Glen Echo Park began in 1891 as a National Chautauqua Assembly “to promote liberal and practical education.” Hundreds flocked to the site to picnic, attend lectures on American history, courses on ancient Egypt, and attend concerts by John Phillip Sousa and his band. By 1911, it transformed into DC’s premier amusement park until it closed in 1968.
For millions of Americans who lived outside the big cities in the first part of this century, Chautauqua was one of the biggest events of every year, with its combination of adult education, moral uplift, entertainment, and a community-wide social gathering of a sort that we no longer experience. The Chautauqua idea and name came from the original Chautauqua Institution, founded in 1874 on the shore of Lake Chautauqua in western New York State and still going strong.
The original Chautauqua and its early offshoots were summertime retreats of two weeks duration or more, during which adults could continue their educations with informative and inspirational lectures and performances of good music. There were also participatory exercises, such as choral singing, and special activities for the youngsters.
[The Chautauqua idea spread quickly, with similar assemblies established around the country in the next years. By the tum of the century, scores of Chautauquas were being held each summer. These early Chautauquas were of the so-called “independent” variety-that is, they were organized and managed locally, and the speakers and other talent were chosen and engaged by the local committee.
Related Links and Sources
AA-Music of Chautauqua and Lyceum 779542
