HISTORY
Newspaper Articles
click on date to see the article
Booker T. Washington is main speaker at a summer assembly at Miami Valley Chautauqua.
The famous evangelist Billy Sunday delivers his famous message, "The Mask Torn Off", at Miami Valley Chautauqua.
See an advertisement for a College Preparatory Clinic sponsored by the Miami Valley Chautauqua Association and the Butler County Chapter N.O.M.A.
Newspaper ads were often put in the paper to announce the opening of a new season.
Another newspaper ad stating that the new season opens on Memorial Day.
Three USA Olympic swimmers compete in the State AAU Swimming and Diving Championship held at Miami Valley Chautauqua.
A newspaper ad inviting the public to Chautauqua for the 4th of July.
"Chautauqua Gears Up For Great Year" is the headline of this newspaper article. It is the 70th summer of the camp.
A group of 85 exiles were in Chautauqua to exercise the religious freedom denied them in their native Cuba.
Another article about the Cuban refugees, 17 of which escaped from Communism, staying at Chautauqua.
"Area Was Once A Playground" was the headline of this article that came out on Christmas Day in '67. It gives a good history of Chautauqua. It also hints of upcoming financial problems. The article is in two parts. Click picture below to see the first part.
"Area Was Once A Playground" article continued.
"Chautauqua Park Sale To Baptists Proposed" is the headline of this article. It explains how the Miami Valley Chautauqua Association was leaning toward selling to the Baptist Bible Fellowship Michigan Youth Camp, even though they bid $20,000 less than the higher bid. God was at work to make the park available, even when the funds didn't measure up!
"Baptists Get Chautauqua" is the headline of this article. The meeting was long, the debate lively and the vote close, as the article explains.The vote was 69-63.
"Chautauqua To Carry New Name As Sale Becomes Final Shortly" is the headline of this article.
"Arsonist Burn Chautauqua Buildings, One Destroyed" is the headline of this article. From September,1969 to April, 1970 arsonists struck at Chautauqua 6 times. We debated on whether to put these articles on our website, but decided it was a great way to show that GOD HAD BIG PLANS FOR CHAUTAUQUA that arsonists could not stop!
Additional picture from this article.
"Arsonist Strikes Twice; Loss Totals $90,000" is the headline of this article. Arsonist visit Chautauqua a second time in the same weekend.
Another picture from the second fire. The present-day gift shop can be seen in the upper right section of the picture.
Another article about the first weekend of fires.
"Mysterious Fires Hit Park Again" is the headline of this article. The 68-year old Auditorium and 40-year old Dining Hall are lost.
"Arson Probed In Chautauqua Fire" is the headline of this article.
"Arson Probed As Historic Chautauqua Auditorium Is Razed By Fire Early Sunday" is the headline of this article.
"Chautauqua Park Will Rise Again" is the headline of this article. Plans are revealed for a new auditorium, dinning hall and kitchen before the 1970 Summer Camp Season begins.
"Chautauqua: Ashes And Fear" is the headline of this article.
"Chautauqua Colony Asks What's Next For Camp?" is the headline of this article.
"Arsonists Strike For Fourth Time At Park" is the headline of this article. The Shelter House that used to be where present day C Shelter is was destroyed.
"Chautauqua Hit By Fifth Arson" is the headline of this article. The Shelter House that used to be where present day A-B Shelter is was destroyed. Much of the amusement equipment was also destroyed in this fire.
"Arsonists Hit Again" is the headline of this article. This is another article about the fifth fire.
"Shelterhouse Virtually Destroyed In Early Hours Thursday At Beleaguered Chautauqua" is the headline of this article. This is a third article about the fifth fire.
"Chautauqua Fire Try Is Failure" is the headline of this article. If successful this would have been the sixth fire. An attempt to burn down the Grandview Hotel failed. The attempt was made on Easter Sunday.
"Police Know Who Burned Chautauqua" is the headline of this article. The article is an interview with the detective in charge of the case.
"Arsonist's Prints On Bomb Termed As Fatal Mistake" is the headline of this article.
"Chautauqua Starts Over" is the headline of this article. It shows how all of the destruction of the past year could not stop the camp from opening it's 1970 summer camp season. Praise the Lord!
"Adversity Can't Conquer Chautauqua" is the headline of this article. It is another article telling how the camp overcame great odds to reopen for the summer.
"Chautauqua Just As Busy This Summer Despite Huge Arson Loss" is the headline of this article. It is a third article telling how the camp overcame great odds to reopen for the summer.
"Arsonist Did His Worst But Chautauqua Lives" is the headline of this article. It is a fourth article telling how the camp overcame great odds to reopen for the summer.
"Old Chautauqua Park Celebrating 75th Anniversary; History Is Told" is the headline of this article. It is a two-part article about the history of Chautauqua.
Second part of "Old Chautauqua Park Celebrating 75th Anniversary" article.
"Chautauqua History In The 1950s, 60s" is the headline of this article.
"Chautauqua Opens 76th Season" is the headline of this article. It also tells of how the annual NATIONAL AAU Swimming Meet will be and has been held at Chautauqua's olympic-sized swimming pool for many years.
"It's Chautauqua Time For Baptist Youngsters" is the headline of this article.
"Chautauqua Touched The Northmont Community" is the headline of this article. It is another article that tells the history of Chautauqua.
"Time Is Eclipsed In Nearby Chautauqua" is the headline of this article. It is still another article that tells the history of Chautauqua from it's beginning to it's hey-day. This is part 1 of 2 articles.
"Chautauqua Has A Grand Past" is the headline of this article. It is part 2 of the above article. It tells the history of Chautauqua from it's hey-dey to present day (1978).
"Television, Vandals Downfall Of Campground Chautauqua" is the headline of this article. It describes Chautauqua as a modern day campground in it's glory days before television and radio. It is an interview of Clarence Aspenleiter, who has been a resident of Chautauqua since before World War II.
This is an advertisement for a Baptist Power Conference held at Camp Chautauqua.
This is a note in the paper about Jerry Harmeyer's 20th year as camp manager.
"Chautauqua Homecoming Event Starts Centennial Celebration" is the headline of this article. The Chautauqua community obtains permission from the Michigan Baptist Fellowship to have Chautauqua Day in the campgrounds.
"Littleton Teen, Jet's Player Talk At Youth Camp" is the headline of this article.