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Retrospective

County history today

Sept. 21 — 1901 — Chautauqua County’s first automobile accident fatality occurred when Robert M. Johnson of Westfield lost his life. — 1907— The Minerva Free Library opened in Sherman, providing a vital resource to the community. — 1909 — A corporation was formed in Jamestown to manufacture Primus washing machines, bringing industrial growth to the region. — 1928 — The Jamestown Consistory of the Masonic Scottish Rite was chartered, continuing a long tradition of Masonic service in the community. — 1955 — The Fox Cottage, birthplace of ...

County history today

Sept. 20: — 1831 — A meeting in Jamestown advocated for a Southern Tier railroad, a dream that was realized on August 25, 1860. — 1898 — Groundbreaking for the Lake View Rose Gardens in West Ellicott took place, which became the largest greenhouse in the state.

County history today

Sept. 19: — 1858 — A controversial speech on women’s rights and the abolition of family and marriage drew a crowd of 5,000 in Kiantone. — -1865 — George Pullman, born in Brocton, was awarded a patent for his revolutionary folding upper berth, transforming rail travel. — 1873 — Warren and John Packard arrived in Lakewood, beginning the serious development of the area. — 1883 — Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show made its first appearance in Jamestown, bringing a taste of frontier life to the area. — 1924 — Lincoln Junior High School was formally opened ...

County history today

Sept. 18: — 1925 — The Busti Board established a lighting district, bringing electric service to the hamlet of Busti. — 2006 — The Dalai Lama of Tibet began a three-day visit to Buffalo, his nearest approach to Chautauqua County.

County history today

September 17: — 1922 — The Zion Mission Church old people’s home was dedicated in Frewsburg, later known as the Frewsburg Rest Home. — 1932 — The first reunion of Busti District 11 schoolgirls from the classes of 1899-1909 was held, later expanding to include all Busti Rural Schools. — 1944 — The first combat use of the Jamestown-developed drone bomb, the TDR-1, occurred in the Solomon Islands during World War II. — 1947 — Two diesel locomotives were put into service on the Jamestown, Westfield & Northwestern (J.W. & NW) Railroad, transitioning from the ...

County history today

Sept. 16 — 1813 — The first road survey through the hamlet of Busti, running north to south, marked an important step in regional development. — 1909 — Tree surgeons operated on the famous willow tree at Jamestown High School, a tree featured in the school’s Alma Mater. — 1966 — The Kinzua Dam was formally dedicated at 2:30 PM, marking a significant engineering achievement. — 1972 — The Busti Pioneer Crafts Festival began, one of the earliest craft festivals in the region, still celebrated today.