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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
 

Community Listings

January 22, 2009
 

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
 

Government Directory

January 22, 2009
 

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
 

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
 
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