Historic Highlights: Remnants of Chautauqua are landmarks in some Illinois towns

Rural towns in Illinois and elsewhere have many landmarks of bygone eras. Among them are the remnants of the Chautauqua movement, called the “most American thing in America” by Theodore Roosevelt.

The lingering imprints of Chautauqua remain a centerpiece of many communities. Today, some towns are scrambling to preserve the structures, while others have found alternative uses.

The Chautauqua movement originated in 1874 in western New York as a sort of summer training for Sunday school teachers. By the end of the century, the New York Center had evolved into a place for intellectual and moral development.

A national phenomenon arose from those purposes and by the end of the 19th century, communities across the nation were erecting facilities to host summer Chautauquas. Many were located near lakes in open, rural areas to promote cleaner living and appreciation for nature. The Chautauquas emphasized adult education to improve the body, mind, and soul, and reflected the progressive thinking that found favor in the era.

Chautauqua was particularly popular in the Midwest, though over 30 states were home to some form of the movement. In 1890, there were some 200 independent Chautauquas nationwide, a number that jumped to 1,000 in 1912.

Though Chautauquas were spread across Illinois, the east-central portion of the state hosted a disproportionate number, and, accordingly, has many of the movement’s outstanding landmarks. East of Shelbyville, the Lithia Springs Chautauqua boasted a 2,000-seat auditorium, a library chapel, various cottages and lodging houses, a dining hall, a grocery store and a post office.

Established by Unitarian minister Jasper Douthit, the Chautauqua was built around two springs, one containing high amounts of lithium that gave the facility its name. Annual gatherings were hosted at Lithia Springs from 1892-1921.

Another Chautauqua was founded in Shelbyville in 1901, and a striking, 20-sided circular building was constructed in the town’s Forest Park in 1903.

The two Shelbyville Chautauquas, though, did not work in harmony. The Lithia Springs congregation favored the “idealist” concept of Chautauqua, while the town version followed a “progressive” approach.

Southeast of Petersburg in Menard County, the Old Salem Chautauqua was equally well-equipped. The 54-acre grounds featured a 5,000-seat auditorium, a 75-room hotel, a 65-foot in-ground swimming pool, and a nine-hole golf course.

Some 100,000 people attended the two-week sessions, which one writer reported were “thought to be the largest Chautauqua west of the Allegheny Mountains.”

In Logan County, the Lincoln Chautauqua Association was equally proud of its annual gathering, which was held on 120 acres southwest of town from 1902-1937.

A member of the association lauded the “magnificent steel auditorium” with seating for 4,500 as well as “scores of handsome cottages” on grounds that had been improved with “an investment representing some $50,000 in all” to create “the largest and most beautiful Chautauqua grounds in the Central West.”

The Lincoln Chautauqua became a sort of community in itself, laid out in streets with a full-time police force and post office. Another account noted that “for many Logan County people, their vacation was the 10 days to two weeks spent at the Chautauqua in August. For farm families, an extra treat was the electricity and indoor plumbing they didn’t have at home.”

The movement found special favor in Christian County. In 1911, the city of Pana built a large pavilion, measuring 130 by 45 feet with a theatrical stage, band shell, and roomy backstage area, for the local Chautauqua gatherings in Kitchell Park.

In 1914, Taylorville began its own Chautauqua at Manners Park, and over the next 14 years, residents were treated to speakers like William Howard Taft and Helen Keller. In 1916, a steel auditorium was purchased from Streator for $5,000. The structure remains a centerpiece of Manners Park and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

During the 1916 Chautauqua, an estimated 1,300 cars were parked around Manners, and additional street cars ferried onlookers to special events.

A 1987 remembrance of the annual Chautauquas recalled that “mother, my sisters, little brother and I would hitch up the buggy and drive 5 miles over dusty roads to attend each afternoon session, then hurry home to do chores and wait for father to come in from the field and back to town we would go. We didn’t want to miss any part of it.”

Attendees routinely numbered in the thousands at many Chautauquas. Some lived on the grounds, while others came and went on day passes. At Lithia Springs, season tickets cost $2 for adults and $1 for children, while daily admission was a quarter and 15 cents, respectively.

Chautauqua programs normally featured speakers of a progressive bent, including political hero William Jennings Bryan, minister Billy Sunday, temperance champion Carrie Nation, and scientist Booker T. Washington. Reading was encouraged, as was intellectual discussion and physical activity.

Bryan, a three-time Presidential candidate, referred to Chautauqua as a “potent factor in molding the mind of the nation.”

Sometimes, railroads even offered special rates to Chautauqua patrons. Those headed for the Litchfield-Hillsboro Chautauqua, south of present-day Illinois Route 16 between the two towns, could ride the electric interurbans of the Illinois Traction System from either town for 15 cents.

Riders from Carlinville, 23 miles away, could board for $1, while a $2 fare was the price for the 65-mile ride from St. Louis. As many as 800 people spent their nights on those Chautauqua grounds.

Towns without permanent Chautauqua facilities sometimes hosted tent versions. But by the 1920s, the movement began to decline, due to the onset of cars and radio, as well as economic shifts. Many were gone by the mid-to-late 1930s, though the Old Salem Chautauqua near Petersburg lasted until 1942.

Today, the Chautauqua influence is still felt in many towns. In Pana, a community effort to renovate the pavilion in Kitchell Park was completed in 2010 and earned an award from Landmarks Illinois. Over $100,000 of the total cost of $270,000 was raised through private donations.

A similar effort is underway in Shelbyville, where the “Save our Chautauqua” campaign seeks to raise funds for wholesale repairs to the Chautauqua building in Forest Park. The volunteer effort has raised over $100,000.

Used in recent years as a concert venue, the building has hosted such notables as Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton and REO Speedwagon while becoming an anchor of both the park and the community.

East of town, Lithia Springs is now a campground and access area to Lake Shelbyville. The Chautauqua movement is interpreted at the lake’s visitor center.

South of Grafton, New Piasa Chautauqua is a private residential village where the locals live in period cottages and play games such as roque, similar to croquet. The settlement is part of the Chautauqua Trail, a collection of 17 former Chautauqua sites nationwide that strive to keep the memory of the movement alive.

Near Petersburg, a few of the Chautauqua cottages and one hall are now part of a residential area. Students at the local high school created a blog that interprets the history of the Old Salem Chautauqua. The site of the Litchfield-Hillsboro Chautauqua is also a private residential settlement, though visitors are not encouraged.

Some have even attempted to resurrect Chautauquas, especially in Jacksonville. The Prairieland Chautauqua, founded in 2000, is held each Labor Day and harkens back to the original movement with musical productions, historical storytellers and re-enactors, and the spirit of Chautauqua that was unique in American history.

• Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Illinois. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.