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History of Jamestown, New York, USA
Journey back in time to Jamestown, New York, USA
Visit Jamestown, New York, USA. Discover its history. Learn about the people who lived there through stories, old newspaper articles, pictures, postcards and ancestry.
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Jamestown is named after James Prendergast, an early Chautauqua County settler. His family purchased 3,500 acres (14 km2) in 1806, in the area now known as Chautauqua County. James Prendergast explored the area that is now Jamestown. Prendergast saw the area to be valuable, and so he purchased 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) of land in the area in 1808. In the fall of 1809, Prendergast and an employee, John Blowers built a log cabin, which became the first building in Jamestown. Another log cabin as well as mills and a dam were built on the Chadakoin River later on. In 1855, Nightwatch was created for the purpose of looking out for fires.
Jamestown was incorporated into a village in 1827 and incorporated into a city on April 19, 1886.
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Jamestown Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards
Jamestown, New York, USA
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Third Street
Jamestown, New York, USA
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East Third Street
Jamestown, New York, USA
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South Main Street
Jamestown, New York, USA
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Jamestown, N.Y.
Jamestown, New York, USA
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Y.M.C.A. Building
Jamestown, New York, USA
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Boat Landing at Jamestown, N.Y.
postmarked 1908
Jamestown, New York, USA
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Fire Department and City Hall
Jamestown, New York, USA
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The Seven Churches
Jamestown, New York, USA
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High School
Jamestown, New York, USA
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Jamestown's New Municipal Hospital
Jamestown, New York, USA
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Prendergast Free Library
Discover Jamestown: History, News, Travel, and Stories
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1854 - Jamestown
Jamestown, a thriving post-village of Ellicott township, Chautauque county, New York, on the outlet of Chautauque lake, 21 miles S. E. from Maysville. It contains 6 or 7 churches, an academy, a bank, and 2 newspaper offices. A steamboat plies daily to Maysville. The outlet furnishes water- power, which is used in manufactories of wool, iron, flour, and other articles. Population in 1853, about 2200.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
Jamestown, a thriving post-village of Ellicott township, Chautauque county, New York, on the outlet of Chautauque lake, 21 miles S. E. from Maysville. It contains 6 or 7 churches, an academy, a bank, and 2 newspaper offices. A steamboat plies daily to Maysville. The outlet furnishes water- power, which is used in manufactories of wool, iron, flour, and other articles. Population in 1853, about 2200.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
1868 - A business firm in Jamestown, Chatauque county N. Y., lately inserted a nine column advertisement in the Jamestown Journal.
A few days thereafter they sold in one day goods enough at retail to amount to over thirteen hundred dollars.
St. Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
August 8, 1868
A few days thereafter they sold in one day goods enough at retail to amount to over thirteen hundred dollars.
St. Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
August 8, 1868
1885 - Ex-Governor Reuben E. Fenton died suddenly Tuesday while sitting at his desk in the First National Bank at Jamestown, N. Y.
St. Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
August 29, 1885
St. Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
August 29, 1885
1891 - A FATAL HOTEL FIRE. THREE WOMEN AND A LITTLE BOY BURNED TO DEATH.
Jamestown, N. Y., Nov. 23 - Three women and a boy were burned to death between 1 and 2 o'clock this morning in a fire which gutted the Old Homestead Hotel, at Third and Pine Streets. They were MRS. BUCHANAN, pastry cook, aged fifty; her son, aged seven; MRS. CARRIE MARSH, dishwasher, and MAGGIE WILSON, aged nineteen, waitress. Other servants and boarders escaped in their night clothes.
Those women occupied a room on the third floor. GRACE HARTWELL, whose mother lives in Buffalo, tells the story. She says:
"MRS. BUCHANAN woke all up by screaming, 'Oh girls, the house is on fire!' We all jumped out of bed and made a dash for the door, but for some reason could not open it. MAGGIE sobbed, 'We have got to die here together.' MRS. BUCHANAN seized a chair and broke an upper panel of the door. I helped MAGGIE through the hole, and followed her. We ran down stairs together. I went through SNOWDEN'S rooms, one of the proprietors, to the veranda and was saved. Probably MAGGIE, in her... Read MORE...
