(Seal of Chautauqua County displayed at the New York World's Fair 1939-1940.)
Research by Norman Carlson, Chautauqua County Historian
From steamboats and street paving to wild west shows and moon rocks, the week of June 22–28 has seen pivotal moments across Chautauqua County. Here’s a day-by-day look at the milestones that made their mark:
June 22
- 1818 – Lawson Road in Busti was surveyed and laid out by Thomas Bemus.
- 1871 – The first passenger train ran over the Dunkirk, Warren & Pittsburgh Railroad, from Dunkirk to Falconer.
- 1880 – The Erie Railroad converted its track from six-foot gauge to standard gauge (4' 8½").
- 1898 – The Patti-Sands murder occurred in Ripley.
- 1937 – Final passenger train on the Dunkirk, Allegany Valley & Pittsburgh Railroad.
- 1967 – Chautauqua County’s Conservative Party was formally organized.
June 23
- 1827 – Congregational Church of Sherman was organized.
- 1894 – First paving brick laid on Jamestown streets.
- 1913 – The Hundred Acre Lot Association (later known as the School Park Association) was formed in Jamestown.
- 1914 – Lakewood Methodist Church was destroyed by fire.
- 1915 – The last "Old Time Mid-Summer Festival" by the Singing Society Lyrian took place at the Old Cricket Grounds, Jamestown.
- 1928 – Busti mill dam was washed out.
- 1956 – Lillian Dickson Elementary School (No. 10) on Falconer Street, Jamestown, closed. (Opened in 1892.)
- 1963 – Den Adelsman’s Klub (a Masonic organization) was formally dedicated.
- 1972 – Provisional charter granted for the Busti Historical Society.
- 1974 – Jennie Vimmerstedt Swedish Heritage Room dedicated at the Fenton Historical Society.
- 2010 – Earthquake shook Jamestown; City Hall was evacuated.
- 2011 – WJOC-WKSN radio tower on 4th Street, Jamestown, was taken down.
June 24
- 1818 – The Chautauqua County Medical Society was organized in Mayville.
- 1953 – Cornerstone laid for the Southwestern Central School building.
- 1986 – The abandoned Jamestown Worsted Mill on Harrison Street burned.
- 1989 – Cherry Creek Depot opened as a gift shop.
- 2002 – A new radio tower for WJTN was erected in West Ellicott.
- 2010 – La Scala’s restaurant reopened in Fluvanna.
- 2013 – A moon rock was displayed at Chautauqua Institution.
June 25
- 1811 – Ferry license granted for Bemus Point–Stow crossing.
- 1830 – Busti Baptist Church declared Christianity and Freemasonry incompatible, aligning with broader anti-Masonic sentiment of the era (e.g., The Morgan Affair).
- 1895 – Steamboat Eauclair launched on Findley Lake.
- 1910 – Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show performed in Jamestown.
- 1932 – Ted Weems and his orchestra played at the Bemus Point Casino.
- 1985 – First Chautauqua–Soviet exchange began.
- 1994 – Garrison Keillor broadcast A Prairie Home Companion live from Chautauqua Institution.
- 1996 – Final day of the last Chautauqua Lake Crappiethon (the first was held April 30, 1988).
- 1998 – The Summer Wind excursion boat arrived on Chautauqua Lake.
June 26
- 1867 – First Crosscut Railroad train passed through Chautauqua County, stopping in Mayville at 9 AM and continuing to Brocton.
- 1880 – The remains of James and Agnes Prendergast were moved from Prendergast Cemetery (Chautauqua) to Lake View Cemetery in Jamestown.
- 1983 – Groundbreaking held for the new Busti Church of God.
- 1998 – McDonald’s opened a new restaurant in Westfield.
- 2002 – Farewell ceremonies held at Celoron and Lakewood schools.
June 27
- 1888 – Lily Dale post office was established.
- 1898 – A towel factory was established in Jamestown.
- 1938 – Voters approved creation of Chautauqua Central School.
- 1976 – Grave markers unveiled for Revolutionary War veterans Ebenezer Cheney and Asa Moore at Maple Grove Cemetery, Kiantone.
- 1999 – Final edition of the evening Post-Journal published; switched to a morning format.
June 28
- 1847 – Clymer Hill Reformed Church was organized.
- 1867 – A rally for the Good Templars and Sons of Temperance at Bemus Point drew nearly 4,000 attendees.
- 1901 – Wooglin on Chautauqua Lake was destroyed by fire from a lightning strike.
- 1932 – Camp Merz was donated to the Boy Scouts.
- 1936 – Thousands gathered at Lily Dale for a Townsend Plan meeting, promoting a proposed $200 monthly stipend for citizens over 60—if spent within the month.
- 1939 – The Sportsman’s Club building on Chautauqua Lake burned at 6 PM.
- 1991 – Ronald Kohl’s 20-inch telescope became operational in Busti. It could observe galaxies nearly 2 billion light years away. (Now housed at Martz Observatory in Carroll.)
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