Welcome to Chautauqua

The Lake Madison Chautauqua brought education, culture and fun to thousands of people for over 40 years.  During the Chautauqua season, one became a part of a community referred to as "Chautauquaville."  On July 30, 1891, over 500 people were staying in tents and the hotel was full (Lake Madison Chautauquan, July 30, 1891).  There was a supply store for "necessaries," a post office, various "counters" where dealers sold fruit and confections; a meat wagon, milk wagon and kerosene tank wagon daily.  Some people even brought their cows and picketed them on the west common.  

Today, at the site of the Lake Madison Chautauqua grounds, the buildings have disappeared, and the visitor sees nothing but cottages and homes.   The Chautauqua area today.  Lets visit a day gone by.  The Chautauqua grounds of a century ago. 

This project was completed in partial fulfillment of a grant from LOFTI.  For further information or questions, please contact Linda Venekamp @ Dakota State University.

I would like to thank the Smith-Zimmerman Museum for all of their help in researching this project, especially Dr. Clyde Brashier and for giving me permission to use pictorial and text artifacts from their Chautauqua collection.  I would also like to thank Vicki Sterling, Rosemarie Brashier, Gena Karsland, and Rise Smith for the work they did on the Prairie Chautauqua activity guide.  Linda Venekamp