The Bishop Hill Chautauqua was a hit!

On a warm Saturday, over 400 visitors were entertained and educated at the 2013 Bishop Hill Chautauqua, located in the park gazebo.

Beginning at 1 p.m., Carl Sandberg, portrayed by Barry Cloyd, appeared at the village park to speak about his travels.  At 3 p.m., Betty Carlson Kay depicted three women from the Civil War, including Mother Bickerdyke from Galesburg.  Starting at 6 p.m., Ken Bradbury entertained the crowd with songs from America’s past.  To conclude the day, Governor Ninian Edwards and Chief Gomo each appeared to tell their sides of the story about early Illinois history.  Both of these historical figures were portrayed by Brian “Fox” Ellis.

Check out the photographs of this event in our photo gallery, courtesy of Lou Lourdeau.

This event was organized by the Bishop Hill Heritage with the assistance of the Twin Flower Inn.  This program is sponsored in part, by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the Illinois Humanities Council.  We also like to thank all the volunteers who helped organized and run this event.  Without the assistance of this dedicated group of people, too numerous to name, the Chautauqua would not have happened.