NATIONAL CHAUTAUQUA SOCIETY LANDS ON MAHTOMEDI’S SHORES

By Mat McMillan news@presspubs.com

Today, Chautauqua Park in Mahtomedi is a peaceful one-acre neighborhood park on the lake’s eastern shore near the intersection of Quail and Pine streets. One-hundred-and-forty-years ago this summer, it was a crowded place at the dawn of a national movement.

During the summer of 1883, the Mahtomedi Assembly of the Chautauqua Association met on the east shore of White Bear Lake inspired by Lewis Miller and John Vincent.

Miller and Vincent lived on shores of Chautauqua Lake in New York, and taught at a Methodist summer camp. They started the Chautauqua Lake Sunday School Assembly for summer vacation learning. It caught on and broadened beyond Sunday school teachings adding physical education, art, music, academic subjects and other Protestant denominations joined.

The burgeoning movement grew for nine years before coming to Mahtomedi. Five years before coming to Mahtomedi, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, or CLSC, started for those without the time or money for college to get the essential knowledge of a college education using a four-year correspondence course. To share costs for books, students formed reading circles.

The 1883 White Bear Lake meeting went well. Three years later, 30 “circles” boasted a membership of 1,000 people from Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Students completing four years of study came to Chautauqua to receive graduation certificates. In 1885, four graduates from St. Paul received diplomas from Dr. A.H. Gillet at White Bear Lake’s “daughter Chautauqua.”

Talent agencies began to provide entertainers and speakers to tour nearly 200 Chautauqua Society camps across the country known as “tent Chautauqua.”

Tent campgrounds were established at the Mahtomedi shore with 3,000 guests staying for $2.50 per week.

The Chautauqua Herald newspaper launched in 1887 and described the tent fee as “cheaper than staying at home.”

It also described the White Bear Lake Chautauqua as “a place where moral and Christian people could find a summer retreat free from use of intoxicants, gambling, dancing and the annoyance of Sabbath breaking in the way of Sunday games and boating.”

By 1888, Chautauqua Society gave the St. Paul YMCA a 16’ by 190’ lot to build a summer resort for its members. St. Paul YMCA built a one story, 20’ by 80’ building surrounded by porches for a cost of $1,200. The building allowed the room to host the first Bible conference for the YMCA of Minnesota and Dakotas in 1889.

Chautauqua Society founder John Vincent is thought to have visited Mahtomedi as he describes the grounds in his book, “The Chautauqua Movement.” In it he said, “Mahtomedi on Great Bear Lake is a large lake about equidistant from St. Paul and Stillwater, MN. Several cottages have been erected and also a fine tabernacle seating 3,000 people. There have been two sessions of the Assembly.”

Along with the tabernacle, cottages and tent encampments, a 40-room, twostory hotel was constructed atop the hill. The city of Mahtomedi was founded as a Chautauqua community in 1900.

The Chautauqua Assembly at

Mahtomedi was strong for years. The Mahtomedi Improvement Company purchased unsold property and dismantled the hotel and tabernacle in 1907. Portions of the hotel were repurposed to build lake cottages in the area, including 70 Quail Street, built in 1908. The popularity of automobiles and other forms of entertainment are also thought to have contributed to the decline of Chautauqua camps.

Today

Today, the parent Chautauqua Institution on Chautauqua Lake in western New York, is a non-profit 750acre educational center. It has about 7,500 people in residence during a nineweek season. More than 8,000 attend summer Sunday school there which includes art, music, dance, theater, writing and more. And, 100,000 attend scheduled public events. See more at: chq.org.

Arts live on

Mahtomedi High School has a fine arts wing formerly known as the Chautauqua Fine Arts Center, which fittingly hosts several main events including music performances hosted by the Wildwood Artist Series. Learn more at: wildwoodartistseries.com.

Big top

Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua featuring touring summer music shows still host 60 concerts, shows and events each summer in its 900-seat all canvas tent venue in Bayfield, WI. Learn more at: bigtop.org. ◼