Livingston county history
CHILLICOTHE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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- CHILLICOTHE CULTURE CLUB
- CHILLICOTHE FINE ARTS COUNCIL
- CHILLICOTHE GARDEN CLUB
CHILLICOTHE CHAMBER OF COMMERCEThe Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce was organized May 11, 1911 and was incorporated under the laws of Missouri, September 25, 1920. The incorporating officers were C. T. Botsford, president; B. T. Clark, first vice-president; M. F. Bench, second vice-president; Harry W. Graham, secretary; Joseph Walbrun, treasurer. The original purpose of the Chamber was to foster, support and assist any movement or activity which means for the social, industrial, agricultural, benevolent, commercial, educational and religious betterment of the community and the general public. The above wording was changed in 1975 to read: The Chamber is to promote, foster and encourage the industrial, commercial, civic, educational, sociocultural betterment and economy of the Chillicothe area; to create and maintain a compact representative and centralized agency for concerted action upon all matters affecting the betterment of conditions and the general welfare of Chamber members. The Chamber shall be non-sectarian, non-partisan and nonsectional. Officers for 1980 are: President Ed Turner Vice-Pres. Doug Burton Treasurer Bill Welch Past-Pres. Armand Peterson Exec. V.P. Ralph L. Moore
Board Members: Jim Beemer Butch Clark Jack Dedrick Dr. Jim Eden Betty Don Ernst Bob Fairweather Darrell Haas Chuck Haney Darla Macoubrie Larry Richards Vern Thom
CHILLICOTHE CULTURE CLUBSometime in the early “gay nineties” seven friends decided to go in for higher learning. The Chautauqua Course and Magazine were interesting to many at this time so they subscribed for the magazine. They met once a month with their mending, knitting, darning while one member read from the magazine. This program failed to satisfy the members so the Chautauqua Course, an intensive course of history, art, travel, literature and science was discontinued because it would take four years to complete. The membership was increased until in the spring of 1898 there were 28 faithful members, who, having completed the course looked for more worlds to conquer. All through the summer of 1898 the subject of a women’s club to take the place of the Chautauqua Circle was discussed whenever two or three women were gathered together. Mrs. Joshua Williams called a meeting in her home in the early autumn. Over 20 women responded and Chillicothe Culture Club was born. The motto “Unity in things necessary, Liberty in what is doubtful, And charity in all things” was adopted. The club met every Wednesday at 2:30 beginning in October through May with programs on current topics, music, readings, papers and book reviews. Each member prepared and presented her own programs. They soon joined the State Federation of Women’s Clubs. In 1899-1900 Mrs. L. E. Tracy and Mrs. Katherine Leaver were the first delegates to the state meeting. In 1904 the club entered the General Federation and 1920 the City Federation was organized with Mrs. Harry Minteer, a Culture Club member, as its first president. Mrs. Frank Fay of Culture Club served as president of City Federation as well as secretary of the State Federation. During World War I and II each member helped in the various war efforts. Culture Club has had a limited membership so it has not increased much numerically, but during the 82 years of its existence as Culture Club plus the eight years as Chautauqua Circle, it has greatly aided every movement for the moral, educational, and civic betterment of Chillicothe. This body of women has the highest ideals and motives and has left its impressions throughout Chillicothe’s later history. CHILLICOTHE FINE ARTS COUNCILUnder the leadership of Mrs. Edmund (Joan) Krautmen, the Chillicothe branch of the American Association of University Women sponsored a one-day Fine Arts Fair in November, 1962. It was a combined effort of the cultural groups and facilities existing in our community, and professional exhibits from other sources. The success of this one day event proved that there was and is a place and a need for more such cultural events in this area. From the impetus furnished by this very successful one-day Fine Arts Fair, a non-profit organization was formed in December 1963, called, The Chillicothe Fine Arts Council, Inc. In February, 1964, by-laws were adopted and officers and directors were elected. John Irvin was elected president and Mrs. Krautman was given the office of executive vice-president. Robert A. “Bob” Smith was a vice-president and was largely responsible for arranging a plan for financing. His “Membership Plan” has proved extremely successful with only minor alteration during the past years. Months of preparation went into the first week-long Fine Arts Fair held in April, 1964. Drama, films, music and visual arts were included in the varied program and merchants mounted displays of the Grand River Historical Society in the Downtown store windows. An art and photography exhibition was held at the Armory all week, with a reception for Fine Arts Council members and the Missouri Governor’s Committee on Arts, artists, and visitors. Missouri University concert band held a concert at the Chillicothe High School Auditorium on Sunday, the first day of the fair. A lecture by Giles M. Fowler, motion picture editor of The Star, was given and the film, “LaStrada”, was shown. The Hollander String Quartet from “Young Audiences” performed at various schools and gave a coffee concert at Bishop Hogan School. The middle of the week was Painters Day with judging of amateur exhibits by William Unger and Melvin Olson of Kirksville State college. The film, “The Bridge”, was shown at the Ben Bolt Theatre. The Chillicothe Community Orchestra performed and there was a concert by the Madrigal Singers of Washington University of St. Louis. A film study, “Hamlet”, was held at the Livingston County Memorial Library. The week ended with a play, Shakespear’s “Julius Caesar”, by the Kansas City Circle Theatre which was performed on a special stage at Bishop Hogan High School. John Irvin, first president of the Fine Arts Council, has continued his fine work for the organization. Through his company, Irvinbilt, he constructed and stored the display standards that were used at the art exhibits and also helped Arrow Rock with stage enlargement needed at the Ben Bolt Theatre. John also served a six-year term on The Missouri Council on the Arts and served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Mid-America Arts Alliance. The 1965 Fine Arts Fair was the full week of April 25th to May 2nd. There were three events that deserve special mention. 