Lakeside

Today, I'm headed out after a wonderful week in Lakeside, the Chautauqua-on-Lake-Erie. Lakeside was founded in 1873 as a campmeeting and is a thriving community today. Many of the cottages are now year-round homes and it is a gated community. They have wonderful programming at several sites around the resort. And a great dock area for swimming, fishing, and sunbathing. It's where steamers used to bring guests.


It's been so nice to spend a full week here. Last summer, I stayed for a only a few days, so I have enjoyed being able to work at a slower pace and enjoy all that is Lakeside. Several friends from the Chautauqua Network are here and I've made other friends this week. I continue to enjoy meeting with older community members for oral histories.


Lakeside has about 900 cottages, mostly Victorian, but a few were built in each decade of the 20th century, leading to a wide variety of architectural styles. Lakeside's downtown area is bustling with a movie theatre, gift shops, restaurants, and at least four ice cream spots!

Winona Lake

I've been delinquent in writing, so here is my attempt to catch up. Earlier this month, I spent several days in Winona Lake, Indiana. Winona was once the second largest chautauqua, and was founded to be a combination approaches from both Chautauqua and D.L. Moody's Bible institute in Northfield, Massachusetts. The camp meeting remained an important event until much later, but the Chautauqua was active until about 1940. It was the home of both Billy Sunday, a major evangelist of the 20th century, and Homer Rodeheaver, an important hymnist.

Not much remains of Winona Lake as it once was. Grace University and Theological Seminary was the outgrowth of summer schools and year-round schools established early in Winona's history. Grace's library has a wonderfully organized and extensive collection of Winona Lake history.

Fountain Park Chautauqua

Last week, I visited Fountain Park Chautauqua, in Remington, Indiana. Open only two weeks a summer, "Park" is a fascinating spot. Most chautauquans are from within an hour of the park and come to stay in their cottages or in the campground (about 70 cottages and 50 camping spaces). A few (like me) stay in the hotel. Remember, it's open two weeks a year! Their motto is "A lifetime of fun ... two weeks at a time." The hotel serves three meals a day and guests as well as visitors can eat there. For three meals and lodging, it's $50 a day - can't beat that! Plus, all the rummycube and eucre you can play.


As far as programming, Fountain Park has afternoon and evening programs, all-day activities for kids (run by one recreation director), and afternoon devotionals. All of the cottages are built in a circle, with lots of open space, the Tabernacle, and The Stand (run by the local Tri-Kappa sorority) in the middle.

One thing that struck me was that all programs were begun with some type of patriotic gesture - saying the Pledge of Allegiance or singing a patriotic song. The Park festivities begin the season with a parade of American flags and almost all cottages display a flag out front.


While this chautauqua was not on my list of 7 active chautauquas, it should be. Now there are 8 that I have identified.