Chautauquas were highly popular during the late 1800's and early 1900's. A Chautauqua brought both entertainment and culture to entire communities with speakers, educators, musicians, preachers, entertainers, and specialists of the day. President Theodore ROOSEVELT was quoted as saying that Chautauqua is "the most American thing in America."

Typically isolated by geographic location, America's farming communities were naturally hungry for eduction, culture and entertainment. A Chatauqua located at a railhead drew crowds from far and near. They were the biggest thing in the small towns of the Midwest.

Circus tents were used in communities that did not have permanent Cahutauqua pavilions.

The Depression and the advent of radio and motion picture shows basically put Chautauquas out of buiness, being unable to draw a crowd to sustain the event. Automobiles gave the farming community a capability to travel to urban areas to fulfill the quest for culture, education and entertainment. The advent of television was the final nail in the coffin of Chatauquas.

Col. Geo. W. BAIN	POLUHNI & Company	KEALAKAI'S Hawaiian Singers
Dr. Clarence W. WASSAM	Croatian Tamburica Orchestra	BLACKMAN'S Village SINGERS
Ned WOODMAN	Junior Chautauqua	Tingley's Chautauqua

The Vindicator, July 10, 1924

We have paid our pledge. Have you?

Remember the Tingley Chautauqua starts next Sunday, July 13. Only three days left. Let us every one get busy and make a trip to the Tingley Bank and deposit that pledge we made. The soliciting committee is very anxious that your deposit be made at your first convenience. Let us be sure and have it there not later than Saturday noon.

Tingley and community, let's boost for a big Chautauqua. Following are the names:

Chas. BUTTERFIELD, Mrs. J. BRAYMAN, Miss Mae COIE, J. E. HANSON, Mrs. Ed DUNLAP, Miss Mabel DAILY, H. B. ELLIOTT, John ENGLAND, Mrs. Elsie FOUSER, F. C. GORDON, H. D. GARLAND, Loyd NELIS, L. C. OXENREIDER, OWENS & Daughter, Mrs. C. R. ASHENHURST, Mrs. S. E. ANDERSON, R. N. ARNOLD, J. D. BLAUER, L. S. BROWN, Chas. BORRUSCH, H. W. BASTOW, E. J. DAVIS, M. E. DeWITT, J. R. DUNLAP, Walter ESTEL, Mrs. Sam ENGLAND, Margaret EIGHME, Frankie EIGHME, Mrs. Cliff GILES, R. I. HOGUE, Mrs. Mary HATHAWAY, W. A. HENDERSON, Mrs. Pete HOPKINS, Hazel HUBBARD, Andrew HALM, L. O. IMUS, E. M. JESSE, Ms. Exie LAKE, J. H. MORRISON, M. M. MARINER, Floyd MARINER, Floyd G. MOORE, Mrs. H. MORRISON, Amy MORRISON, Vern D. NICHOLS, Edna NICHOLS, J. E. OVERHOLTZER, Helen O'LEARY, E. L. RICHARDS, Mrs. H. A. REYNOLDS, W. H. SHIELDS, Mrs. Geo. SPEELMAN, Mrs. Ed SHERMAN, Mrs. Roy SMITH, Tingley Lumber Company, Dr. H. W. WHISLER, Dick WEEDA, D. HILL, J. M. ADDISON, American Legion, D. C. BANNER, I. F. BISCHOFF, Wm. BLAUER, Clarence BLAUER, Perry BUCHANAN, Mrs. B. S. BALL, Mrs. Fred CLOUGH, T. W. DARBYSHIRE, J. R. DUNLAP, Mrs. Mary ECKERMAN, Mrs. R. N. and Marietta EIGHME, H. E. FENDER, Rome FLEMING, Mrs. Wm. FRASER, Miss Ina FREEMAN, R. G. HOGUE, B. J. HOUSE, Chas. HILL, Mrs. Mae HENRY, L. N. JACOBS, C. D. JOHNSTON, Mrs. Seth JOHNSTON, Ik KIBURZ Jr., G. E. KESTER, Mrs. Annie LANDRETH, Mrs. Henry LOVELY, Mrs. L. M. LANHAM, C. A. MOORE, Mrs.Leta MILLER, G. W. McNUTT, S. K. McKEE, Bernard McELROY, Alva MILLER, Roy McDOWELL, Arthur NICHOLS, Arthur NAIRN, F. M. OVERHOLTZER, Cyril OXENREIDER, Parent-Teacher Association, J. M. RICHARDS, Mrs. Al RICHARDS, Mrs. O. W. ROUSH, H. E. SHIFFLETT, Ira SHANNON, Miss Ellen SUMMERS, Earl TROXELL, TAPP Bros., Floyd Van SICKLE, Leo WILSON, Ernest WARRICK, Mrs. Opal WALTERS, LaVerne ZARR.

SOURCE: Tingley, Iowa Centennial: 1883 - 1983. Pp. 81, 84. PSI, Inc. Belmond IA. 1983.
Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library, September of 2011

Chautauqua performer information courtesy of University of Iowa Libraries/digital.lib.uiowa.edu/tc
& various other sources as noted

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2011