Discover the People, Places, and Stories That Shaped Our Region
This curated collection brings together documents, maps, biographies, databases, and historical accounts from across Chautauqua County. Whether you’re researching your family tree, diving into local lore, or studying our geologic past, this hub offers rich and reliable resources to explore our county's story.
🧭 Historical Overviews & Primary Sources
Wayne Leamer’s Extraction from Spencer’s Roster
A collection of names from Chautauqua County residents as featured in Alfred Spencer’s historical register.
View Resource »1808 Session Law Creating Chautauqua County
The legislative act that officially established Chautauqua County.
Read Document »Chautauqua Meaning and Origin
An in-depth explanation of the meaning and cultural origins behind the county’s name.
Learn More »Lafayette Reading List
Suggested readings about Lafayette’s 1824–25 visit to America, including his ties to Chautauqua County.
Explore List »New York's Last Public Hanging
In 1835, Joseph Damon became both Chautauqua County’s first convicted murderer and the last man publicly hanged in New York State—a grim spectacle that drew thousands and left behind rare trial records now preserved in county archives.
Learn More »Researching in Chautauqua County – Key Records
Chautauqua County offers a wide range of historical and genealogical records dating back to 1811.
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🧬 Indigenous & Prehistoric History
The Erie Indians: Myth and Fact
Charles Kolb’s essential article on the Erie people, Chautauqua’s last known pre-contact inhabitants.
Read Article »Chautauqua County Geology
A billion-year journey through the land’s geological evolution, with downloadable field guides from NYSGA.The Kakouagoga (Kahkwas): An Iroquoian Nation Lost in the Niagara Region
This rare study by James F. Pendergast explores the history of the Kakouagoga, or Kahkwas, an Iroquoian people destroyed in the 17th century near the Niagara frontier. Paired with John Kolb’s work on the Eries, it provides vital ethnohistoric context for understanding the Native peoples most relevant to Chautauqua County’s past. Though largely overlooked by both scholars and the public, these works stand as the best guides available for interpreting the region’s early history.
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🧑🤝🧑 People & Communities
Annie Oakley in Chautauqua Co.Court
A false 1903 report linking Annie Oakley to crime and drug use spread nationwide—including in Chautauqua County—leading the sharpshooter to wage years of libel battles to clear her name.
Learn More »Bicentennial Biographies
A celebratory publication highlighting notable residents across the county’s 200-year history.
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Listen Audio »Jamestown Swedes
A community-driven site documenting Swedish heritage and immigration to Jamestown.
Visit Site »Fredonia Grange #1
Born out of the devastation of the Civil War, the National Grange began in Fredonia in 1868 as the first local chapter of a movement to unite farmers, promote equality, and fight for rural rights.
Learn More »Douglas H. Shepard Collection
A legacy archive of one of the county's most respected researchers.
Explore Collection »Lois and Norwood Barris
Around 100 extractions of primary records, invaluable for genealogical research, originally published by the Chautauqua County Genealogical Society.
Learn More »Patrick Tyrrell and Lincoln's Body
Best remembered as the Secret Service detective who foiled a plot to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body, Patrick D. Tyrrell’s life was also marked by scandal—lawsuits, bigamy accusations, and family turmoil traced back to his years in Chautauqua County.
Learn More »Tempered Vines
After the Civil War, Thomas Welch, a staunch Methodist and temperance advocate, set out to produce a grape product that would be the "fruit of the vine instead of the cup of the devil"-and built a multi-million-dollar company in the process.
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🚂 Transportation & Infrastructure
Trolley 98 Restoration Project
Follow the revival of a historic Jamestown streetcar and its place in local transportation history.
Visit Site »Historical County Structure Database
Interactive map and data showing how the county’s built environment evolved over time.
Explore Database »Things to Notice in an Old Building
A guide to reading the history written into Chautauqua’s architecture.
Read More »
✊ Abolition & Civil Rights
Underground Railroad in Chautauqua County
Discover our local ties to the Underground Railroad and anti-slavery resistance.
Explore Site »Anti-Slavery Activists Map
An interactive map showcasing local abolitionists and safe houses.
View Map »
🏛️ Records & Genealogy
Vital Records Index (WNYGS)
Births, deaths, marriages, and more—vital statistics for family history research.
Search Index »Church Records
Browse historical church registers maintained in the county’s archives.
View Records »Cemetery Directory
Explore county burial records by cemetery.
Search Directory »Libraries
Find local libraries and historical archives throughout the region.
Browse Libraries »Chautauqua GenWeb Project
Grassroots genealogical work covering local records and family histories.
Visit GenWeb »
🗺️ Places of Interest
Chautauqua County Poor Farm and the Emigrant Train
Hopes were high in western New York in the midnineteenth century when the New York and Erie Railroad came through. But the train brought what none of its backers-or its passengers-bargained on.
Learn More »Historical Markers Map
Discover where key events happened through this database of state and local markers.
View Map »Museums & Local Historical Societies
A guide to places that preserve and promote Chautauqua’s heritage.
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🎶 The Sound of Chautauqua: Music Through the Ages
The Earliest Music in Chautauqua County
On New Year’s Day 1816, pioneers in Chautauqua County gathered for ox-sled rides, feasts, fiddling, and all-night dancing—leaving behind rare accounts of the songs and ballads they cherished, from jigs and reels to centuries-old folk tales set to music.
Learn More »The Dulcimer
In the 1850s, Chautauqua County became a national hub for hammered dulcimer making, with thousands crafted in local workshops—and musicians like Jesse R. Martin later carried its lively sound from pioneer dances to Henry Ford’s ballrooms and beyond.
Learn More »Fisk Jubilee Singers Perform in Jamestown, 1871
On their first tour, the Fisk Jubilee Singers brought powerful spirituals to Jamestown, drawing packed crowds and making history.
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🎥 Media & Exhibits
Video Library
Watch recorded lectures, interviews, and mini-documentaries on county history.
Browse Videos »WWI Exhibit – NYS Archives
A look at how Chautauqua County contributed to the Great War.
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🔍 External Collaborations
Western New York Historian Project
Part of a broader effort to document county historians and local archives in WNY.
Explore Project »
