BTG Founders
On July 26, 1913, thirteen Chautauquans gathered at the home of Henrietta Ord Jones to discuss the creation of a formal club to promote the conservation and protection of birds and trees. Those thirteen founders were Mrs. Evelyn Snead Barnett, Misses Lois and Irene Cooper, Dr. and Mrs. A.W. Gilbert, Mrs. J.R. Hill, Dr. Daniel Hoyt, Henrietta Ord Jones, Miss Kate J. Kimball, Mrs. Louise Igoe Miller, Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Powers, Mrs. Ruby Green Smith, and Mrs. B. T. Vincent.​
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View of the Athenaeum Hotel Lawn, turn of the century. Image provided by Beth Miller.
The minutes from that first meeting read:
"The meeting was called to order by Miss Jones who stated its object, and introduced the following speakers; Dr. Powers spoke of the part trees have played in the history of mankind. Dr. Gilbert and Mrs. Smith pointed out ways in which a Bird and Tree Club could add to the usefulness and beauty of Chautauqua by constructive work that can make of Chautauqua a “Bird Sanctuary” and a model forest reserve or arboretum. Mrs. Hill gave some valuable suggestions as to the planting of trees that bear fruits or berries for birds and there was a general discussion of “the cat question”. A vaudeville was proposed as a means of raising money to further the cause of the proposed organization. The general tone of this preliminary conference was most enthusiastic, and on motion, it was resolved that we organize a club to be known as the Chautauqua Bird and Tree Club, after which following officers were duly chosen to act until the Annual Meeting to be provided for in the constitution."
Founder Spotlight
Henrietta Ord Jones
Henrietta Ord Jones, referred to by friends as the “Little General”, was the driving force behind the original Bird and Tree Club. As Corresponding Secretary, she built and cultivated connections in the Chautauqua community and administration to facilitate the club’s momentum, purpose, and funds. She was tirelessly devoted to the task of conservation, a love she inherited from her father. Miss Jones went on to cofound the New York Bird and Tree Club. Through that club, she collected thousands of dollars in donations to fund the planting of fruit trees in France after the devastation of the first World War. In 1917, she was described in the Chautauquan Daily as “one of the moving spirits in the Bird and Tree Club."
Henry Turner Bailey
Though not present at the first meeting of the Bird and Tree Club, Henry Turner Bailey was one of its early champions. In the days before the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, lectures were the 8 pm entertainment in the Amphitheater. Bailey gave several of those evening lectures on art history and the evolution of pedagogy. On July 21, 1913, Bailey lectured on the beauty found in the natural world. This following passage is from a write up in the Chautauquan Daily the following day: “There is absolutely no excuse for anyone who cannot see beauty in nature after hearing Henry Turner Bailey’s illustrated talk on that subject Saturday evening in the Amphitheater. An immense crowd listened to Mr. Bailey’s interpretation of nature’s beauties and there were not a few who were surprised to learn how much of the beauty which Mr. Bailey claims is apparent in everything in this world of ours, escaped their notice. The lecture was transformed from an ordinary nature talk into a wonderful exposition of nature’s treasures...”
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Louise Igoe Miller
Louise Igoe Miller was married to Robert Miller, one of Chautauqua's founder Lewis Miller’s 11 children. Before she married into the Miller family, Louise Igoe was close friends with Mina Miller Edison. At the turn of the century, Robert Miller was picked by President William McKinley to serve as the Postmaster General of Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, Mrs. Miller worked to create financial opportunities for disenfranchised Puerto Rican women. She encouraged mainland Americans to buy fine Puerto Rican embroidery. After her husband passed away suddenly in 1911, Mrs. Miller moved to New York City, but continued to support Puerto Rican women. She also hosted many benefits and information sessions in Chautauqua to educate Chautauquans and encouraged them to invest in Puerto Rican embroidery. Mrs. Miller was revered as part of the Chautauqua Old Guard, and she eventually served 12 non-consecutive years as president of the Bird and Tree Club.