Chautauqua planned for Nicodemus National Historic Site

NICODEMUS, Kan. (KSNW) — A Chautauqua event will be held in May at the Nicodemus National Historic Site.

Nicodemus is the oldest and only remaining black settlement west of the Mississippi. The town was founded in 1877 by former slaves who came mainly from Lexington, Kentucky, to settle in Kansas.

The National Park Service, which helps manage the historical site in Nicodemus, says Chautauqua events have been a tradition since the early days of the town. The Chautauqua movement was popular in the United States from the 1870s to the 1920s.

A Chautauqua is a mix of education and entertainment, with communities gathering to hear lectures from authors, scientists, politicians and other figures, as well as see live performances from musical artists, theater troops, and other performances. They were often held outdoors in parks or other natural surroundings under large tents.

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They fell out of popularity in the 1920s with the proliferation of radio, movies, and the automobile. However, several still remain or have been revitalized in communities across the United States.

The Nicodemus Chautauqua will take place May 25 in the roadside park and Township Hall. Starting at 1 p.m., local descendants will provide family history presentations about the local contributions of the Sayers, Napue, Williams, Moore, and Jones families who helped settle Nicodemus in the 1870s.

At 2 p.m., musical artist Lem Sheppard will perform musical samples on traditional instruments and speak about Kansas African American musicians from 1860-1920. At 3 p.m., the documentary “Ellis Trail to Nicodemus” will be screened.

Descendants of the families featured in the documentary will be on hand to discuss the film following the screening. The film was recently released by the Nicodemus Historic Society.

For more about the Nicodemus Historical Site, click here.

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