The Whistling Chautauqua Girl

Type of resource
Author/collaborator
Title
The Whistling Chautauqua Girl
Abstract
Born in Mystic, Quebec, (now part of St-Ignace-de-Stanbridge), Lena Elizabeth Walbridge (1870-1933) moved to the United States in the late 1890s, where she eventually joined travelling musical troops as a reader and whistler. By 1910, Lena Walbridge was on the “Circuit Chautauqua,” hailed as a popular solo “Whistler, Pianist and Reader.” The author notes that travelling throughout rural America, the “Circuit Chautauqua” was an annual educational, cultural and entertainment event between 1904 and 1932, where the whole family could hear uplifting speeches and wholesome entertainment. It was especially popular in the U.S. mid-West and in Canada’s Prairie provinces. Lena Walbridge retired from Chautauqua in the late 1920s and lived with her sister Mabel in Chicago until her death.
Publication
Quebec Heritage News
Volume
Vol. 18
Issue
no. 1
Date
Winter 2024
Pages
21-24
Language
en
Citation
Darch, Heather. “The Whistling Chautauqua Girl.” Quebec Heritage News, Winter 2024.
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