The History of the Town of Chautauqua starts with its formation in 1804. A little information about all township villages will be included along with some of the events that have shaped our past and some information on what the area was like at various time periods. We’ll start at the very first day when only Indian trails provided pathways through the dense forests that were here.
           On April 11, 1804 the Town of Chautauque, spelled with an e, was formed from the town of Batavia. It included all of present day Chautauqua County, excepting only the 10th range of townships, which was annexed to Chautauqua in the formation of the county four years later. 1804 was also the year that William Peacock, Holland Land Co. employee, was sent here to survey and map the area. Dr. Alexander McIntyre also moved to Mayville that year from Meadville, PA and became the first settler on Lake Chautauqua.
           McIntyre, whose stockaded building was located on South Erie Street, was quite a character according to historical information. According to The Conquest of Chautauqua he had spent much of his youth among the Allegheny Indians from whom he had learned medicinal practices. The upper rim of his ears had been cut loose and dangled by the sides of his face. He claimed that the Indians had done this when he graduated among them as a physician.
           In the spring of the year he took the daughter of a tavern keeper in Meadville, PA and moved to Mayville where he erected a log cabin with palisades of hemlock logs sixteen feet high surrounding it. This was nicknamed Fort Debby in honor of his "wife by adoption". The surrounding trees were mostly Oak and several acres of these were girdled to help clear the land.
           Judge William Peacock later related that his supplies for the surveying party had been left with McIntyre during the summer and that he and his family had eaten all of them but a few bushels of potatoes when the party returned for them. They then had to hunt for the additional meat needed to keep them going the rest of the year.
           Salt was an extremely valuable and costly import early on and McIntyre claimed that he had discovered a salt spring, possibly the one that used to exist on Lakeview Avenue. He was offered $4,000.00 for this resource but held out for $5,000.00. Salt at the time cost $18 to $20 per barrel. Unfortunately an investigation found a barrel of salt had been placed in the ground between the source of the spring and where the water was found.
           McIntyre moved to Westfield about 1814 and located near the sulfur spring off what is now Mt. Baldy Road. Here he erected several cabins and bath houses for people to take advantage of the healing powers of the water.
           In 1805 Bartelle Lowry built a log house 8 or 10 rods north of McIntyre’s as a tavern and grocery. Peter Barnhart also moved to Mayville and built a log cabin about where the former railroad depot now stands. The next year, 1806, he moved to the other side of the lake near Hartfield. His son, Peter Barnhart, Jr., kept a tavern in Hartfield for many years and the name of the place is supposedly a combination of Barnhart and Scofield, another early family.
           Alexander McIntyre, Jr. was reported to have been the first white child born in the Town of Chautauqua in the summer of 1805. Also on April 5, 1805 the First Town of Chautauque meeting was held at McHenry’s in the present Town of Westfield. John McMahon was the Supervisor.
           On May 21, 1806 the first Post Office was established in CHATAUGHQUE and was located in the present day Village of Westfield. It was discontinued March 17, 1818.
           In 1807 Captain John Scott opened an Inn on east side of South Erie street in Mayville. An addition was added at a later date so the first court sessions could be held there.
           On March 11, 1808 the Town of Pomfret was formed from Chautauqua.
           In 1808 George Lowry opened an Inn on west side of Erie Street in Mayville. A fight in his bar later furnished business for several of the earliest terms of court. Also in 1808, Chautauqua County was created from Genesee County but was not organized until the population reached 500 in 1810.
           The county was fully organized 1811. Commissioners Jonas Williams, Isaac Sutherland and Asa Ransom decided that the county seat would be in Mayville and erected a hemlock post to designate the location.
