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Retrospective

County history this week

January 13 — 1838: Seven prisoners escaped from the Chautauqua County jail in Mayville during the night. — 1872: The Dunkirk Library Association was formed, fostering literacy and education in the region. January 14 — 1925: Early graves were discovered on West 7th Street in Jamestown, remnants of a cemetery thought to have been relocated in the 1870s. — 1929: A dynamite bomb exploded in a restroom at City Hall in Jamestown. — 2000: The Green Party of Chautauqua County held its first meeting, though no branch currently exists.

County history this week

January 5: --- 1970: The last regular passenger train passed through Jamestown, marking the end of an era for rail travel in the region. --- 1987: The demolition of the St. Elmo Hotel at Chautauqua Institution began, a significant change for the area’s historic landscape. --- 2007: Darl Redlecki of Sherman set a remarkable record by putting out 1,200 maple taps, an early start to the sugaring season that year. January 6: — 1838: The Indian war panic spread across Ellington and neighboring towns, leading to widespread alarm. It turned out to be one of the largest comedic ...

County history this week

Dec. 25 — 1808: Joseph Thayer, the first person to drown in Chautauqua Lake, marks an early tragedy in the area’s history. Dec. 26 — 1897: The Dunkirk Post Office was robbed, one of the many criminal incidents that punctuated the county’s history. Dec. 27 — 1817: The Universalist Society of Ellicott was organized, contributing to the area’s early religious movements. — 1924: The first radio station in the county, 8 DIS (later WJTN), went on the air, revolutionizing the way information and entertainment were shared in Chautauqua County. Dec. 28 — 1854: Susan ...

County history this week

December 15 — 1873: Fredonia women took a stand against alcohol, marching to close saloons in a movement that would help birth the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, a pivotal force in the temperance movement nationwide. — 1893: A tragic rail accident near Dunkirk claimed five lives, marking a somber chapter in local transportation history. — 1947: Frewsburg consolidated its schools, forming the Frewsburg Central School District. December 16 — 1786: An agreement between New York and Massachusetts settled territorial claims over western New York, a significant step in ...

Retrospective

December 14: — 1900 — The Jamestown High School debate team, known as the Lyceum, held its first debate in Dunkirk, fostering a tradition of academic competition. — 1900 — The Fredonia Normal School was destroyed by fire, a tragic event that claimed seven lives.

County history today

December 13 — 1996: The closure of 4 in 1 Screwdrivers marked the end of Jamestown’s hand tool manufacturing industry.