The Flagg Township Museum in Rochelle invites the community to Chautauqua at the Museum, a series of informal evening programs held March 23-26 from 7-8 p.m.

Historically, Chautauqua was a cultural and social movement that began in upstate New York in the 1870s and flourished through the mid-1920s, bringing lectures, music, drama and “cultural enrichment” to communities nationwide. This year’s Chautauqua series aligns with the museum’s year-long theme, “We the People,” commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

This year’s program features two trivia nights and two special guest speakers:

Monday, March 23 – Trivia night: We the People…250 years of history: Test your knowledge of American history from 1776 to 2026. Themed prizes will be awarded. Refreshments include Martha Washington gingerbread, coffee and tea.

Tuesday, March 24 – Guest speaker Bill Nicklas, DeKalb city manager, presents “What Are We Celebrating?”— a thought-provoking program previously shared in DeKalb. Refreshments include Martha Washington cake, her favorite recipe, with coffee and tea.

Wednesday, March 25 – Museum historian and author Tom McDermott shares “We the People of Rochelle”, featuring new and favorite local stories. Enjoy Naomi Baldwin’s quickie bars and Linda Daub’s recipe for brown sugar brownies with coffee and tea.

Thursday, March 26 – Trivia night: We the People of Rochelle…Almost 175 years of history. A hometown history challenge with prizes. Refreshments include brownies from Judy Stavrakas’ recipe and Jean Friestad’s peanut butter bars with coffee and tea.

Martha Washington’s recipes are sourced from the historic collection, “The Presidents’ Cookbook” by Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks, while local favorites come from the Rochelle Business and Professional Women’s Club recipe book “Burnt Offerings” — making these refreshments a perfect fit for March and Women’s History Month.

Chautauqua at the Museum offers an opportunity for informal learning that is engaging, informative, and community-focused. Programs are free and open to the public.

The mission of the Flagg Township Historical Society and Museum is to stimulate interest in Flagg Township history through education, research, collection and preservation of information for the benefit of the public of today and in the future.