           In 1810 the main route into the interior of the Town of Chautauqua was still the old Portage Road which started near Lake Erie, came through the Westfield area to near the top of the hill on present day Portage Road where it veered off to the east, eventually coming into the village of Mayville at the foot of the hill on East Chautauqua Street. Two roads were started that year. Darius Dexter cleared a road from the head of the lake 1 1/2 miles toward Westfield and the village square at the four corners in uptown Mayville. Joseph Ellicott also started building a road, known as the Old Chautauqua Road, east from Mayville. It opened to Sinclairville by the end of 1811. William Peacock also moved into the Holland Land Co. building as agent. The erection of the land office brought a large number of settlers to the area with a corresponding surge in the population. First lawyers Anselm Potter & Dennis Brackett also moved in.
           1811 had an extremely harsh winter with snow and ice every month of the year. Seamen were also being impressed for the Napoleonic Wars, 1799-1815, bringing on the War of 1812 which lasted 3 years. People were afraid that the Indians would go back to war as they had previously. These two events led to settlers moving back out of the area and the population went down.
           Also in 1811, The Court of Common Pleas held its first session at Scott’s Tavern in Mayville on June 25th. This had been enlarged by a two story front addition built just for the purpose. The lumber for it was cut in Ashville and rafted up the lake to Mayville. The court room was on the first floor with the jury room on the second floor. It was reached by a rope ladder which was drawn up by the jurymen after they had ascended. The first meeting of the board of supervisors was also held there in October and they voted to build the first wooden courthouse and jail which cost $1,500. It was a plain two-story building which stood on the lawn in front of the present day court house. The first floor was occupied by the jailer and 3 cells for prisoners. The court, jury and meeting rooms were on the second floor.
           On July 1, 1812 the first Post Office at Mayville was established . First accounting was done on October 1, 1812 by Casper Rouse.
           April 9, 1813 the Town of Portland was formed from Chautauqua. Also in 1813 the Mayville Methodist Church started the first school in a log cabin.
           February 14, 1816 the Town of Harmony taken from Chautauqua.
           February 9, 1821 the Town of Stockton formed from Chautauqua.
           February 29, 1821 the Town of Ellery formed from Chautauqua.
           In 1823, stage wagons began regular trips from Mayville carrying mail.
           On May 5, 1824 the NY Censor, Fredonia, carried an ad for a "Job" to build a schoolhouse on North Erie Street in Mayville. This was a brick building located next to Sherman’s Tavern and Worthy Putnam was the first schoolmaster. The building became a blacksmith shop after the school moved.
           In 1825 the Board of Supervisors celebrated the opening of the Erie Canal at their annual meeting by marching to the public square at Mayville and firing a national salute. On June 30, 1825 a Post Office was established at DeWittsville. It was discontinued March 5, 1830, re-established June 21, 1833 with the name changed to DeWittville. The name was changed to Dewittville on February 27, 1894. It was supposedly named after Governor DeWitt Clinton.
           On July 4, 1828 the sidewheel steamship Chautauque made its first trip to Mayville initiating the era of steamboat travel on Lake Chautauqua.
           On February 9, 1829 the Town of Clymer was formed from the Town of Chautauqua.
           On April 20, 1830 Mayville was incorporated for the first time. It reincorporated in 1867.
           In 1830 the County Board of Supervisors voted to buy a farm and erect a building to house the poor. Built in Dewittville in 1832 the first record in the Chautauque County Alms House and Asylum was recorded in January 1833. The second building was erected in 1870.
           Also in 1832 a lot was given for first school on top of the hill in Mayville. The Legislature passed an act requiring a new brick courthouse, 35 x 60 feet and two stories tall, be built.
           In 1833 Donald Mackenzie, known as the King of the Northwest moved to the top of hill in Mayville. The Holland Land Co. was no longer exempt from road tax and sold their Chatauqua Co. assets.
           In 1834 the second courthouse was started but was not finished until 1835.
           On April 24, 1834, the Mayville Academy on top of the hill was chartered by State Legislature and on December 4, 1834, Timothy Kibby published the first issue of the Mayville Sentinel.
