(Seal of Chautauqua County displayed at the New York World's Fair 1939-1940.)
Research by Norman Carlson, Chautauqua County Historian
As summer winds down, this final edition of our “This Week in History” series offers a fascinating glimpse into the people, places, and moments that shaped Chautauqua County in mid-August—from presidential visits to natural disasters and community celebrations. Spanning nearly 250 years, these stories reflect a rich local legacy of innovation, resilience, and transformation.
August 10
1950 – Cornerstone laid for the new First Methodist Church in Jamestown. Completed in 1959, it later merged into Christ First United Methodist Church on May 26, 1996.
1983 – Two arrows were discovered embedded in the large fiberglass Indian statue in Brooklyn Square, Jamestown. The statue is now at Big Indian Smoke Shop in Irving.
1984 – Former President Gerald Ford arrived at the Jamestown airport.
1989 – Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins appeared at Chautauqua Institution.
2004 – Yolanda Bindix disappeared; her skeleton was found on September 9, 2006, in Jamestown. The case remains unsolved.
August 11
1826 – Stockton post office was established.
1857 – Mowing machines were in use and for sale in Busti. Alvin Bullock of Busti had patented a version 15 years earlier.
1876 – Jamestown Lodge No. 34, Ancient Order of United Workmen, was organized.
1893 – Fredonia Union School was organized.
1898 – Four stores were burglarized in Cherry Creek.
1905 – President Theodore Roosevelt visited Chautauqua Institution for the fourth and final time.
1959 – First jet aircraft (Air Force T-33) landed at the Jamestown airport.
2002 – Forest Research Laboratory in Irvine, Pennsylvania was burned down in an act of arson, claimed by ecology extremists.
2014 – Phil Donahue returned to Chautauqua Institution; Jay Leno also visited Jamestown the same day.
August 12
1925 – Farman Free Library opened in Ellington.
1929 – Earthquake in Attica was felt throughout the region.
1940 – Regular airmail service was inaugurated in Jamestown.
1963 – Kinzua Bridge State Park was formed in Pennsylvania.
August 13
1834 – Philip Phillips, a world-renowned gospel singer known as the "singing pilgrim," was born in Cassadaga.
1924 – Sherman Street Grammar School became Jefferson Junior High School in Jamestown.
1984 – Wine coolers went on sale in New York State after a lengthy debate.
1993 – First day of the Balloon Rally at Lakewood.
1999 – Seatbelts became mandatory on local school buses.
August 14
1822 – Ashville (then "Harmony") post office was established.
1858 – In Busti, a public contest was held between mowers invented by Oren Stoddard and Alvin Bullock.
1871 – Steamer Chautauqua exploded at Whitney’s Bay, killing eight—marking the worst disaster in Chautauqua Lake’s history.
1875 – President Ulysses S. Grant visited Chautauqua Institution.
1889 – Jamestown Business College was incorporated. It ceased instruction on February 28, 2025.
1936 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered an address at Chautauqua Institution.
1946 – The Busti panther scare began.
1954 – WGRZ-TV (Channel 2) began broadcasting from Buffalo.
1993 – First Harmony Historical Festival took place in Blockville.
1996 – Dedication of the Robert H. Jackson statue in Jamestown.
1997 – First meeting of the Chautauqua County Reptile Society held at Bethel Lutheran Church, Falconer.
1999 – First Babe Ruth 12-and-under softball World Series began in Jamestown.
2002 – New Jamestown ice rink was used for the first time at 2:30 PM.
August 15
1779 – A Revolutionary War skirmish occurred in Warren County, PA—the closest known military action to Chautauqua County.
1833 – The Ellington Christian Church was raised.
1846 – A school celebration in Ellery drew 2,000 attendees.
1848 – Oren Stoddard of Busti patented a self-protecting beehive to ward off moth infestations.
1877 – The white handkerchief salute tradition began at Chautauqua Institution.
1889 – Land was purchased for the Jamestown Driving Park.
1900 – First Rural Free Delivery (RFD) mail service began from Jamestown.
1953 – Radar speed gun was demonstrated for the first time in Mayville.
August 16
1889 – A serious fire broke out in Cherry Creek.
1902 – The Hotel De Celoron, which opened in 1893, was destroyed by fire.
1912 – William Jennings Bryan spoke at Chautauqua Institution for the second and final time.
1955 – Experiments began with chemical weed control in Chautauqua Lake (exact date uncertain).
1961 – First annual WCA "Country Capers" held at Southwestern Central School.
1993 – "Lap riot" occurred in Mayville.
2023 – Movie theaters at Chautauqua Mall closed permanently.
This marks the final edition of our This Week in History series. Thank you for joining us throughout the year as we uncovered Chautauqua County's vibrant past. To revisit or explore more entries, visit the County Historian’s full archive at: 🔗 chautauquacountyny.gov/county-historian/county-historian
