History of The Chautauqua
The Chautauqua originated as an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Named after Chautauqua Lake, in western New York, where the first event was held, Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920's. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers and specialists of the day. Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying the Chautauqua is "the most American thing in America."
For more information, check out the Wikipedia page about the history of the Chautauqua.