1. There were two performances of the Glass Menagerie by the Missouri Repertory Theatre (University of Missouri at Kansas City). 2. The Arrow Rock Lyceum Players presented “Arsenic and Old Lace” at the Ben Bolt Theatre in July, 1965. An Arrow Rock Lyceum production has been brought to Chillicothe each year. “Godspell” was the production in July, 1980. 3. On the 13th day of October 1965, legislation became effective establishing The Missouri State Council on the Arts. The Chillicothe Fine Arts Council is very proud of the fact that Chillicothe was selected as the site for the road production of “Madame Butterfly” by the Lyric Theatre of Kansas City on October 19, 1965. This was not only the first performance of the Lyric outside of Kansas City but the first co-sponsorship between the Missouri State Council on the Arts and a local organization. It played to a capacity audience. At this point, additional credit should be given to Joan Krautmann. In addition to her leadership, from which resulted the one-day Fine Arts Fair, and the founding of the Chillicothe Fine Arts Council, she was on a committee that promoted the passage of legislation to establish the Missouri State Council on the Arts and was also appointed to serve a three year term as a member of the council. The Chillicothe Council has been very appreciative of the financial help that has been furnished by the Missouri Arts Council during the past sixteen years. In some years additional financial help was received from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the Mid-America Arts Alliance. An art exhibit of four to six days was held each year, beginning in 1964 and continuing through 1979. The Armory on North Washington Street was used as the exhibit site along with downtown, Southtown and Park Center shopping center buildings. There was always an interesting ArtistIn-Residence who gave art demonstrations at the exhibit along with visits with the arts classes at the Chillicothe Schools. Attendance at the exhibits varied from 1350 to 3800. Each fair grew in size during the seventies. School groups came fro ml all of the public schools in Chillicothe as well as the parochial school. Also, bus loads of youngsters arrived from the outlying Livingston County areas. The artists over the two decades have worked in many media. Some of the more popular were pottery work, water coloring, metal sculpture and oil painting. The guest artist usually followed a plan of visiting the schools for demonstrations during the day, and them demonstrating for the public in the evening at the fair. The work of area school children has always been of special interest at the fair. Art classes in all the schools are encouraged to participate in the exhibits. The art work in each media is judged upon request, and one year a high school senior won the grand prize of best work exhibited at the show. The growth and support that was so evident in the late sixties and seventies is expected to continue through the eighties. -- Bob Smith CHILLICOTHE GARDEN CLUBThe Chillicothe Garden Club was organized in April, 1952 with 101 charter members. Any person living in Chillicothe or vicinity who is interested in gardening is eligible for membership and the fee for many years was $1.00. Because of the rise in prices for carrying out Garden Club projects the present membership fee is $1.50. The purpose of the Garden Club is to stimulate interest in gardening, to further knowledge of gardening and to use the knowledge to create beauty for others to share. Two meetings a month are held on the first and third Tuesday, beginning with the Membership Tea in March through the first Tuesday in October. The members enjoy many activities throughout the summer. The flower show which is held annually is an outstanding event and is free to the public. The beautiful specimens and arrangements are judged by qualified people and ribbons and trophies are presented as awards for outstanding exhibits. Some of the trips recalled with interest are the one to Lexington where mansions rich in Missouri history were visited; to Kansas City to see some of the beautiful lawns and gardens of residents there; to St. Joseph where a bus load of Chillicothe members were met by members of their club and escorted on a tour of some of their gardens; to Meadville to see the floral display in Mr. Hatch’s garden; three trips to Kansas City to take the Wellesley Tour, and the yearly tours to visit gardens of Chillicothe homes. Some of the beautification projects sponsored by the Garden Club include yard contests, flower boxes and baskets in the downtown area, planting of iris, and tulip bulbs at the south entrance to the city; erection of a white picket fence at Simpson Park announcing that Chillicothe is a Garden Club city; conducting the public dedication ceremonies of the Fair Oaks Roadside Park near Utica and the Manuel Drumm Park at the Chillicothe airport and holding a Clean-up week annually in cooperation with the city. Early in the history of the club the red bud tree was selected for the city tree and the Eutin Rose for the flower. Evidence of these projects are seen throughout the city. In the spring of 1954 the club bought and planted three hard maples at the northeast corner of the hospital grounds and in 1975 planted eight dogwood on the south slope of Simpson Park. At one time the Garden Club published and sold a book called “Garden Gimmicks” that contained general hints on the care of lawns, vegetable, and flower gardens. In addition to the flower show the members enjoy a Garden Breakfast each year; a guest day, a spring plant exchange, a little rose show, and an arrangement and specimen showing at each meeting. A flower distribution committee takes flowers to shut-ins. Membership remains above 100 each year. The first officers of the Garden Club were Mrs. F. M. McCall, president, Mrs. Ed Saale, vice president; Mrs. Earl Bradbury, treasurer, and Mrs. H. M. Hunt secretary. Present officers are President, Mrs. George Troeger; first vice-president, Mrs. Charles Fleener; second vice president, Mrs. Moren Jenkins; treasurer, Mrs. Tom Oliver; and secretary, Mrs. George Newbolt. 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