Bay View researching

I'm back in Bay View, doing some research in the Archives. Today, I spent some time looking at old Bulletins. At each chautauqua I visit, I'm working to quantify the types of performances given in particular years; that way I can compare the kinds of performances over time and across chautauquas. It sounds more glamorous than it is - really, a lot of counting and tallying. But it's a great way to get a feel for the kinds of programming at each chautauqua.


I'm also researching the history of Hall Auditorium, in preparation for my lecture on July 20. Very interesting how it came to be and the performance history in its almost 100 year history.

Today, I also stopped in at the Bay View Library. My talk on July 19th will be for a Library lecture series, and will compare Bay View with other chautauquas.

Theodosia Ammons

A little more from the Colorado Chautauqua...

Theodosia Ammons was an early resident at the Colorado Chautauqua. A professor at Colorado State in domestic arts, she was hired to teach on the Chautauqua faculty and built a "model cottage" at the park. She was especially interested in designing a home that would make life easier for the women who lived there.

Her cottage, called the Gwenthian Cottage (her sisters were Gwendolyn and Anne, so the name is a combination of their three names), is one of the best examples of a cottage as it was early in the century. Theodosia's great-niece showed me around.
The three sisters had another sister and a brother (who happened to be governor of Colorado). The three sisters have top billing over the mantle.
The porch was the center of the home -- facing in to the chautauqua activities rather than out at the beautiful view of the Flatirons. An ingenious invention - a bit of railing that slides right into doorway - eliminating the need for a gate and still keeping the architecture. This turns the porch into a big play-pen. Might look good on the front of Hors d'oeuvre or Bay Winds.


I left Colorado yesterday, am in Iowa City for a day, then on to see Katy and Shridhar, before returning to Bay View for further research there.

More from Boulder

The Colorado Chautauqua is a fascinating place. It’s a strange combination of cottagers, renters for a few days, Boulder residents visiting the dining hall or attending concerts or just having a picnic, and people who’ve come to hike the surrounding area for a few hours.

I’m learning quite a bit from the archives (both at the chautauqua and in the town historical library) and from people I meet, especially about how these groups with differing purposes have all influenced how Chautauqua has developed and is used today.

Today, though, I explored the mountains and rock formations nearby (mostly in the rain, sometimes in the hail!). It’s amazing to walk out the door and be on a trail in less than a minute.

Colorado Chautauqua

I am really enjoying my visit to the Colorado Chautauqua in Boulder. Founded in 1898 by the Texas Board of Education, the Gulf and Southern Railroad, and the City of Boulder, it is now a small chautauqua with a neat spirit. Cottages are small – 39 are privately owned and about 60 are rented out by the association to visitors.
Built right at the base of the Flatirons, it is now a Boulder City Park, surrounded on three sides by Boulder Open Space (great areas for hiking). I had a nice short hike yesterday and hope to do more while I’m here.

The Colorado Music Festival brings both cottagers and locals together for great music in the Auditorium, which was built in 45 days in preparation for a July 4, 1898 opening. On nice evenings, the sides are opened so people can sit outside and enjoy the music without a (rather expensive) ticket. The first night I was here, I paid to hear Lucinda Williams and last night, I sat in the growing thunderstorm to enjoy Dave Bromberg.

Last night, I also had dinner on the porch of the Dining Hall. It has quite a pull from Boulder, with good food and an amazing view. The Dining Hall also opened in 1898.

The dining hall and the auditorium were the only buildings in 1898. Visitors from Texas or elsewhere stayed in tents. After one windy summer, plans for permanent cabins were made. The chautauqua held a contest for groups of school teachers to build the best cabin in 1899. Here’s one from the Houston teachers – still owned jointly by Houston teachers.

Family, Friends, and Billy

I had a quick trip to Bay View to drop off Mac and see my mom and dad before heading towards Colorado. On the way, I stopped in Iowa City for the night and had great fun with Jen, Wayne, and his girlfriend Emily. Good laughs and good martinis!

I've been very excited to head west because, before yesterday, I'd never driven west of Williamsburg, Iowa. Yesterday, I got to see how flat Nebraska really is -- and it's quite pretty. You really can watch your dog run away all day! I stopped in Lincoln for an early dinner at a restaurant called "Billy's" ... named after William Jennings Bryan. Bryan was one of the most significant political figures of the early 20th century, but was also THE MOST popular Chautauqua speaker. He made the rounds to almost all of the permanent chautauquas more than once. How funny to walk into a restaurant and see a sign announcing the "Chautauqua Bar"! Bryan was from Lincoln and though the home was not his, it was previously owned by a great Bryan collector, so all of the rooms were decorated with images of and writings by Bryan. The hostess said that, because it is right across the street from the state house, it is a very policital place when the house is in session -- in a way, reliving Bryan's memory.

Off to the Colorado Chautauqua Assembly in Boulder today for about a week!