Getzendaner Memorial Park

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Getzendaner Memorial Park in Ellis County. Now settle in, because this patch of ground in Waxahachie has been collectin' stories since 1889, and it's not done yet. It started simple enough.

West End Park, named for the West End addition it sat in. Modest. Unassuming.

The kind of name that doesn't give anything away. But West End Park had something up its sleeve. By the early twentieth century, it had a new name: Chautauqua Park.

And with that name came something this corner of Texas hadn't quite seen before. The Chautauqua movement had been born in western New York back in the nineteenth century; cultural program events, held in summer, in pastoral settings. The kind of thing that sounds civilized and refined, and then turns out to be exactly that, only louder and bigger than you'd expect.

Starting in 1900, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church brought that tradition right here to Waxahachie. Local citizens carried it on after that. And every year, for two weeks, thousands of people came pouring in from all across Texas and Oklahoma.

Thousands. They set up tents right there on the park grounds, not just for the programs, mind you, but for sleeping. This wasn't a day trip.

People moved in. And while they were there, the park transformed into something else entirely. You needed a meal?

There were restaurants. A shave? There was a barbershop.

You wanted to call somebody or mail a letter? A telephone booth and a post office, right there among the trees. Dining tents, religious tents, social tents.

A whole temporary city rising up each summer out of the grass. Now, the original assembly hall had been doing its best, but by 1902, the Chautauqua had simply outgrown it. So a new auditorium went up that year, and it became the stage for lectures, concerts, performances, and later, when the summers quieted, for things like high school graduations.

That building had range. The park hosted other events too, and one of them quietly changed its name forever. A Confederate soldier reunion was held here; noteworthy, the marker tells us, because of one particular attendee: W.H.

Getzendaner. Born in 1834, Getzendaner had come to Waxahachie way back in 1858, and he later served in the Civil War. In 1914, the park was renamed in his honor.

Getzendaner Memorial Park. Just like that, West End Park and Chautauqua Park both fade into history, and the name that sticks is his. And the roster of names who stood on this ground keeps going.

In 1909, orator and presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan spoke here. In 1927, humorist Will Rogers took his turn. This park had a habit of drawing people worth listening to.

The Chautauqua retreats ran through 1930. The auditorium, the tents, the barbershop in the trees, all of it eventually passed. But Getzendaner Memorial Park is still there, still gatherin' people for civic and religious events, same as it always has.

Established 1889. Still open for business.

What the marker says

Established in 1889, Getzendaner Memorial Park was originally named West End Park as part of Waxahachie’s West End addition. By the early 20th century, it became Chautauqua Park, named for the annual retreat held on its grounds through 1930. Chautauqua assemblies began in western New York in the 19th century as cultural program events, typically held during summer at pastoral settings. From 1900 the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and later local citizens, held Chautauqua retreats here. For two weeks each year, thousands would gather from throughout Texas and Oklahoma for the program, erecting tents for housing on the park grounds. During the assembly, restaurants, a barbershop, a telephone booth and a post office could all be found in the park. In addition, numerous tents served dining, religious and social needs. An auditorium constructed in 1902 replaced the former assembly hall, which the Chautauqua had outgrown. The new structure became the stage for lectures, concerts and other performances. Later, the building would be used for other occasions, such as high school graduations. The park has hosted other events, including a Confederate soldier reunion, which is noteworthy for the participation of W.H. Getzendaner, for whom the park was renamed in 1914. Born in 1834, Getzendaner moved to Waxahachie in 1858 and later served in the Civil War. Residents held many other events at the park over the years, including speaking engagements for orator and presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan in 1909 and humorist Will Rogers in 1927. With historic ties to the early Chautauqua years, the park remains a gather place for civic and religious events. (2006)