Learn lots more about Franklinville by following these links !

Introduction
Early History
Death Records 1860-1894

Pioneers
Early Settlers
Joseph McClure
Pardon T Jewell
Marvin Older
Delos E Lyon
Curtis Brothers
Searl and Storrs
Doctors
William McNall

Park Square and Fairs
The Story
The Trial
The Wedding
Franklinville Fair
Bands

Postal History
Introduction
Post Office
Postmasters

Hotels and Inns
Globe Hotel
Hotel Lester
Bard Hotel
Brown Eagle Hotel

Businesses and Industry
Bartholomew's Pharmacy
West Park Square Drug Store
Quality Bakery
Cutlery Industry
Mercantile
Dairy Industry
Firehouse Liquors
Blount Plow

Churches and Buildings
Baptist
Other Churches
Presbyterian
Methodist Episcopal
Amusement Hall
The Miners Cabin

In the Public Trust
Newspapers
Chronicle-Journal
Fire Department
Mt Prospect Cemetery
Public Works
Railroads

This information came from the files of Joie Wilson, formerly the Franklinville Town Historian and the section editor for Franklinville on the Cattaraugus County website.

If you have information about Franklinville, or have a question, contact Joie at [email protected]

Thanks, Joie !!

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Return to Franklinville page

About twenty acres of land on North Main Street, some of which is
today occupied by the American Legion and Ischua Valley Estates, was
once the site of the Franklinville Fair. For thirty years, beginning in
1882, this was attended by thousands of people over the course of one
week each fall.

Governed by the officers of the Fair Association, and complete with
huge tents, a race track, and a grandstand, this was "the event" to
attend for many, many years.

A wide range of offerings satified visitors with diverse interests
..... from a Floral Hall to a race track. Livestock owners and poultry
raisers, both of which abounded in this area at that time, brought their
most prized efforts to be displayed at The Fair.

The Franklinville Fair also drew important speakers. Among them was
Carrie Nation in 1904. Seven years before her death, at fifty eight
years of age, the fiery American born crusader for temperance was the
principal speaker at The Fair.

The Fair continued to be held until 1912. There was an occurence
in 1894 which gave The Fair more notoriety than it had ever wanted, not
to mention the horror which temporarily settled over the entire
community.

It had been widely advertised before The Fair that there would be a
balloon ascension. Adding to the local interest was the fact that the
balloonist was the granddaughter of a Franklinville native, sixty six
year old Joseph Ransbury.

She was Beatrice Van Dressen, the daughter of
Margaret Ransbury Van Dressen, and had been trained as a balloonist by
the famous Prof. Carl Myers at his balloon farm in Frankfort, N. Y. The
Van Dressen family was living in Frankfort at the time. When the
opportunity arose for Beatrice to make an ascension in her old home town
she welcomed it.

That year The Fair was held at a later date than usual, in
October., The day of the accident was fair but cold and a chill wind
blew all day. About five o'clock Miss Van Dressen mounted the bar of
her trapeze, gave the word to cut loose, and rose into the air. At a
height of about one thousand feet she was seen to slide from the bar,
hang a moment by one hand and then ..... to the horror and disbelief of
the spectators below ..... her slight body fell into space .....
whirling and whirling until it was crushed against the rocks of
Kingsbury Hill.

The leading mover in the establishment of The Fair Association
(formed in 1882) was Robert F. Woodworth. He was also the first
president of the Association. Mr. Woodworth was born in Aurelius,
Cayuga Co., N.Y. on January 15, 1832. He died in Franklinville at the
end of February, 1894.

Frank D. Kingsbury, a carpenter by trade, worked on the first
buildings put up on the Franklinville Fair Grounds. The son of William &
Betsy Kingsbury, he was born Sept. 25, 1849 at Black Creek, N. Y. On
New Year's Day of 1880 he married Miss Arlouine L. Smith of Rushford and
in 1882 they moved to Franklinville where Mr. Kingsbury eventually died
in April of 1902.

A photo of the 1908 Franklinville Fair along with many other photos can
be viewed on the page of "Old Pictures".