(Seal of Chautauqua County displayed at the New York World's Fair 1939-1940.)
Research by Norman Carlson, Chautauqua County Historian
From presidential visits and groundbreaking ceremonies to major fires, Olympic gold, and the launch of iconic institutions—this week in Chautauqua County history showcases the county's remarkable diversity in culture, achievement, and community moments. Let’s explore what happened day by day through the years:
August 3
1860 – Elisha Baker of Poland reported a wheat yield of 30 bushels per acre.
1885 – The first Swedish Day celebration took place at Chautauqua Institution.
1894 – Fire gutted the Allen Opera House in Jamestown.
1925 – The cornerstone was laid for the First Presbyterian Church in Jamestown.
1956 – The village of Ashville was absorbed into the Panama Central School District.
August 4
1874 – First day of the First Sunday School Assembly, which eventually evolved into Chautauqua Institution.
1897 – Cherry Creek Union Free School was organized.
1899 – At 9:00 AM, a 2-ounce hailstone with an 8-inch circumference fell in Jamestown.
1909 – The Cattaraugus County Volunteer Firemen’s Association expanded to include Chautauqua and Erie Counties, becoming the Southwestern Association of Volunteer Firemen of New York.
1979 – A 10:30 AM wedding was held aboard the Bemus Point–Stow Ferry.
2003 – A Jewish circumcision ceremony was held at Chautauqua Institution.
August 5
1846 – The ship Virginia docked in New York City, carrying the first Swedes who would later settle in this region.
1875 – The steamboat May Martin, the only vessel to serve downtown Jamestown, made its first regular run.
1887 – The Lakeside School of New Theology opened its second season at Bemus Point. The first season was held in Lakewood.
1896 – Susan B. Anthony visited Lily Dale.
1972 – Ground was broken for the Fifth Street high-rise apartments in Jamestown.
1972 – The Portage Trail was reopened and dedicated, sponsored by the Boy Scouts. It is now closed.
2000 – The Lily Dale Fine Arts Council held its final free concert at the Stage Door Canteen.
August 6
1880 – The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church was founded in Frewsburg by 30 congregants.
1965 – Senator Robert F. Kennedy held a press conference at Chautauqua Institution.
1994 – Kristina Damond, age 12, of Jamestown, won the stock car division of the Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.
2011 – An excursion train made a stop in Jamestown.
2012 – Jennifer Suhr of Fredonia won Olympic gold in the pole vault at the London Summer Games.
August 7
1679 – The voyage of Le Griffon on Lake Erie possibly passed within sight of Chautauqua County's shore.
1867 – The cornerstone for the Fredonia Normal School (a teacher’s college) was laid.
1869 – A solar eclipse was celebrated across Chautauqua County.
1880 – President James A. Garfield visited Chautauqua Institution.
1880 – The first Lily Dale meeting was held.
1889 – The first two women were elected to the Jamestown school board under a new state law.
1893 – Hotel De Celoron opened. (It burned down on August 16, 1902.)
1898 – Lakewood’s United Brethren Church was dedicated.
1911 – The Norden Club was formed in Jamestown.
1920 – The first patient was admitted to Newton Memorial Tuberculosis Hospital in Cassadaga—now the site of the Job Corps Center.
1930 – The Jamestown Spiders defeated the Boston Braves 3–0 in an exhibition baseball game at Celoron.
1971 – The first organized volunteer work began at the historic Busti Mill.
2006 – The 70-room Hampton Hotel officially opened in Ellicott.
August 8
1822 – Civil War general and future California governor George Stoneman was born in Lakewood.
1858 – William Hood, Chautauqua County’s last Revolutionary War veteran, died in Pomfret.
1924 – Rev. Harry White addressed a Ku Klux Klan gathering at the old Jamestown City Building.
1995 – Chautauqua County's first laser light show was held at Midway Park.
2000 – West Nile virus was first detected in Chautauqua County.
2011 – A blimp was sighted at Dunkirk Airport.
August 9
1825 – The Holland Land Company donated 25 acres each to Kiantone Congregational Church and Jamestown Methodist Church.
1841 – The steamboat Erie caught fire and sank off Silver Creek, killing 240 people—the worst disaster in Chautauqua County history.
1872 – Over 1,000 Swedes gathered for a picnic in Lakewood.
1878 – The Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC) was formed.
1886 – The School of New Theology concluded its first season at Lakewood. It moved to Bemus Point the following year.
1898 – The Gowanda State Homeopathic Hospital opened. It later became a major regional mental institution.
1944 – Jamestown Telephone Company acquired the Ashville and Panama Telephone and Telegraph Corporation.
1961 – The Ogden chain of Wheeling, West Virginia, purchased the Jamestown Post-Journal.
1980 – The first game of the inaugural Babe Ruth League World Series for 13-year-olds was played in Jamestown.
