Take a close-up look at Chautauqua County’s storied past by embarking on a self-guided Historical Marker Tour. More than 200 historical markers are scattered across the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Region, each recounting events of long ago, all of which are chronicled by volunteers at the Historical Marker Database. At the center of many historic events is our namesake body of water, Chautauqua Lake. Chautauqua or “Jad-dah’gwah,” as spoken by native inhabitants, the now-extinct Erie people.
Disputes over Chautauqua’s rich land and water contributed to the French and Indian War - specifically the Portage Trail, which provided passage from Chautauqua Lake to Lake Erie. The first skirmish of the War of 1812 occurred at the mouth of Canadaway Creek near the Dunkirk Lighthouse and History Museum which was not yet erected. Both battles and the elements on Lake Erie have led to many shipwrecks over the years; its shallow depths are known to turn tumultuous when conditions are just right.
Water-power generated by Chautauqua Lake was used to cut lumber, which was then sawed into planks for boats that shipped manufactured pot and pearl ash and black salts from Mayville to Pittsburgh, and then on to New Orleans.
By the mid-to-late 1800s grape production became an important commercial crop for the county thanks to the unique microclimate created by Lake Erie. In 1897, Dr. Charles Welch moved his production of unfermented grape juice to Westfield, NY, which then became the heart of concord grape country. To this day Chautauqua County is the second-largest grape-growing region in the United States and produces 65% of New York State’s annual grape yield.
Learning is at the heart of Chautauqua County, with three collegiate educational systems as well as the famous Chautauqua Institution. The Institution, originally the Chautauqua Lake Sunday School Assembly, was founded in 1874 as an educational experiment in out-of-school, vacation learning. It was successful and broadened almost immediately beyond courses for Sunday school teachers to include academic subjects, music, art, and physical education. Nearly 150 years later, people continue to gather at Chautauqua Institution’s National Historic District Campus to explore, rethink, and recharge.
Other educational opportunities exist at Lily Dale Assembly, the world center of the Universal Religion of Modern Spiritualism, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, a national center for nature education, art, and conservation, and the Robert H. Jackson Center, which aims to advance public awareness and appreciation of the principles of justice and the rule of law as embodied in the achievements and legacy of Robert H. Jackson, U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Chief U.S. Prosecutor at Nuremberg.
Several historic influencers were once residents of Chautauqua County including, Lucille Ball, Brad Anderson, William H. Seward, Ruben Fenton, Albion W. Tourgee, Donald Mackenzie, William B. Cushing, Horace Greeley, B.F. Goodrich, George Pullman, Allene Tew, women’s suffrage leaders, plus several notable summer residents including the Packard brothers, Thomas Edison, and more.
All of this adds up to an incredible amount of history to unpack. Now is the perfect time to take a journey through the past and plan a road trip through Chautauqua County’s rolling hills, Victorian Villages, and revived rust belt cities and town. Be sure to circle “Take a Historical Marker Tour of Chautauqua County” on your #TourChautauqua Bingo Card! If you want to dive deeper into local history, resources include the Chautauqua County Historical Society/McClurg Museum, the Fenton History Center, Chautauqua Institution Archives, and municipal historical societies.