           In 1835 the new jail building was completed. This stood in what is now the parking lot between the present day jail and the village park. On May 15, 1835 Joseph Damon was hanged behind the school. Public executions had been banned the week before but the news had not reached here yet. Huge crowds came to see the last public hanging in New York State. Sheriff William Saxton had to call out the 207th Militia Regiment to serve as guards and control the crowd. Damon had to be hung twice as the rope broke the first time the lever on the gallows was pulled. On April 24, 1834 he had murdered his wife with poker in Fredonia. There were 2 more executions in the Town of Chautauqua but both took place inside the jail.
           In 1835 Trumbull Cary & George Lay, the new Holland Land Co. operators, raised the price on all land with payment overdue. This caused an outrage in the county and widespread meetings were held to discuss the problem. On February 6, 1836 250 to 500 men gathered at Barnhart's Inn in Hartfield to do something about the situation. George Camp refused leadership and Nathan Cheney took charge. The crowd marched to Mayville and the Peacock residence and Holland Land Co. office were demolished with the records taken to the Hartfield flats where they were burned in a huge fire. This became known as the Holland Land Co. riot
           On January 22, 1850 the Hartfield Post Office was established. It was discontinued August 15, 1908, re-established January 22, 1909, and finally discontinued on June 29, 1935 with the mail sent to Mayville Post Office.
           In 1859, at the urging of Judge Elial T. Foote, the spelling of Chautauque was officially changed to Chautauqua.
           In 1867 the first Railroad, the Buffalo & Oil Creek Cross Cut Rail Road, came to Mayville. This made transportation of goods and people inexpensive and easy. The village of Mayville began to add more population, business and streets to accommodate them. In addition the entire area began to develop at a much more rapid pace.
           On April 23, 1868 the Elm Flat Post Office established. It was discontinued on January 18, 1871 and mail was sent to Mayville. Also in 1868 the first Memorial Day was observed in the Town of Chautauqua. This was in recognition of the Civil War.
           On June 9, 1869 Peacock Lodge No. 696 F. & A.M.’s charter was signed.
           In 1871 the Chautauqua Camp Meeting Association bought 50 acres of land at Fair Point.
           On April 20, 1871 the Summerdale Post Office established. It was discontinued September 14, 1918. Mail was sent to Sherman.
           In 1871 the Chautauqua Lake Ice Co. opened its first ice house. This business was one of the industries made possible by the advent of the railroad.
           In 1874 Lewis Miller and John Heyl Vincent founded Chautauqua at Fair Point. A twelve-day "Sunday School Teacher’s Assembly" was held.
           In 1875 President Grant visited Chautauqua. The Baptists bought 106 acres of Leet’s Point and renamed it Point Chautauqua. Frederick Law Olmstead planned the layout of Point Chautauqua.
           On July 25, 1877 the Chautauqua Post Office was established as Fair Point. The name of the office was changed to Chautauqua on February 24, 1879.
           In 1877 Mill Creek in Mayville, which ran into the lake near the foot of South Erie Street, was blamed as source of fever. It was filled in 1887 to take care of the problem.
           On November 21, 1878 the first big fire burned down the West side business district in Mayville. On April 18, 1901 the East side business district was destroyed by fire. On Feb. 19, 1929 the West side was again destroyed by fire and also on February 19, 1932 with widespread coverage. People came from as far away as New York City to see the damage leading to heavy traffic congestion.
           In 1878 the Hartson Tabernacle was started at Point Chautauqua. It was razed in 1904. The Grand Hotel at Point Chautauqua was also contracted for. It burned down on October 17, 1902 in a spectacular fire that later turned out to be caused by arson.
           In May 1879 the Mary Washington School, on South Erie Street in Mayville, was chartered. It opened on Sept. 15, 1881, later became a seminary and was destroyed by on fire Sept. 14, 1886. The property was sold by the Mary Washington Land Co. and this is how Washington Street got its name.
