Thirty years ago — 1994

A McDonald’s fast food restaurant will be locating in the village of Gowanda. The restaurant chain is in the process of designing a facility at the corner location of Sand Hill Road (Rte. 62) and Buffalo Street. The restaurant will seat 50 persons and provide for 42 parking spaces. Gowanda Mayor Donald Lazar said plans are for construction to begin in May.

Forty years ago — 1984

The Collins Pumpkin Festival is credited with having a positive effect on programming at nearby Collins Correctional Facility. The two units of the prison complex, soon to be the second-largest medium security facility in the state, provide enough interest that the prison employs a full-time horticulturist, Kevin Kallin. He teaches two full-time courses, three hours each, to eight to nine inmates interested in growing things. They are in the process of adding a small greenhouse. It started with last year’s pumpkin festival. Collins Correctional inmates grew 35 pumpkins, the largest weighing 249 pounds.

Fifty years ago — 1974

The building between St. Mary’s School and Rosing’s department store on East Fourth Street, Dunkirk, former home of Ann’s News and Greyhound Bus Terminal, Bert Roan Kitchens and Mimi’s FabricCenter, is being razed today by a crew from the Ray Burgun Trucking Co. of Brocton.