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This Week in Chautauqua County History: May 11 – May 17

Submitted by Justin Gould on
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(Seal of Chautauqua County displayed at the New York World's Fair 1939-1940.)

Research by Norman Carlson, Chautauqua County Historian

 From pioneer land deals and tornadoes to religious milestones, forgotten swamps, and the fading echoes of steamships and old markets — this week in local history tells a rich story of Chautauqua County's evolving legacy.

 

May 11

 

1791 – A monumental real estate transaction: Massachusetts deeded the "pre-emption rights" (the authority to extinguish Native land claims) for all of Western New York to financier Robert Morris.

 

1897 – Efforts began to drain the Conewango Swamp, changing the landscape forever.

 

1900 – The Jamestown Driving Club re-organized to promote harness racing and equestrian activities.

 

1945 – Carl J. Lundstead and 16 others gathered in Lakewood to establish American Legion Post 1286.

 

May 12

 

1854 – Passenger pigeons from Tamarack Swamp were seen swarming over Jamestown. The species is now extinct.

 

1898 – Formation of the Busti Willing Workers, a neighborhood women’s club focused on fellowship and community service.

 

1914 – Ashville Fire Department was officially organized.

 

1916 – A powerful windstorm half-demolished the Pittsburgh Consolidated Ice Company’s ice house in Mayville.

 

1968 – St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Jamestown was consecrated.

 

2002 – Demolition began on Lakewood's once-popular Red Coach Inn, built in the summer of 1960.

 

May 13

 

1913 – Lakewood Methodist Episcopal Church was organized (correcting earlier records that listed May 6).

 

1947 – The 125th annual meeting of the Chautauqua Baptist Association commenced in Busti.

 

1988 – A wave of "Satanic Panic" swept parts of the county, with rumors of an impending virgin sacrifice sparking community alarm.

 

May 14

 

1944 – The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Chautauqua was launched. It would serve in the Pacific until its retirement in the early 1970s.

 

1948 – WBEN-TV (now WIVB, Channel 4) went on air — the first television station serving the region.

 

1961 – Samuel A. Carlson, widely regarded as Jamestown’s greatest mayor, passed away.

 

1962 – Chautauqua County’s Farmers’ Home Administration office opened in Jamestown to support rural development.

 

1988 – Comedian George Carlin delivered a controversial and memorable performance in Jamestown.

 

2024 – The Red Lobster restaurant in West Ellicott closed its doors.

 

May 15

 

1817 – The First Baptist Church of Blockville was organized.

 

1835 – Joseph Damon was publicly hanged in Mayville before a massive crowd, one of the last legal public executions.

 

1851 – Dunkirk was officially incorporated as a village.

 

1868 – The Mayville Academy building was conveyed to the Mayville Union School, marking a shift from private to public secondary education.

 

1898 – Dedication of the Swedish Mission Church in Jamestown.

 

1901 – Jamestown Street Railway employees organized a union under the Amalgamated Association of Street Railway Employees.

 

1907 – Busti Lutheran Church was officially incorporated (after organizing in 1906).

 

1909 – A grim discovery: the body of an infant was found in a suitcase at the Erie Railroad station in Jamestown.

 

1929 – The Lois Fenton Chapter of the Children of the American Revolution was established in Jamestown. (It was later deactivated in 1974 and reactivated in 1989.)

 

May 16

 

1885 – The YMCA was organized in Jamestown.

 

1895 – The Protective Home Circle, Chautauqua No. 202, was instituted.

 

1909 – The body of an unidentified man was recovered from Chautauqua Lake.

 

1949 – The smokestack on the steamboat City of Jamestown was replaced as part of upkeep on the historic vessel.

 

1965 – A tornado tore through the Panama and Stedman areas, causing significant damage.

 

1998 – The beloved Stockton Antique Sales were liquidated by auction.

 

1999 – Nelson & Butts Florist, a longtime local greenhouse and floral shop in Jamestown, closed.

 

2002 – Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist delivered a public lecture in Jamestown.

 

May 17

 

1863 – The steamer Chautauqua made its maiden voyage on Chautauqua Lake.

 

1879 – The Sinclairville Union School was organized.

 

1886 – The Jamestown Furniture Board of Trade was formed, representing a key era in the local furniture boom.

 

1949 – Robert N. Rowland of Ripley, Chautauqua County’s last surviving Civil War veteran, passed away.

 

1969 – Sinclairville was struck by a tornado.

 

1999 – Fresh Cut Meats and More opened in the former Pearson’s Swedish Market location on Forest Avenue, Jamestown. (A smoke shop now operates at the site.)

 

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