           On October 16, 1879 Charles Courtney and Canadian Edward Hanlan’s boat race was scheduled to take place after being postponed from October 8th. Courtney’s boats were found sawed in half. Hanlan rowed the course alone watched by a crowd of about 20,000. A large number of pick pockets and con artists had come to town to work the crowd, keeping the Sheriff very busy.
           On August 11, 1880 the Point Chautauqua Post Office was established. It was discontinued November 29, 1880, re-established April 4, 1881, and operated into 1923.
           In 1881 the Buffalo, Pittsburgh & Western RR laid the first permanent line to Chautautauqua Institution. It was abandoned in 1917. The Athenaeum Hotel was also built that year.
           Also in 1881 Albion Winegar Tougee, who had become nationally famous after the publication of his book about reconstruction, A Fools Errand, moved to Mayville. His most locally famous book, Button's Inn, which had been formerly located on the Portage Road, was published in 1886. He died in France as U.S. Ambassador in 1905. His ashes were returned to Mayville and his monument in Mayville cemetery was dedicated on, Memorial Day, May 31, 1906. Over 1,000 people came to attend the ceremony.
           On Oct. 30, 1882 G.A.R. E.F. Carpenter Post 308 had its charter granted in Mayville.
           In 1884 the Wooglin Inn was built on the lake between Hartfield and Point Chautauqua. It was struck by lightning and burned down in 1901.
           On July 22, 1887 Chautauqua Lake Railway opened bringing a second railroad to Mayville. Baptist operation of Point Chautauqua went bankrupt and was dissolved.
           In 1895 the Duquesne Lawn and Wahmeda Inn were built about 1/2 mile north of Chautauqua Institution.
           In 1899 acetylene light was placed inside a lighthouse on the end of a new dock at Lighthouse Point.
           On June 22, 1902 the Jamestown, Chautauqua & Lake Erie Railway line extension from Mayville to Westfield formally opened. Hartfield Station was moved to Mayville that year. Hartfield station had ceased operations in 1895. Also in 1902, the Lighthouse Point Hotel burned down and a severe snowstorm struck on January 23.
           In April of 1904 the Chautauqua Traction Co. started electric trolley service to Mayville. Service ended in 1925.
           On July 24, 1907 a cornerstone for a new county court house was laid. It was completed in 1908. On Oct. 19, 1908 the Colonnade building in Chautauqua burned down. Chautauqua School also burned down that year.
           In 1911 John Kling bought the bankrupt Chautauqua Spring Bed and Lounge Co. from the Van Cise family and opened the Chautauqua Cabinet Co. in Mayville. Also in 1911 a two year old school was certified as Chautauqua High School.
           On July 11, 1911 magician Harry Houdini visited magician Ira Davenport of the Davenport Brothers at his house on Blanchard Street in Mayville.
           On July 4, 1913 Oscar Williams died doing his "Slide for Life" from the top of the court house, down a wire, to a tree near the jail building.
           On October 7, 1913 the Jamestown, Chautauqua & Lake Erie Railroad was sold to Sheldon and Almet Broadhead of Jamestown at foreclosure sale. They renamed it the Jamestown, Westfield & Northwestern Railroad. The line was electrified in 1914.
           On January 13, 1914 Edward Beardsley, of Summerdale, shot John Putnam, overseer of poor, with Sheriff Anderson in attendance, when they came to remove his children. The ensuing seven day standoff drew national media attention and was even filmed to be shown in movie theaters. On January 20th, Charles Bakus, owner of the Mayville House and a friend of Beardsley talked him into surrendering. On Jan. 25th, the Mayville House burned down. The fire started in the kitchen but it was widely rumored the supporters of Beardsley, who had come to be known as the "Hero of Summerdale" had started the fire for revenge.
           Also in 1914 the Honeysett Cut was completed cutting down the steepest RR grade between Pittsburgh and Buffalo. In November, Noel Blandy was caught in the machinery at Upton’s Basket Factory in Hartfield and died.
