Archive

Laona & Lily Dale: The Rise of the Chautauqua Spiritualists

The birth of Spiritualism is traced to the Fox sisters of Hydesville, NY in the 1840s. But a community devoted to this unique religion developed in Chautauqua County and remains vibrant today.

Buffalo Steam Yachts of the Gilded Age

Steam yachts provided Buffalo’s wealthy with a fashionable means of racing, cruising—or even commuting to work! Here we take a look at a number of these luxury craft and the men who owned them.

Women’s “Banner County”: Chautauqua County and the Suffrage Movement

In the late 1800s, crusaders in Chautauqua County led a movement by launching the state’s first county suffrage association, influencing public sentiment and hosting several highly attended pro-suffrage events.

The Long Road to Freedom

The experiences of Eugene Hegedüs, who came to this region as a refugee after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, shed light on the history of the local Piarist Fathers, the Calasanctius School and the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Graycliff estate.

Old Photo Album: The Erie Railroad in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties

Travel across Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, and explore the long history of the Erie Railroad.

Dr. Welch’s Unfermented Wine

In a follow-up to his Fall 2010 feature, John Thomas Slater reveals how a Chautauqua County-based company developed Welch’s Grape Juice and brought it to the masses.

Vaudeville, Vacancy and Restoration: A History of the Hollywood Theater in Gowanda

In the 1920s, a fire ravaged Gowanda and left only a pile of rubble where its grand Opera House once stood. The community was devastated, but a local businessman was waiting in the wings to construct its next great movie playhouse.

Old Photo Album: Winter in Chautauqua County

The Fenton History Center provides a series of images from the early-1900s showing winter life in Jamestown and Chautauqua County.

Western New York Heritage

The Archive