V. S. Burpee Winfield Kansas, S, H, Nupton Winfield Kansas, M. L. Robinson Winfield Kansas, G. H. Smith Winfield Kansas.

     SIXTH: The the estimated value of the goods, chattels, lands, rights and credits owned by the vorporation is the value of its memberships dollars.  That the amount of the capital stock of this corporation shall be Twenty five Thousand dollars, and shall be divided into twenty five hundred (2500) shares, of ten dollars each...

From The Tulsa Daily Democrat, July 17, 1905:

      Saturday night the gate receipts had passed $4,500.  Sunday alone the receipts were $2032.65.  Fully 12,000 people were on the grounds Sunday. 
      Sunday the largest crowd of Winfield Chautauqua was in attendance from all over the surrounding country to hear J. Wilber Chapman and Sam Jones and enjoy the delights of Winfield's pretty little park.  The island was alive with people from early morning till late at night.  At noon and evening the surface of the ground was covered with picnic parties in couples, families and crowds, while thousands crowd the dining hall and uptown eating places. 
      As noon passed and the trains continued to arrive, the crowds grew thicker and those desiring to catch a glimpse of the famous Sam Jones, or to come within the sound of his voice crowded the walks and all available space around the tabernacle, even climbing to the roof.  The talk was scathing, witty and earnest by turns.  The southern evangelist, dark, austere and wiry in movement, has his massage for the people, and delivers it in language that cuts to the quick, then heals the wounds with the balm of mighty ideas. 
      The above from a recent issue of the Winfield, Kas., Daily Free Press, is copied for two reasons.  It shows what tulsa may have in the way of a regular session of a Chautauqua if it is established and held regularly here every year as it should be.  It also showes how the people there look upon Sam Jones, who is billed for the chautauqua here."

Visit the web page of Dr. William W. Bottorff who has put together an incredible collection of information about Winfield, Kansas, history -- and an amazing collection of Winfield Chautauqua Assembly photos from the Cowley County Historical Museum. 

Kansas -- The Winfield Chautauqua.  Here is a quote from the Convention and Tourism in Winfield page and the Relocate America page for Winfield, Kansas: "Island Park, the site of the original Chautauquas in Winfield, today is a beautiful place to drive around or stroll through along with the ducks and geese. The park is at the North end of Main Street surrounded by the Timber Creek Lagoon. From late November through December the park is alight with a wonderful seasonal display."