Inside a Chautauqua tent, circa 1910.
This is the first in a series of excerpts about the various forms of entertainment that passed through Owingsville and Bath County during the early 1900's. We hope you enjoy it and the ones that will follow!
From the journals:
Do you wonder how folks were entertained years ago? Most people back then did not have the transportation and especially the financial means to go to a distant city for entertainment. Top entertainment was available for rural communities but it did strain many folks’ resources to attend some of the functions.
Chautauquas were among the highest type of entertainment. Believe it or not, Chautauquas usually were shows under a tent. Several Chautauquas showed across the United States during the warm months of the year. Two of the better known ones were the Redpath and the White and Brown.
The Chautauquas came to Bath County and for many years pitched tent in several different lots in Owingsville. They showed on Wells Avenue when there was only one house on that street. Joe Bailey’s home now stands on the lot on Slate Avenue where they showed for several years.
High class entertainment was the claim of a Chautauqua. Bands, magicians, lecturers, and the best novelty acts were among programs presented. William Jennings Bryan, who was thrice the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, spoke to a capacity crowd on Well’s Avenue. Mr. Bryan spent the day in Owingsville, having the noon meal with Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Perry on High Street. Many local citizens, not having seen a president or even a candidate for president before, made an effort to come and see the former presidential nominee.
There are a few things to note in regard to this excerpt. First, the Perry House, as my husband and his brother still refer to it, is currently owned by the Raleigh family and it is located across the street from the home of Barry and Jill Toy (or across the alley from our home). Some of you might not know this, but there is a cemetery just beside that house. There are no markers, as they were taken up years and years ago. Second, the house Mr. Burl refers to as Joe Bailey’s is the one to the right of Rob and Mandy Kiskaden’s home (My husband, Don, says there is a flat piece of ground behind that house that would have been suitable ground for the erection of a tent). Third, we think Bryan's visit happened in 1922 but are still trying to confirm that date. ~Ginger
William Jennings Bryan. This master of oratory was a favorite of the Chautauqua circuits, drawing huge crowds with his populist speeches.
A Chautauqua program printed in the Owingsville Outlook in 1921. Note how season tickets were sold.
Chautauquas didn't just appear in a community and set up - they required the hard work and support of many people. Guarantors promised to promote the show and signed their names on the contract, with the expectation that the public's purchase of tickets would pay for the programming in the long run (this didn't always pan out in some communities, causing the guarantors to have to pay out of their own pockets). Note how the Woman's Club was in charge of decorations.
Links:
To hear a recording of Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech, click here.
For an overview of the Chautauqua movement, click here.
To read more about Chautauquas and theater in Kentucky, take a look at Marilyn Casto's Actors, Audiences, and Historic Theaters of Kentucky by clicking here.
Labels: Entertainment, Perry
