Chautauqua County

Historic Markers

Below are the original Department of Educations Markers.
If you have every driven past these markers on the side of the road, you may wonder what they say!
Click on links for available photos.

Return to Chautauqua County Gen Web page.

Town of ARKWRIGHT

FIRST
OIL WELL
IN ARKWRIGHT WAS
ERECTED ON THIS SITE
ABOUT 1840

Location: ON CO. RD. ABOUT 2 MIS. S. OF FORESTVILLE

FIRST CHEESE
FACTORY
IN CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY
ERECTED HERE IN 1861 BY
ASAHEL BURNHAM

Location: ON CO. RD. AT GRISWOLD

Town of CARROLL

FREW HOUSE
FIRST HOUSE ERECTED IN
FEWSBURG. BUILT 1807 BY
HUGH AND MARY R. FREW.

Location: ON NYS 60 AT KIANTONE-CARROLL TOWN LINE [2]

HOME OF
JAMES AND MARY W. FREW
BUILT 1821

Location: ON NYS 60 IN FREWSBURG

HOME OF
JAMES AND MARY W. FREW
BUILT 1821

Location: ON NYS 60 IN FREWSBURG

Town of CHAUTAUQUA

DONALD MACKENZIE
BORN IN SCOTLAND 1783
DIED IN MAYVILLE 1851
AT ONE TIME PARTNER OF
JOHN JACOB ASTOR IN
PACIFIC FUR CO.

Location: ON NYS 430 IN VLGE. OF MAYVILLE

[Taken by Randall Burt, 4/03]

FIRST COURTS
WERE HELD IN THIS COUNTY
IN 1811 - 12 - 13 IN A SMALL
TWO-STORY PLANK HOUSE
BUILT HERE FOR THE PURPOSE

Location: ON NYS 17, VLGE. OF MAYVILLE

[Taken by Bonnie Kidder, 6/11/01}

FIRST SETTLER
ON CHAUTAUQUA LAKE WAS
DR. ALEXANDER MCINTYRE
WHO ERECTED HERE HIS LOG
CABIN AND STOCKADE

Location: ON NYS 17J IN VLGE. OF MAYVILLE

[Taken by Randall Burt, 4/03]

LAND OFFICE
HERE IN 1810 WILLAIM PEACOCK,
LOCAL AGENT OF HOLLAND LAND
CO. BUILT HIS CABIN AND OFFICE
OF LOGS. HE SERVED 26 YEARS

Location: ON NYS 17 IN VLGE. OF MAYVILLE

[Taken by Bonnie Kidder, 6/11/01}

Plaque on Vault
[Taken by Randall Burt, 4/03]

MACKENZIE HOME
HERE IN 1833 DONALD
MACKENZIE, FAMOUS IN
"NORTH WEST" FUR TRADE
BUILT HIS DWELLING

Location: LOCATED AT REAR OF MAYVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

PIONEER HOME
JUNE, 1806 WILLIAM AND
MEHITABLE WING PENDERGAST
AND FAMILY SETTLED IN A LOG
HOUSE. SONS NOTABLE IN
COUNTY HISTORY

Location: ON CO. RD. 2 MIS. S. CHAUTAUQUA

[Taken by Randall Burt, 6/03]

SITE OF
SCOTT TAVERN
FIRST BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
MET HERE. SEVERAL OF THE
EARLY COURTS WERE HELD HERE

Location: ON NYS 17J, VLGE. OF MAYVILLE

[Taken by Randall Burt, 4/03]

TOURGEE HOME
HERE FROM 1881 TO 1900
LIVED JUDGE ALBION W.
TOURGEE - SOLDIER, AUTHOR
AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE

Location: On NYS 17J, Village of Mayville

[Taken by Randall Burt, 4/03]

Town of ELLICOTT

NATHAN BROWN
IN 1850'S BUILT FLAT BOATS
LOADED WITH JAMESTOWN
"YANKEE NOTIONS:, SET OUT
FOR SOUTH. FOR YEARS BOATS
TOOK LADING HERE.

Location: ON NYS 17 AT LEVANT

Town of HANOVER

1796
AMOS SOTTLE
1000 FT. N.W. OF THIS POINT
AMOS SOTTLE, FIRST SETTLER
IN EASTERN CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY
ERECTED HIS LOG CABIN

Location: ON TOWN RD. ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTH OF IRVING

LA GRANGE 1796
IRVING WAS FIRST CALLED
LA GRANGE AND ITS FIRST
SETTLER WAS AMOS SOTTLE
WHO BUILT HIS CABIN 3/4
MILES SOUTH OF THIS POINT

Location: ON US 20 AT IRVING

City of JAMESTOWN

1ST TEXTILE MILL
HERE IN 1816 FIRST WOOLEN
MILL WAS BUILT BY DANIEL
HAZELTINE. HERE WAS DYED AND
FINISHED CLOTH WOVEN ON HAND-
LOOMS BY WOMEN IN EARLY HOMES.

