Chautauquas Mark Turn of the Century in Montgomery

To continue the story of Riverview/Fox River Park from , this column will focus on a popular yearly event, the Chautauqua. It was a weeklong series of classes and lectures designed to bring education and culture to the masses.

The Chautauqua movement swept the country in the early 1900s, and the promoters quickly realized the potential in the beautiful grounds and facilities at the new park in Montgomery. To quote an early program:

“Fox River Park is an ideal place for holding a Chautauqua, and ranks with the best and most completely equipped Chautauqua grounds in the United States. It is situated at one of the most picturesque points along the Fox River, has an abundance of grass, flowers and vines, and is richly shaded with beautiful forest trees.

"It has a natural slope toward the river, very desirable for tenting, and during the Assembly is converted into a White City of Chautauqua homes. On the grounds are two flowing wells of the celebrated magnesia mineral spring water.”

“In other years people of villages, hamlets and countryside could only read of great statesmen, orators and preachers and could rarely see or hear them without taking
long pilgrimages. Now, by means of the Chautauqua, the best and the greatest talent is brought at insignificant cost to our very doors. The Chautauqua idea is one of the greatest moral and educational forces in the country. The inspiration received from it is the guide to the pathway and a lamp to the feet of thousands.”

The Chautauqua billed itself as non-denominational and non-political.

Easy access to the park was one of the many features that made it so desirable. It was a ten-minute ride from Aurora, it cost five cents, and there was no entrance fee to the park. One could attend a season of lectures for $2 or attend any one-day for 25 cents. The entire family would find suitable entertainment and accommodations for longer stays.

Of course the people who lived in Montgomery were excited to have easy access to it, but more important were the thousands of people who came to spend a week and assured its success.

The grounds were illuminated with electric arc lamps and numerous incandescent lights, which produced a “fairyland effect." The cafeteria served reasonably priced meals and guests were able to rent tents and any equipment they might need. Local grocers supplied fresh food daily at no extra cost for delivery. It was an inexpensive vacation for a family with plenty of activities for all ages.

The small sampling of presenters included such famous people as presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan; Senator La Follette of Wisconsin; Carrie Nation, speaking on intemperance; J. Mohammed Ali of India, speaking on economic and social conditions in his country; House Speaker Champ Clark; Labor Leader Eugene V. Debs; Albert Hubbard, writer and philosopher; and the great black leader, Booker T. Washington.

One year, a lively debate about woman’s sufferage took place between Rev. Miss Von Petzold, the first woman ordained in the ministry of religion in England and a graduate of University of Edinburgh, and Senator Shirley Brilland (a male, despite the name) of Iowa, who opposed the right of women to vote.

Another year the course list included such topics as Elocution, Delsarte (drama theory), Literature and Physical Culture. Music was always a big part of every event.

The course in Elocution included articulation, enunciation, pronunciation and voice-placing. Private lessons were given in delivery, and for those with faulty speech, such as stammering and nasal quality of voice.

The course in Literature was a study of the American men of letters, giving a resume of the New York School, the Concord School and the Cambridge School. The works of Longfellow, Holmes, Whittier, Lowell, Emerson and Hawthorne were discussed.

The Physical Culture course included exercises with and without apparatus. A practical course for the development of the body and the exercises required which would enable one to continue the practice of self development without an instructor.

These were pretty serious topics. As you read these brochures you get a sense of the longing and respect for higher education these small town people had.

Most of the information for this article came from the late Ralph Killian, when he was interviewed in 1985. He and his family lived in a large home situated in the middle of the block facing Main Street, bound by Jefferson, Railroad, and Watson Streets. They were involved in the Chautauqua movement from the beginning.

It is unclear from the records available how long the Chautauquas continued—the best guess is they ended before 1920. But they were highly regarded by the people who remembered them.