Chautauqua Amphitheater Ruins

History of Arcadia’s Chautauqua Amphitheater

Chautauqua was an adult education and social movement in the United States that was most popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies spread throughout rural America up until the mid-1920s and featured entertainment and culture for the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, showmen, preachers, and specialists of the day. United States President Theodore Roosevelt once said that Chautauqua was the “most American thing in America.”

The Founding of Chautauqua

Lewis Miller was born in Greentown, Ohio, and he earned a fortune in the late 19th century as the inventor of the first combine harvester that featured a blade mounted in front of the driver instead of behind. He devoted much of his wealth to public service and charitable causes associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was also the inventor of the “Akron Plan” for Sunday schools, a building layout with a central assembly hall surrounded by small classrooms, a configuration Miller conceived with Methodist minister John Heyl Vincent and architect Jacob Snyder.

Bishop John Heyl Vincent was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on February 23, 1832, and received his education at Lewisburg Academy in Pennsylvania and the Wesleyan Institute in Newark, New Jersey. He served as pastor of several churches in Chicago and was instrumental in founding the Northwest Sunday-School Quarterly in 1865 and The Sunday-School Teacher in 1866. From 1868 to 1884, he served as the corresponding secretary of his denomination’s Sunday-School Union and as editor of its publications. In 1888, he was elected Bishop and, in 1900, was appointed Resident Bishop in Europe, based in Zurich, Switzerland. He retired from active episcopal duties in 1904.

Beginning in 1865, collaborating with Baptist layman B.F. Jacobs, Vincent devised a system to encourage Sunday school work, and a committee was established to provide the International Uniform Lesson Curriculum, also known as the “Uniform Lesson Plan”. The plan was adopted by Sunday schools in Canada, England, and India, as well as the United States, at the National Sunday School Convention in 1872. By the 1900s, 80% of all new members were introduced to the church through Sunday school.

In 1872, Vincent became interested in improving the training of Sunday school teachers for the Uniform Lesson Plan and began training Sunday school teachers in an outdoor setting in Chautauqua County, New York. The teachers would arrive by steamboat on Chautauqua Lake, disembark at Palestine Park, and begin a course of Bible study that used the Park to teach the geography of the Holy Land.

In 1874, Vincent teamed up with Miller once again to organize the first Chautauqua, known as the New York Chautauqua Assembly, held on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. Their organization became known as the Chautauqua Institution and was called the Mother Chautauqua because many independent “daughter” Chautauquas would be organized throughout the country. Lewis Miller’s daughter, Mina Miller Edison, wife of inventor Thomas Edison, offered literary classes in Fort Myers, Florida. After completing courses, students were given Chautauqua diplomas.

Rapid Growth

By 1884, the annual Chautauqua assemblies had grown so popular that even former President Ulysses S. Grant was among the featured speakers. As attendance expanded beyond Sunday school teachers, the original focus of the program, the leadership recognized the need to extend the season to accommodate the growing interest. However, the harsh New York winters made it difficult to continue programming year-round. In response, Chautauqua leaders began searching for a Southern location where they could establish a winter campus and continue hosting assemblies centered around the four foundational pillars of the program.

Chautauqua in Florida

As Chautauqua leaders in New York searched for a suitable winter campus, Florida officials were actively encouraging railroad companies to expand their lines through the state’s northwestern region to stimulate post-Civil War development. To incentivize this growth, the state offered land grants on either side of newly laid tracks, which was an attractive proposition for railroad developers. One such company began extending its rail line through a wooded area in the central Florida Panhandle, near a perfectly round, spring-fed lake. Seeing the potential, the developers envisioned a resort community strategically located along the rail line between Jacksonville and New Orleans to attract excursion trains filled with paying guests.

As plans for the resort took shape, the developers learned that the nationally renowned Chautauqua Institution was seeking a Southern location for a seasonal campus. Sensing a perfect opportunity, the railroad executives extended an invitation to Chautauqua’s leadership to visit the site, which they had named “DeFuniak Springs” in honor of Frederick DeFuniak, the president of their railroad company.