Location: ON EAST 1 ST STREET

FIRST SASH FACTORY
BUILT HERE 1826, IN 1845 DOORS
AND BLINDS WERE ALSO MANU-
FACTURED. FROM 1829 THESE
WARES WERE SHIPPED SOUTH ON
FLAT BOATS MANY YEARS.

Location: ON WINDSOR STREET

FIRST TRAIN
ARRIVED IN JAMESTOWN
AUGUST 25, 1861 OVER
THE NEWLY LAID RAILS
OF THE ATLANTIC AND
GREAT WESTERN RAILROAD.

Location: ON MAIN STREET

HERE IN 1811
JAMES PRENDERGAST
BUILT A LOG HOUSE, SAW-
MILL AND DAM, BEGINNING
OF JAMESTOWN INDUSTRY
BUILDING BURNED 1812

Location: ON WEST 2ND STREET

HERE STOOD A STATION OF
UNDERGROUND R.R
IN WHICH CATHERINE HARRIS
DID HEROIC SERVICE FOR
FUGITIVE SLAVES

Location: ON 7TH STREET

HOME OF
REUBEN E. FENTON
"THE SOLDIERS' FRIEND"
GOVERNOR 1865-1869
U.S. SENATOR 1869-1875

Location: ON SOUTH MAIN STREET

[Taken by Paul Kidder, 6/12/01}

LOG CABIN 1810
HERE JOHN BLOWERS BUILT
FIRST HOME IN JAMESTOWN
AND MARY BLOWERS, FIRST
WHITE CHILD WAS BORN THAT WINTER

Location: ON FAIRMONT AVENUE

PIERRE CELORON
WHITE FRENCH AND INDIANS
PASSED DOWN THE CHADAKOIN
TO THE ALLEGANY IN 1749
CLAIMING THE TERRITORY,
FOR FRANCE

Location: ON FAIRMONT AVENUE

SITE OF
METHHODIST CHURCH
FIRST EDIFICE OF THE
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
IN JAMESTOWN WAS ERECTED IN
1830. A PLAIN HOUSE 40 BY
50 FEET

Location: ON 2ND STREET

SITE OF
THE FOOTE HOME
BUILT IN 1823 BY ELIAL
TODD FOOTE, PHYSICIAN,
LEGISLATOR, JURIST,
HISTORIAN, WHO SETTLED
IN JAMESTOWN IN 1815.

Location: ON EAST 2ND STREET

SITE OF
QUAKER SCHOOL
SO NAMED BECAUSE MARY E.
OSBORNE, A QUAKERESS
CONDUCTED IT. 1833-1843

Location: ON FOOTE AVENUE

SITE OF
JAMESTOWN FEMALE
SEMINARY
1849-1859, CLAIRISSA D.
WHEELER FOUNDER AND HEAD

Location: ON NORTH MAIN STREET

SITE OF
PAIL FACTORY
FIRST FACTORY FOR MAKING
WOODEN PAILS AND TUBS BUILT
IN 1829, LARGE INDUSTRY FOR
YEARS. FIRST FLAT BOAT STOCKS
BUILT HERE 1835.

Location: ON WINDSOR ST.

Town of RIPLEY

SITE OF
FARM OF ALEXANDER COCHRAN
1804, FIRST SETTLER
IN CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY

Location: ON US 20 ABOUT 2 MIS. NE PENNA.-N.Y. STATE LINE

SITE OF
FARM OF WILLIAM CROSSGROVE, 1807
ONE OF ORIGINAL INHABITANTS
OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY

Location: ON US 20 ABOUT 12 MI. NE OF PENNA.-N.Y. STATE LINE

FINDLEY LAKE, NY
SETTLED BY ALEXANDER FINDLEY
SERGEANT REVOLUTIONARY WAR &
WAR OF 1812.  BUILT DAM IN
1840 TO POWER HIS MILL.  THIS
CREATED LAKE FROM TWO PONDS.

Location:  ON RT 430 IN FINDLEY LAKE, TOWN OF MINA

Source: New York State Museum web site, 2001.