Community Directory
Arkwright — Est. 1849
January 22, 2009
The town of Arkwright sits atop rolling hills that provide a wide vista of rural landscapes and unbroken views of Lake Erie. It was named for Sir Richard Arkwright, the inventor of a spinning machine » Full Story
Brocton — Est. 1867
January 22, 2009
The village of Brocton is well known for its historic double green metal arches that span the village’s four corners. The arches were built in 1913 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the village’s » Full Story
Busti — Est. 1823
January 22, 2009
The town of Busti was organized from Ellicott and Harmony, April 16, 1823, and named for Paul Busti, general agent of the Holland Land Company. Busti was general agent and sole director from 1799 to » Full Story
Carroll — Est. 1825
January 22, 2009
Carroll, located in the extreme southeast part of Chautauqua County, was incorporated in 1825 from the town of Ellicott, and was named in honor of Charles Carroll of Carrolton, a signer of the Declar » Full Story
Cassadaga
January 22, 2009
According to local history, Cassadaga’s name comes from a Native American word meaning ’’under the rocks.’’ Cassadaga’s late historian Record Barris, who held a lifelong interest and love of Native A » Full Story
Celoron
January 22, 2009
Celoron, an incorporated village in Ellicott, was once best known for the Celoron Amusement Company and its status as a lake landing for steamships. In September 1893, the Broadhead family purchased » Full Story
Charlotte — Est. 1809
January 22, 2009
The origins of the town of Charlotte go back to 1809 when the first settlement was established on a northwestern tract of the town by John and Daniel Pickett, Arva O. Austin, Abel Pryor and John and T » Full Story
Chautauqua/Mayville — Est. 1804
January 22, 2009
The town of Chautauqua was created on April 11, 1804, after William Peacock was sent to survey the area by the Holland Land Company. Dr. Alexander McIntyre became Mayville’s first settler in 1804 when » Full Story
Cherry Creek — Est. 1829
January 22, 2009
The town of Cherry Creek, situated in the northern and eastern part of the county, was set off from the town of Ellington on May 4, 1829. When Joshua Bentley Jr., found the center of the new town to » Full Story
Clymer — Est. 1829
January 22, 2009
The Town of Clymer was established in 1829 from a division of the Town of Chautauqua. The town is named after George Clymer, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. As of the census of 2000, the » Full Story
Dunkirk — Est. 1805
January 22, 2009
The city of Dunkirk was incorporated as a city in 1880, after being settled around 1805 and incorporated as a village in 1837 in the town of Pomfret, until 1859 when a separate town of Dunkirk was for » Full Story
Ellery/Bemus Point — Est. 1808
January 22, 2009
For about 12 miles of its length, the eastern shore of Chautauqua Lake forms the southwester boundary of Ellery. The 12 miles of lake form the most valuable land in the town, the entire distance larg » Full Story
Ellicott — Est. 1812
January 22, 2009
Ellicott, formed from Pomfret on June 1, 1812, received its name in compliment to Joseph Ellicott, who was connected with the Holland Land Company. The town originally included Poland, Carroll, Kiant » Full Story
Ellington — Est. 1814
January 22, 2009
The town of Ellington is a 22,000-acre tract on the eastern border of Chautauqua County that was formed after separating from the town of Gerry in 1824. It is originally named for Ellington, Conn. J » Full Story
Falconer — Est. 1840
January 22, 2009
Falconer is an incorporated village within Ellicott, located on level ground, surrounded by farming country. Robert Falconer, the first of that family, was a Scotchman who after a prosperous business » Full Story
Forestville — Est. 1808
January 22, 2009
In 1808, Jehiel Moore founded Walnut Falls and built a cabin and saw mill on Walnut Creek near the falls. In 1809 he brought his family and erected a grist mill near the saw mill. The village was la » Full Story
Fredonia — Est. 1804
January 22, 2009
Fredonia was first settled in 1804. In 1821, William Hart dug the first successful gas well in what is now the village of Fredonia. It supplied enough natural gas for lights in two stores, two shops a » Full Story
French Creek — Est. 1804
January 22, 2009
The Town of French Creek covers an area of 21,832 acres, was formed from Clymer on April 23, 1829. The town is cut up into three valleys by the creeks that drain them, and it is this valley section th » Full Story
Gerry — Est. 1812
January 22, 2009
Gerry was formed from Pomfret on June 1, 1812, and was named after Elbridge Gerry, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a vice president. It lies in the southeast corner of the county an » Full Story
Hamlet Of Kennedy History
January 22, 2009
The first settlement in southern Chautauqua was at Kennedy. Dr. Thomas Kennedy in 1804 built the first sawmill there on the Conewango River.