In February 1884, A.H. Gillet, a representative of the New York Chautauqua, announced that the new Southern Chautauqua would be established at Lake DeFuniak. After months of careful planning, fundraising, and construction, the Florida Chautauqua Assembly officially opened on February 18, 1885, one week behind schedule due to delays in completing the main auditorium. In its inaugural season, many of the classrooms were housed in tents set up along the shores of Lake DeFuniak.

When the campus and resort grounds officially opened in 1885, they were enclosed by gates and required an admission fee for entry. At the heart of the property was the passenger train depot, which served as the primary gateway for arriving guests. The grounds featured the elegant Chautauqua Hotel, a charming library, and the original tabernacle—a 2,500-seat auditorium that was later replaced by the larger 4,000-seat Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood. Additional facilities included the Chautauqua Art Department and designated plots for affluent visitors to purchase, where they could build picturesque Victorian-style cottages for use during the winter assemblies. This once-exclusive resort is considered by many as Florida’s first planned community.

In 1887, the Florida Chautauqua Assembly extended its season from four to six weeks, and in the years that followed, it continued to grow in both size and popularity. By 1897, the program included a wide array of entertainment acts, and in 1899, DeFuniak Springs hosted its first moving picture screenings. As the assembly thrived, the small village beyond the gated campus experienced its own growth. In response, residents formally incorporated the area as the City of DeFuniak Springs in 1901.

By 1909, the assembly was drawing thousands of visitors from across the globe. To accommodate the growing crowds, which numbered up to 4,000 guests arriving daily by excursion train, the Chautauqua leadership replaced the original 2,500-seat auditorium with a new, state-of-the-art facility capable of seating 4,000. This expansion allowed the campus to continue hosting some of the most celebrated lecturers and performers of the era. By 1910, there were Chautauqua assembly grounds in several major cities, including St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, and Lakeland.

In 1917, Assembly-goers were awed by a screening of the motion picture Civilization, a spectacle that hinted at the waning Chautauqua era. Motion pictures, along with newspapers, telephones, magazines, radio, and the automobile, steadily siphoned audiences away. World War I hastened the decline as excursion trains that had once carried thousands to DeFuniak Springs were diverted to wartime service.

The Assembly paused for the first time in 1922, reopened in 1923, and held its final session in 1928. For a few more years, the Association limited its offerings to stage productions in the Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood, but in 1935, it transferred ownership of the Hall to the City of DeFuniak Springs and formally ceased operations.

The Florida Chautauqua Association was founded in 1993 by citizens of DeFuniak Springs who wanted to bring the original assemblies held there from 1885 to 1928 back to life. Today, the city hosts Assemblies every year.

Early History of Arcadia, Florida

Arcadia, Florida, was settled around the mid-1800s. According to local lore, the town was named after a young woman named Arcadia Albritton. The story goes that she baked a cake for a visiting Methodist preacher, who later named the settlement in her honor.

Arcadia quickly became a center of cattle ranching, benefiting from its location in Florida’s open range. Cowboys drove herds across the scrublands to ports such as Punta Gorda. The area’s cattle industry had connections to Cuba, with beef frequently shipped from nearby ports. In addition to cattle, citrus and row crops became important to the region’s agricultural base. Farming and ranching remain economic staples of the area today.

The arrival of the Florida Southern Railway in the 1880s transformed Arcadia from a small frontier town into a transportation hub for goods and passengers. The town was officially incorporated in 1886. With rail access, Arcadia expanded rapidly, becoming one of the most important inland cities in South Florida during that era.

A devastating fire in 1905 destroyed four entire business blocks in downtown Arcadia. Only two buildings survived, both of which were made of brick. In response, the city rebuilt using more fire-resistant materials, such as brick and concrete, giving rise to many of the early 20th-century structures that still define its historic district today. In 1917, the Dixie Highway was routed through downtown Arcadia, making the drive to the area easier and more efficient.

The Redpath Chautauqua Circuit

In 1868, American journalist James Redpath established one of the nation’s first professional lecture agencies, the Boston Lyceum Bureau. Later renamed the Redpath Bureau, it quickly became the leading provider of speakers and performers for lyceums across the United States. The bureau represented some of the most influential figures of the era, including Mark Twain, Julia Ward Howe, Charles Sumner, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Wendell Phillips, Henry Ward Beecher, Susan B. Anthony, Nella Brown Pond, Lew Wallace, and Frederick Douglass. Under Redpath’s leadership, the agency rose to become the most prominent and successful lecture bureau of its time.

