From staff reports

From a first lady to Sacagawea to an intrepid black explorer, early figures of our nation are on their way to Altus for the Great Plains Chautauqua sponsored by the Altus Library, and it gets under way with a tent raising today at 6 p.m. at Western Oklahoma State College.

Food and drinks will be available for $5 per person.

In the examination of American history, the period of 1790 to 1850 marks the realization of Thomas Jefferson's dream of an "Empire of Liberty," a continental nation.

The Great Plains Chautauqua explores the period of expansion from 1790 to 1850 for five days and nights through June 8 on the WOSC campus and at workshops held at the library.

In the selection of the six historic figures, Altus is presented with a diverse and balanced view of Lewis & Clark's Corps of Discovery and aftermath. The stories of William Clark, York (Clark's slave), Sacagawea, Tecumseh and John Jacob Astor, will be presented each evening at 8 p.m. in the tent. Dolley Madison will be the hostess for each evening's performance.

To learn more about the individual characters and their place in history, workshops will be held at the Altus Public Library for adults and children.

Adult workshops will include "Public Diplomacy, Civic Engagement and The Corps of Discovery" given by York." "Dolley Madison Was No Cupcake" is by Dolley Madison herself. William Clark's workshop will be "General Clark's Front Porch." John Jacob Astor will host the workshop, "John Jacob Astor vs. the Historians." Tecumseh will host a workshop "Names of the Lakota: Insights into Understanding the Prairies." The final adult workshop will be "The Myths of Sacagawea," presented by Sacagawea.

For children the workshops will include "African and African American Folktales," "Help Dolley Madison Plan a Party," "Lewis and Clark Grossology," "Stories for children of All Ages," "Washington Irving and 'Rip Van Winkle,'" and finally, "Pictures, Petroglyphs, and Little Pomp's Pillar."

All of the tent shows and workshops are free and open to the public. Breakfast and luncheons are "Dutch treat." For more information and a schedule of times and places, contact the Altus Public Library at 477-2890. The 2004 Great Plains Chautauqua is funded by the Oklahoma Humanities Council with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a 2004 appropriation through the Oklahoma Historical Society, the Southern Prairie Library System, Shortgrass Arts and Humanities Council, Western Oklahoma State College and Main Street Altus.