           On November 24, 1915 the Liberty Bell was in Mayville on train car.
           On July 12, 1918 G.A.R. E.F. Carpenter Post 308 disbanded.
           On October 20, 1919 the American Legion William L. Travis Post No. 493 held its first meeting.
           On May 24, 1923 the old Pennsylvania RR Station in Mayville burned. Painters had been using blow torches to scrape paint off the building. The new RR station opened in 1925 along with the Hartfield airport.
           In 1933 Jamestown banker Frank Merz donated property on present day Route 394 to the Boy Scouts. Two years later in 1935, Boy Scout Camp Merz opened and Harry Kibbe made the last ice harvest in the Town of Chautauqua at the Mayville Ice Co., also known as the Fischer ice house.
           On June 29, 1935 Henry P. Becker, of air circus fame, was killed in a plane crash after taking off from Hartfield Airport.
           In 1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech in Mayville during a stop on his way to Chautauqua Institution by train. Theodore Roosevelt had come in 1914.
           In 1938 school centralization came to Mayville and in November, high winds destroyed the Ames Service Station on Route 17 in Hartfield. The Francis Dodge Agency in Hartfield had the sides ripped off their building by the same winds.
           In 1939 the new jail was under construction. The old jail was converted to County Offices in 1947 and torn down in 1970.
           On June 22, 1940 the first Resident Passes for Lakeside Park were issued. Visitors were charged 10 cents, and children 5 cents.
           In 1943 the Jamestown, Westfield & Northwestern control tower at the junction with the Pennsylvania RR in Mayville was discontinued.
           In October 1945 the United Brethren Church bought the former Hartfield Elementary School.
           On March 6, 1947 shovelors dug 8 locomotives and a train of 20 cars from under snow drifts at Summerdale after several days of work. Art Nelson, section supervisor, had called Buffalo requesting a snowplow during a heavy lake effect storm. The request was denied because it wasn’t snowing in Buffalo.
           In August 1947 the American Legion bought the Denold Kling house on the corner of Erie & Marvin Streets and on November 30, 1947, the last passenger trolley ran on the J.W. & N.W. Bus service started the next day. Freight service was continued using diesel engines.
           On January 24, 1948 the Dewittville Church burned down.
           In 1949, passenger service ended on the Pennsylvania R.R.
           On January 21, 1950 the J.W. & N.W. made a final run and on January 27, 1951 the new Community building opened in Mayville.
           In 1971 the Peacock Inn was demolished.
           In 1963 the former Harkness Feed Mill in Mayville collapsed from the snow load on its roof. Mayville Dairy and Lake County Dairy merged on January 1st.
           In April 1965 Chautauqua residents approved a bond to build a new elementary school. It was dedicated to long time principal John W. Turner on February 18, 1968. Chautauqua Central School bus garage burned down in January 1966.
           On December 29, 1978 the last train to Mayville visited Kling's to pick up freight one last time. The rails and other materials were removed for salvage the following year.
           In 1984 the Sea Lion was launched on Chautauqua Lake. It was sold to the Buffalo Maritime Society, Inc. in 1992.
           In 1987 the first Ice Castle was built at Lakeside Park in Mayville.
           In 1992 Bill & Hillary Clinton and Al & Tipper Gore made a presidential campaign stop at Chautauqua Institution.
           On January 25, 1995 Mayville District residents voted to merge with Chautauqua Central School and on February 14, 1996, Chautauqua Central School voters approved the merger with Mayville Central School.
           In October 1996 President Clinton stayed at the Athenaeum Hotel in Chautauqua Institution to rehearse for an upcoming debate with Bob Dole.
           In September 2000 the new Chautauqua Lake Central School opened.
           April 20, 2003 - Ethan Allen, formerly Kling’s Chautauqua Cabinet Co., closed their Mayville facility.