Redpath sold his interest in the Bureau in 1875 due to his declining health. Many people did not have the means to travel to New York to attend one of the annual Chautauquas. So the Bureau soon became the Redpath Chautauqua, which was held in 125 cities from Chicago, Illinois, to Jacksonville, Florida.

In 1912, civic leaders of Arcadia convened a meeting at the Southern Hotel to assess the public’s interest in hosting a Chautauqua. The gathering included representatives from the Eastern Star and Friday Musicale, city council members, pastors, and local businessmen. During the meeting, attendees agreed that a Chautauqua would be beneficial for the community, leading to the formation of a committee. The following year, the Redpath circuit held Arcadia’s first Chautauqua, which subsequently became an annual event.

The Short-lived “All Florida” Chautauqua Amphitheater

For years, the Redpath Chautauqua brought annual programs to Arcadia, drawing enthusiastic crowds from across the county. The success of these visits led to the decision to construct a permanent Chautauqua facility, one that could also serve as a venue for local and county events, much like a modern civic center. L.E. Eigle, then secretary of the DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce, became one of the project’s most passionate advocates.

A group of local businessmen came together to form Arcadia Community Enterprises, envisioning the area as a hub for education and culture. They purchased 525 acres across the Peace River, northwest of Arcadia. With only 200 acres needed for the Chautauqua site, they planned to develop the remaining 325 acres for profit.

The contract to build the facility was awarded to John A. Christ of the Christ Building Company, and by January 27, 1928, the first program was ready to launch. One of the first domes of its kind, the oval-shaped structure featured semi-circular seating for hundreds and a spacious central area with a stage large enough for 150 people performing at the same time. It was billed as the “largest amphitheater in the state” with a seating capacity of 4620.

According to Howard Melton in his 2002 book Footprints and Landmarks, Arcadia, and DeSoto County, Florida: “Orville Harrison excavated the pit and did the pile-driving for the columns supporting the walls and the roof. Horace Rodgers opened and graded the streets and drives from the highway to the grounds…”

“The 224-foot-by-124-foot Chautauqua building was planned by architect Henry Grieme, Jr., of Henry Grieme and Son of Cleveland, Ohio. The floor was below ground level, and posed a problem every time it rained….“

The first and only series of programs held in the amphitheater took place from January 17 to March 7, 1929. A copy of the program, one of 10,000 printed locally, is preserved in the Howard and Velma Melton Historical Research Library at the DeSoto County Historical Society. Notable speakers for the series included U.S. House Representative Ruth Bryan Owen and Graham McNamee, a prominent radio broadcaster who originated play-by-play sports broadcasting. Other appearances included poet and columnist Anne Campbell, humorist Charles H. Plattenburg, and magician The Mystic Mardoni.

The “pioneer program” featured 150 performances, including The Enemy, a play by Channing Pollock performed by The Green Room Players of Stetson University, and The Adventures of Christopher Columbus, starring Tony Sarg’s Marionettes.

As expected, the Chautauqua building quickly became a hub of community life. Arcadia attorney Hugh G. Jones fondly recalled addressing an audience on the dangers of horse racing when a sudden rainstorm drove a crowd of people into the building for shelter. His talk continued while the storm raged, but as soon as the skies cleared, the audience rushed out to return to a nearby pasture to resume the races.

Like many ventures of the era, the Arcadia Chautauqua couldn’t withstand the financial turmoil of the Great Depression. By the early 1930s, its use dwindled to occasional boxing or wrestling matches, and even those events eventually stopped. The amphitheater burned down on Nov. 18, 1935.

Nature soon began to reclaim the site. Years of seasonal hurricanes have taken their toll, stripping away the roof. Vandals had scavenged any remaining movable lumber and materials. A parking lot was built atop the remains, but that too was destroyed by the constant flooding. Today, the ruins are on the property now owned by the Peace River Campground, a silent reminder of what was the “most American thing in America.” The Riverhawk Rhythm Festival was held in the amphitheater ruins in November of 2002, and since then, several other private events have been held there.

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