Chautauqua County was established in February 1811 when the 1810 tax rolls verified a population of more than 500 taxable inhabitants. Mayville was selected as the county seat and the first courthouse was constructed between 1812 and 1815 (the War of 1812 slowed construction). The county, lake, and town of Chautauqua were all originally spelled with an ‘e' at the end, until 1859 when the county's Board of Supervisors voted to change the spelling to Chautauqua. The County originally had just two towns, Pomfret and Chautauque, and all other towns were taken from these as the population grew.
The last town to be formed in the county was North Harmony, taken from the town of Harmony in 1918.
The County Archives, located in the courthouse complex in Mayville, is the largest repository of historical documents in Chautauqua County. The archive includes many of the county's earliest legal and court records dating from 1811. Since 1997, the records management program has utilized grant funds to improve the storage and preservation of historical documents. The work is ongoing.
Michelle Henry was appointed County Historian in March 2000, and also serves as the county's Records Management Coordinator. The historian's office and research room is located on the first floor of the old court house building and is open during regular business hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Appointments to conduct research in the archives are encouraged.
The Historian has written several articles for local and state publications, include the New York State Archives Partnership Trust's Archives magazine and the Chautauqua County Historical Society's Timelines. Copies of some of the articles are available here.
Historian's Articles
- Annie Oakley in Chautauqua Co Court (PDF)
- Chautauqua County Poor Farm and the Emigrant Train (PDF)
- Fredonia Grange #1 1868- 2008 (PDF)
- New York's Last Public Hanging (PDF)
- Patrick Tyrrell and Lincoln's Body (PDF)
- Researching Guidelines (PDF)
- Tempered Vines (PDF)
Student Historical Projects
- These web pages were developed by students at SUNY- Fredonia as a class project. Data was compiled by the students from local historical repositories, including the County Historian's office.