Since 1895, Fountain Park has hosted an annual Chatauqua to promote religious, social and educational activities.

Fountain Park Chautauqua continues in the tradition of a two-week event, which includes Sunday School, church services as well as family-oriented entertainment including singing groups and bands, speakers, art classes, talent shows and other recreational activities.

[3] The Chautauqua is significant in our nation's social history as a movement to provide cultural and educational enrichment to the people.

At the height of the movement, historians estimate that Chautauquas may have involved as many as 30 million people in 12,000 communities in a given summer.

The idea was that of a Methodist minister and Sunday School Superintendent, John H. Vincent and Lewis Miller respectively.

From the 1880s to the Great Depression, Chautauqua was the window to cultural and educational enrichment for thousands of isolated towns from New England to the Rocky Mountains.

Parker purchased 70 acres (28 ha) of land in 1893 and "saw its natural beauty as an ideal place for an annual, out-of-doors assembly to be held for the people of Northwestern Indiana to meet to discuss religious, scientific and literary subjects.

By 1898, a 36-room hotel had been built and a dam on Carpenter Creek to create a small lake for boating and swimming.

Nationally known Temperance speakers, evangelists, politicians, poets and musicians performed at the Assembly, including ex-U.S.

William Jennings Bryan and Pat OBrien had the highest attendance ratings in Fountain Park's history.

An address by one Senator described Fountain Park by saying, "Under the shadow of the trees, in this happy little grove, in that rude structure (tabernacle) where nothing has been done for show during these past scores of years has been gathered annually the very best and brightest men and women the world has known, and their sweetest and brightest thoughts have been expressed for us who come to listen and to learn.

The original driveway used for hacks delivering patrons to the park was on the east side of the property where the fairgrounds were.

In May 1909 Christian and Margaret Hensler purchased the property and leased approximately 30 acres of it for the use of Fountain Park.

[3] Fowler Methodist Church holds a family each year, the Boy and Girl Scouts and area schools, have used the grounds for day camps and other events.

[3] The Fountain Park Chautauqua is located north of Remington, Indiana, in a predominantly agricultural area of Jasper County.

The 17.3 acres (7.0 ha) are heavily wooded with oak, hickory, walnut and wild cherry trees and run along Carpenter Creek.

Radiating around the interior circle created by the cottages are the Tabernacle, Recreation Building, Food and Candy Stands, the Art Colony and museum, and the Well House and Brick Shelter.

Interspersed are the shuffleboard/bowling lanes, a basketball court, a playground, a series of benches/swings, and a variety of flower planters, two stone ones date back to 1932.

Their broad leaves provide good shade and their flowers give a pleasant sweet scent in early summer.