Elkhart
Chautauqua:
A step back in time
[MAY
20, 2000] A
step back in history is in store for those who attend Elkhart
Chautauqua 2000 Sunday, May 21, at the Elkhart Cemetery grounds.
Famous citizens of the 1800s will be on the program, along
with old-time arts and crafts demonstrations, horses and a carriage,
period music, a medicine show and a phrenologist who will reveal
your destiny from the bumps on your head.
|
The
festivities open at 11 a.m. with old-time bluegrass and close at 5 p.m. with the
story and the playing of “Taps.” Visitors will park in the new Elkhart Hill
subdivision and will be taken to the cemetery free of charge on a tram. Admission is $2 per person, no more than $10 per family.
Anyone bringing a musical instrument to play and anyone dressed in 1800s
costume will be admitted free of charge.
Re-enactors
will portray famous citizens of Elkhart, including Catherine Shockey,
mother of 17 and one of those who incorporated the town; Captain
A.H. Bogardus, a sharpshooter who traveled with
Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show; and Martin Gehr, a
21-year-old Civil War soldier.
At
1:30 p.m. re-enactors portraying President Ulysses S. Grant and
Governor and Mrs. Richard Oglesby
will arrive by horse and carriage, accompanied by the
Illinois 7th Mounted Cavalry and ladies riding sidesaddle.
Music
throughout the day will be provided by the Possum Holler Pickers, Bill Roberts
on bagpipes, the Elkhart Christian Church Choir, the Mount Pulaski High School
Marching Band, and Skiffle, an 1860s period musical group.
At 4 p.m. a Pickin’ & Grinnin’ jam session will be open to all
musicians.
(To
top of second column)
|
All-day
demonstrations will be given by Ken Engle, blacksmith; Karen Lowrey,
herbalist; Nancy Rollings Saul, bobbin lace; Sam Schriber, buckskinner;
Melaine Coulter, spinning; Carol Knous, candle making; Charlie Ott,
beekeeping; Sue Bidwell, smocking; Evelyn Begolka, counted cross-stitch; and
Shannon Wolfe, sheep dog demonstration. The
Quilting Guild of Logan County will be on hand, along with Carolyn and Kathy
Firch who will demonstrate riding sidesaddle.
Major Karl Luthin, Illinois 7th Cavalry, will give a presentation on
the different tactics and uniforms of various wars.
Dr.
Silas Haile’s Medicine Show and phrenologist Dr. Phineas Fairhead will give
visitors a taste of 1800s entertainment, medicine and science.
Prizes will be given in a men’s beard contest and a women’s hat
contest.
Master
of ceremonies duties will be shared by William Anderson, Father Patrick
DeMeuleMeester and Steven Schreiber.
Visitors
to the Chautauqua are encouraged to dress in period costume and bring picnics
to the site. Pie, ice cream,
lemonade and iced tea will be available, and a picnic basket checking service
will assure that empty baskets will be easy to retrieve on the way back to the
parking area.
Proceeds
from the second annual Chautauqua will be used to renovate the museum and
tourist information center in Elkhart, according to Gillette Ransom, in charge
of the event.
[Joan
Crabb]
|
The program for the Elkhart
Chautauqua 2000 is as follows:
William
Anderson, master of ceremony
11:00 Possum
Hollow Pickers
11:30
Catharine Shockey (Ashleigh Stringfield) – “The Highwayman” recitation
11:45 Bill
Roberts – bagpipes
12:00 Elkhart
Christian Church Choir
12:15 Captain
A.H. Bogardus (Robert McCue)
12:30
Illinois 7th Cavalry, Major Karl Luthin
Father
Patrick DeMeueleMeester, master of ceremony
1:15 Mount
Pulaski High School Marching Band
1:30 Arrival
of President Ulysses S. Grant (Frank Beaman) and Governor (Richard Torgerson)
and Mrs. Oglesby (Linda Arends) and Mrs. Lemira Gillett (Susan Keays Green)
2:00 Martin
Gehr story (Roger Dennison)
2:10 Side
saddle/Morgan horse demonstration (Carolyn and Kathy Firch)
Steven
Schreiber, master of ceremony
2:40
“Skiffle” – 1860s period musical group
3:10 Beard
and hat contest
3:20 Dr.
Silas Haile’s Medicine Show (Rev. Tom Branson)
4:00
Pickin’ and grinnin’ session (all musicians welcome)
5:00 Closing ceremony – the story of “Taps” –
American Legion Post #616 color guard – John Sutton, bugle
|