Brown County Chautauqua Honors Julia Chatfield

Named for Chautauqua, New York, where the first one was ever held, the Chautauqua movement was a popular adult education movement in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. The movement spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920’s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and learning to the entire community; they featured speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers, and specialists.

The Brown County Chautauqua’s were held at the Brown County Fairgrounds in the old wooden grandstand. This experience was relived once more at the Brown County fairgrounds in honor of the county’s two-hundredth anniversary.

In 1845, a group of Ursuline Sisters dedicated to education came to Ohio from France. Their leader, Sister Julia Chatfield, founded the Ursuline convent in St. Martin, Ohio and the community immediately began construction of a four-story brick school building in the Brown County wilderness. From that foundation, the educational mission of the Ursulines of Brown County has reached children and adults through the public school system, a boarding school, a summer camp, counseling, high school, and college.

On Thursday, June 21st, the Chautauqua took place at the Brown County Fairgrounds. There were historical characters that were able to describe the history of Brown County, which included Julia Chatfield. She described the story of the Ursulines of Brown County and their long tradition of offering a quality education at St. Martin.

For more information about the Brown County Chautauqua, visit the link below:

The Chautauqua Story