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Retrospective

Today in county history

August 2: — 1882: The H. C. Sturdevant Post 282 of the Grand Army of the Republic was chartered, the first in Chautauqua County. — 1889: The first Grange Day at Chautauqua Institution was celebrated, highlighting agricultural traditions. — 1894: The Allen Opera House burned down again at 9:10 PM in Jamestown, a repeated misfortune for the community (later rebuilt). — 1956: Cora Gillis, on the second floor of the Fenton Mansion in Jamestown, closed the books on the Grand Army of the Republic after the last Civil War veteran died. — 1977: The Chautauqua County Genealogical ...

Today in county history

August 1: — 1863: The Jamestown Union School Board of Education was organized, setting the foundation for the town’s educational system. — 1879: The Chautauqua Institution was connected to Mayville by telegraph just before this date, improving communication. — 1879: Chapin Hall of Busti hired Clarence Gifford to install the first telephone and line in Busti to his business in Jamestown, completed by this date. — 1881: The Allen Opera House in Jamestown burned down, a significant loss for the local arts community. — 1915: The Lakewood Volunteer Fire Department took ...

Retrospective

Thirty years ago — 1994 Jeff Delcamp, formerly of Silver Creek, has retired after a 20-year career in the United States Navy. He served from Vietnam to Desert Storm, as well as athree-year Navy recruiting tour in Florida. Mr. Delcamp is now residing in Forestville with his wife, Christina (Kaminski) of Forestville and their two sons, Brandon, 13, and Timothy, 8. Forty years ago — 1984 New owners of the historic Revere Inn Restaurant in downtown Silver Creek are serving their customers with nearly 50 years combined experience behind them. Patricia Garcia and Dave Murphy are ...

Retrospective

Thirty years ago — 1994 If you received a Harris Seed Catalog for 1994, you may recognize the people on the cover. They are a local couple, Kenneth and Joette Urbanik Abbey. He is from Cherry Creek and she is from Bemus Point. The picture on the seed catalog shows them, along with their neighbor’s girls, in the Abbey’s backyard gardens on Chestnut Drive in Rochester. The girls are Darcy and Ainslie Chamberlin. Their father, Dick Chamberlin, asked the Abbeys if he could have the privilege of using their gardens to place on the cover of the 1994 catalog. Mr. Chamberlin is president ...

Retrospective

Thirty years ago — 1994 Busti-Lakewood Police Lt. John R. Bentley II, eldest son of the late Chautauqua County Sheriff, has accepted the Republican nomination for the job his late father held for more than 20 years. Although he had initially declined to be a candidate soon after his father’s death, the abrupt withdrawal of Republican candidate Lt. John Runkle from the race changed the whole situation. Forty years ago — 1984 The lucky grand prize winners at the grand opening of the new Tops Friendly Market on Vineyard Drive in Dunkirk were Mr. and Mrs. Warren Beyer and family ...

Retrospective

Thirty years ago — 1994 The Cardinal Mindszenty Alumni Association held an organizational meeting recently at the home of Peter and Pauline Zaccari. The agenda of the meeting consisted of discussion about reopening a Catholic high school in Chautauqua County. Letters will be sent to all interested alumni and a fundraising campaign will begin. Information booths will be set up at the Northern Chautauqua Catholic School Summerfest and Alumni T-shirts will be sold. An open meeting will take place Sept. 2 at the Newman Center at which time committee chairmen will be chosen. Forty years ...