More than 100 years ago, Puget Sound residents converged regularly at Ellisport for Chautauqua assemblies — guests would hear from authors, musicians and intellectuals and learn surrounded by Vashon’s forests and beaches. Now, a group of islanders is bringing the classic event back for one day this summer.
Tickets — wooden nickels that cost $1 — are on sale now for the July 9 assembly that will take place at an Ellisport home in the heart of what was once 400 sprawling acres of Chautauqua grounds serving residents of the Puget Sound region. From 1888 to 1912, thousands of adults came to Ellisport to hear and learn from people such as Mark Twain and Theodore Roosevelt about everything from art and poetry to science and math.
“It was a chance to improve the mind and get out of the humdrum of industrial life,” island historian and Ellisport resident Bruce Haulman said, referring to Chautauqua as moving vaudeville theater. “The idea (behind the July event) is to have sort of an outdoor Chautauqua assembly … and try and recreate the sense of what a Chautauqua was.”
The home where the July event is taking place is far smaller than the 1,200-seat amphitheater that once existed along Vashon’s eastern shore along with a hotel, post office and other infrastructure in the 19th century. But while the home on 80th Lane can only fit 300 people, there will be eight speakers to regale attendees with humor, knowledge and poetry for roughly two hours. The Chautauqua will also include a gallery of the work of Ellisport artists, performances by the Portage Fill and other island musicians, a special appearance by Mark Twain and a snack bar with lemonade, nuts and popcorn.
The event will be emceed by islander Terry Hershey, an inspirational speaker, ordained minister and author of “The Power of Pause.” Haulman will kick off the event and “paint a broad historical context,” Ron Irvine, an Ellisport resident who is the driving force behind the idea to recreate a Chautauqua, said. Then, islander and former journalist Brian Brown will talk about the history of chautauquas specifically. Maria Metler will discuss the marine biology of the region, and a geologist will discuss how the Vashon’s geology has impacted the island and those who have lived here. Mark Wells will sing his original song, “Tramp Harbor Moon,” and historical comedian Chris Austin will give an educational yet humorous presentation about the many docks of Ellisport. Ann Spires will close the event with a reading of two poems, one of her originals and a historical one found in an old issue of the Vashon News-Record.
The event will conclude with a parade down Ellisport’s 100th Lane.
Irvine said that accounts from the 19th century Chautauquas refer to “a sense of wonder” that came over attendees once they entered the large tents under which speakers would present. He hopes to bring that back, as well as unite the community.
“The really fun thing about this is the neighbors coming together,” he said.
In fact, the idea for the July Chautauqua came out of a desire to tell the story of Vashon’s Ellisport community. An exhibit about the area was recently installed at the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Museum.
“We got the Ellisport community together for the exhibit,” Haulman said, explaining that the exhibit is the first of three projects honoring Ellisport’s history. The Chautauqua is the second, and a community trail is expected in the future. “We learned about how exciting a Chautauqua is and asked, ‘Why don’t we do our own?’”
Irvine and Haulman gathered other Ellisport residents and began the two -year-long planning process aiming to bring back the events that ceased to exist on Vashon and throughout most of the country with the invention of electricity, telephones and radio.
Today, only two Chautauqua assemblies —Chautauqua, New York, where the adult education movement began, and Boulder, Colorado — still hold regular events.
The July event marks the first Chautauqua revival on Vashon since the Strawberry Festival of 1923, Haulman said.
“I’d like to build a model for how community can come together and tell stories and that’s what’s exciting,” he said. “The idea is to relax with an unbelievable view.”
Attend the Chautauqua
Tickets — in the form of wooden nickels — for the July 9 Chautauqua Assembly are on sale now for $1 at the Vashon-Maury Island Heritage Museum and Vashon Bookshop.The event is scheduled to run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. There is a limited number of tickets and organizers say about half of the 300 available tickets have been purchased.
The address of the home where the event is taking place will be given once tickets are purchased. For more information, see the Chautauqua Assembly 2017 Facebook page.
