(Seal of Chautauqua County displayed at the New York World's Fair 1939-1940.)
Research by Norman Carlson, Chautauqua County Historian
Each day holds a story. From presidential visits and devastating storms to cultural milestones and community firsts, explore what made history across Chautauqua County during this week in years past:
May 25
1922 – Herbert Hoover visited Chautauqua. He would later serve as President of the United States (1929–1933).
1946 – A tornado struck Ellington.
1995 – K-Mart opened in West Ellicott. The site is now home to Target.
1996 – The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Museum opened in Jamestown.
2003 – Sunday liquor sales became legal in New York State.
2013 – The Chautauqua County Grape Discovery Center opened in Westfield.
May 26
1861 – The Sisters of St. Joseph monastery was established in Dunkirk.
1893 – The double-decker streetcar "Columbia," beloved by locals, arrived in Jamestown.
1912 – Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Parish was established in Lakewood. It remains active today.
1913 – Three nights of rioting began in Jamestown.
1925 – French World War I air ace Capt. Charles Nungessor performed exhibition flights in Jamestown.
1994 – The first "Lucy-Fest" began in Jamestown, celebrating Lucille Ball’s legacy.
1995 – Pearson's Market in Jamestown closed after 58 years (opened 1937). The location now houses Smoke Town vape shop.
May 27
1859 – The Young America Museum Society, a Jamestown youth group, held a picnic at Fair Point—future site of Chautauqua Institution.
1936 – The Milton J. Fletcher School was named in Jamestown. Fletcher served as Superintendent of Schools (1919–1932).
1957 – Jamestown Municipal Golf Course officially opened near Jamestown Community College. (Now closed.)
May 28
1825 – Ellington post office was established.
1898 – Augustus F. Allen’s cavalry troop was organized in Jamestown, though it never saw action.
1900 – The Jamestown Bar Association was founded.
1981 – The "Phoenix Wheel," once a fixture at Celoron Park (1896–1951), was demolished in California after decades of disuse.
1994 – Demolition began on the Gaslight Motor Inn on Fairmount Avenue in West Ellicott.
2000 – WJTN aired its final Swedish music broadcast.
May 29
1801 – Joseph Ellicott asked permission to name Batavia "Bustiville" after Paul Busti. The proposal was rejected on June 24.
1900 – Construction began at the future site of the Lackawanna/Bethlehem Steel plant.
1914 – Eugene Debs, five-time Socialist Party presidential candidate (1900–1920), spoke to a capacity crowd at Institute Hall in Jamestown.
1966 – John F. Berry of Busti became the first local combat casualty in the Vietnam War.
1975 – Roger Tory Peterson, Lucille Ball, and Robert H. Jackson were the first inductees into the Fenton Historical Society Hall of Fame.
1997 – A Westfield native residing in Albany became a father to quadruplets.
2000 – Findley Lake Library opened its doors.
May 30
1868 – The first Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) observance in the county was held in Sherman.
1896 – The "Phoenix Wheel" began operation in Celoron Park.
1930 – Bemus Point Casino held its formal grand opening.
1934 – Lighthouse Point Grocery opened.
1963 – A World War I "French 75" recoilless artillery unit was placed on the lawn of the Fenton Mansion in Jamestown—still there today.
2002 – The injured bald eagle “Liberty” arrived at the Jamestown Audubon Center in Kiantone. She lived there until her passing on October 18, 2022.
May 31
1889 – The Chadakoin Boat Club was organized. This marked the earliest known usage of the name "Chadakoin."
1919 – The Jamestown Rotary Club was founded.
1946 – Lightning struck the Fluvanna Fire Station.
1966 – Richard Nixon visited Jamestown to attend a fundraising dinner for Congressman Charles Goodell.
1985 – A destructive tornado swept through Clymer, Busti, Kiantone, Carroll, and Poland.