On August 1, 1807, Dr. Thomas R. Kennedy and Ed » Full Story
On August 1, 1807, Dr. Thomas R. Kennedy and Ed » Full Story
Hanover — Est. 1812
January 22, 2009
The area of present-day Hanover supported a large Native American settlement — concentrated around Cattaraugus, Silver and Walnut creeks — long before the township actually came into existence. The f » Full Story
Harmony — Est. 1816
January 22, 2009
Harmony was taken from Chautauqua on February 14, 1816, and included parts of Busti until 1823 and parts of North Harmony until the early 1900s. It’s a hilly area, with much of its farmland historic » Full Story
Jamestown — Est. 1806
January 22, 2009
The first man to seriously consider the place now Jamestown as a possible site for settlement was James Prendergast, and it is from him the city takes its name. The members of the Prendergast family w » Full Story
Kiantone — Est. 1807
January 22, 2009
Kiantone was first settled by Joseph L. Akin, who came from Rensselaer County in Eastern New York, in 1807. The area consisted of about 11,228 acres, or 17.5 square miles. Not long after Akin came to » Full Story
Lakewood — Est. 1870
January 22, 2009
Lakewood, which is in the northern end of Busti, began with the consolidation of several farms, all originally part of the Holland Land Company. The village extends along the shore of Chautauqua Lake » Full Story
Mina — Est. 1824
January 22, 2009
The Town of Mina covers an area of 22,028 acres, and was formed from Clymer on March 23, 1824, and included Sherman until 1832. The town is favorably known for its beautiful lake, Findley, being the s » Full Story
Poland — Est. 1832
January 22, 2009
Poland, lying between Carroll and Ellington and directly east of Ellicott, was formed from the town of Ellicott on April 9, 1832. It was originally covered with large pine forests that originally attr » Full Story
Pomfret — Est. 1805
January 22, 2009
The first settler, Zattu Cushing, came to Pomfret in February 1805 to set up his household. Cushing came here to settle because he had passed through the area a few years earlier on his way home from » Full Story
Portland — Est. 1804
January 22, 2009
Acres of land in the town of Portland are covered with grape vineyards.. During the fall months, when the grapes have ripened and before they are harvested, their sweet smell hangs heavy over the com » Full Story
Ripley — Est. 1802
January 22, 2009
The first settler in Ripley, Alexander Cochran, came from Ireland in 1802 and made his land purchase official two years later. Five generations later, his descendant, A. James Cochrane, still owns som » Full Story
Sheridan — Est. 1802
January 22, 2009
In 1802, General Edward Paine had a rough road cleared along the path U.S. Route 20 now takes through present-day Sheridan. Paine’s road became known as Erie Road and served as a main highway to the N » Full Story
Sherman — Est. 1832
January 22, 2009
The Town of Sherman was formed April 7, 1832, from Mina, and has an area of 36 square miles. The first of the settlers was Dearing Dorman and near relatives, who came in 1823. The region was well wood » Full Story
Silver Creek — Est. 1826
January 22, 2009
Silver Creek began as a small milling town when settlers Abel Cleveland, David Dickinson and John E. Howard arrived from Massachusetts with their families in 1803. More than 600 acres of land was purc » Full Story
Sinclairville — Est. 1809
January 22, 2009
The village of Sinclairville, was originally named Sinclearvile in honor of Major Samuel Sinclear, one of the town of Charlotte’s earliest settlers. In 1809, Sinclear purchased a lot in an area that i » Full Story
Stockton — Est. 1821
January 22, 2009
The town of Stockton and the village of Cassadaga — which is part of the town — share similar histories. Today, for the most part, the communities have joined the bedroom settlements that make up a g » Full Story
Villenova — Est. 1809
January 22, 2009
Villenova was first settled around 1809. The town of Villenova was formed from part of the town of Hanover in 1823. The town of Hanover was formed in 1812 from part of the town of Pomfret. The size of » Full Story
Westfield — Est. 1802
January 22, 2009
Westfield was first settled in 1802 and is considered the first permanent settlement in Chautauqua County. The McMahan family established the settlement. The Village of Westfield was incorporated in » Full Story
