By Anne Foster

Modern Prescottonians embrace the image of the town as a Wild West icon, complete with a notorious street of saloons and a tumultuous history. For some residents in the late 19th century, however, the goal was to promote a civilized, well-to-do persona in keeping with the prosperity and optimism of the age. In keeping with this ideal, the town's leading ladies formed the Prescott Chautauqua Reading Circle.

The Chautauqua movement began in rural, western New York in 1874. Founders John Heyl Vincent and Lewis Miller created a Bible camp for Sunday school teachers in response to a post-civil war zeal for self-improvement. The shores of Chautauqua Lake provided the ideal setting and lent its name to the event.

Modeled after religious camp revivals, Chautauqua focused upon cultural and educational experiences. The first two-week session attracted nearly 15,000 visitors. Over the next few years, the camp meeting evolved into a world-renowned summer arts festival, called the Chautauqua Institute. Today, the institute draws over 150,000 visitors annually. 

In 1878, the camp launched the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle. This four-year course of home reading allowed middle Americans to join the movement, without leaving their farms and families. Throughout rural America, the Victorian middle-class embraced the concepts of Chautauqua, founding local summer festivals, signing-up for the home reading courses (as did Sharlot M. Hall), and forming literary societies. was one such group. 

The "Chautauquans" were well established by February 22, 1888, the first time a report appeared in the Arizona Journal-Mine. Thereafter, detailed reports of the meetings appeared almost weekly: 

"The P. C. R. C. held its regular meeting last Saturday at the residence of Mrs. Judge Summer Howard. The meeting was more lengthy and more interesting than usual. Mrs. Aitken read a very interesting article from the Chautauqua series on southern authors, and the president, Mrs. Tritle, also read an article on the same subject from Harper's Magazine of May, 1887. Mrs. Burmister read Edgar A. Poe's poem 'To Helen', while 'Oliver Wendell Holmes' was the subject of a well-written paper by Mrs. Levy. Owing to the inclemency of the weather, a number of members were absent at the previous meeting of the club, and by special request, Mrs. Foote repeated her very interesting paper on ''The Professional Women of the Day.' Current events were then discussed by the different members. Next Saturday being St. Patrick's Day, the ladies will devote most of their time to 'Auld Ireland.' The responses to roll call will be quotations from Irish poets, while the Irish flag, the blarney stone, the shamrock, noted people of Ireland, and other subjects pertaining to Erin, will be discussed. 

The Circle's meetings followed a standard format. The meeting opened with a roll call, to which each member was supposed to answer with a quotation from a selected author or topic. Selections for the Prescott group varied from Homer to Byron and from the month of March to conundrums. 

Next, various readings and original essays were presented. Many of the readings were selected from recent issues of the Chautauquan, the magazine published by the Chautauqua Institute. Topics varied widely and covered a variety of subjects, including art, literature, history, geography, women's issues, and politics. In May 1888, readings included "Domestic Women," "Hiawatha's Wooing" by Longfellow, "Art in Germany," "Fiction", and "the Women's Convention." A year later the program was described by the Journal-Miner as follows: "Mrs. Otis read a part of the article on 'Social Life in Russia' from Harper's Magazine for May. Mrs. Baldwin read a poem entitled 'Platonic.' Mrs. Wright read 'Social and Economic Effects of Railroads.'" 

Following the presentations, questions prepared by the most recent issue of the Chautauquan were posed, presumably, to ensure members were keeping up with their readings. The meeting generally closed with a discussion of current events. 

Members of the Prescott Chautauqua Reading Circle were drawn from the town's high society. In addition to Mrs. T. W. Otis, Mrs. F. A. Tritle, and Mrs. Burmister, membership included the Mesdames Bashford, O'Neill, and Dake. As society leaders, these women felt a responsibility to set a standard of propriety, gracious living, and appropriate feminine intellectual curiosity. The Chautauqua Circle provided an ideal outlet for meeting that responsibility as well as an opportunity to socialize with others of similar status and beliefs. 

Not surprisingly, the camaraderie found within the structured program of the PCRC soon found other outlets. A series of weekly high teas was added, continuing even during the hot summer months when the regular Chautauqua meetings were suspended. Mrs. Harris Baldwin held a high tea on June 11, 1890: 

"The spacious and elegantly furnished parlors of Mrs. Harris Baldwin were filled with ladies yesterday afternoon, the occasion being the High Tea, given by the latter to the Chautauqua club. Mesdames T. J. Butler, C. W. Culver and W. O. O'Neill rendered a number of instrumental selections; Mrs. E. W. French sang 'Marguerite,' her voice never appearing to better effect, and Mrs. J. J. Fisher recited a beautiful poem, while Mrs. J. W. McGowan told a humorous story. Mrs. Baldwin departed from the usual High Tea rule and customs of providing only tea and cake, and instead, the menu embraced appetizing salads, and such delicacies as relis[h], ice cream and cake, and coffee and numerous etceteras." 

The weekly reports appear in the newspaper for four years. Then, on August 17, 1892, the Wednesday's Daily segment reports that "Chautauqua is now pronounced talkaway, with the accent on the talk." While no direct link can be claimed, it seems more than coincidence that several women, also members of the PCRC, had invited suffragette May Wright Sewell to speak to the community the following month. This is the first and only time something other than a strict detailing of events is printed. It is also the last time the Chautauqua Circle is mentioned in the newspaper. Whether the group took offense at the jibe, or whether the group dissolved, is unknown. 

(Anne Foster is an Archivist in the Alaska and Polar Regions department at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.) 

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(citn183pg)
Reuse only by permission.
For some Prescottonians in the late 19th century, promoting a civilized, well-to-do persona was considered to be an important goal, in keeping with the prosperity and optimism of the age. This photograph of Prescott was taken in 1885.