Jamestown, N. Y., Nov. 23 - Three women and a boy were burned to death between 1 and 2 o'clock this morning in a fire which gutted the Old Homestead Hotel, at Third and Pine Streets. They were MRS. BUCHANAN, pastry cook, aged fifty; her son, aged seven; MRS. CARRIE MARSH, dishwasher, and MAGGIE WILSON, aged nineteen, waitress. Other servants and boarders escaped in their night clothes.
Those women occupied a room on the third floor. GRACE HARTWELL, whose mother lives in Buffalo, tells the story. She says:
"MRS. BUCHANAN woke all up by screaming, 'Oh girls, the house is on fire!' We all jumped out of bed and made a dash for the door, but for some reason could not open it. MAGGIE sobbed, 'We have got to die here together.' MRS. BUCHANAN seized a chair and broke an upper panel of the door. I helped MAGGIE through the hole, and followed her. We ran down stairs together. I went through SNOWDEN'S rooms, one of the proprietors, to the veranda and was saved. Probably MAGGIE, in her... Read MORE...
1895 - Jamestown
Jamestown, a handsome city of Chautauqua co., N.Y., at the junction of several railroads, and on the navigable outlet of Chautauqua Lake, 27 miles E.N.E. of Corry, 20 miles S.E. of Mayville, and 69 miles S. by W. of Buffalo. It is finely situated on the hill-sides, 2 miles from the beautiful Chautauqua Lake, which is a favorite summer resort. It contains 16 churches, 4 national banks, a state bank, the Jamestown High School, 16 hotels, and numerous and extensive manufactories, embracing textile fabrics, boots and shoes, furniture, axes and other edge-tools, pianos, iron fabrics, brooms, shirts, knitted and worsted goods, flavoring extracts, &c. Three daily and 7 weekly newspapers are published here. In the season numerous steamboats ply between this place and the head of the lake. The Chautauqua Outlet here furnishes water-power, which is employed in flouring-mills and other mills, Pop, in 1870, 5336; in 1880, 9357; in 1890, 16,038.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
Jamestown, a handsome city of Chautauqua co., N.Y., at the junction of several railroads, and on the navigable outlet of Chautauqua Lake, 27 miles E.N.E. of Corry, 20 miles S.E. of Mayville, and 69 miles S. by W. of Buffalo. It is finely situated on the hill-sides, 2 miles from the beautiful Chautauqua Lake, which is a favorite summer resort. It contains 16 churches, 4 national banks, a state bank, the Jamestown High School, 16 hotels, and numerous and extensive manufactories, embracing textile fabrics, boots and shoes, furniture, axes and other edge-tools, pianos, iron fabrics, brooms, shirts, knitted and worsted goods, flavoring extracts, &c. Three daily and 7 weekly newspapers are published here. In the season numerous steamboats ply between this place and the head of the lake. The Chautauqua Outlet here furnishes water-power, which is employed in flouring-mills and other mills, Pop, in 1870, 5336; in 1880, 9357; in 1890, 16,038.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
1910 - JAMESTOWN HAS A MILLION DOLLAR FIRE - THE GOKEY BUILDING AND SHERMAN HOUSE TOTALLY DESTROYED AND TWENTY FIRMS SUFFER LOSSES.
Fire Started From Flying Embers in a Blaze on Saturday, and Continued Until Eight O'clock This Morning.
Jamestown, March 14 - Shortly after one o'clock this morning a fire broke out anew in the GOKEY factory building and spread so rapidly that before the firemen could rach the scene and get streams of water plying upon them, the flames were beyond control. The fire was an even more spectacular one than that of Saturday night in the same building and in which Foreman JOHN HANSEN of the fire company met his death.
The wind was blowing at possibly thirty miles an hour and huge particles of burning cinders were carried at great distances and the heavens were lighted to that extent that the fire could be seen for miles.
Within fifteen minutes after the new alarm was sounded the east wall of the old factory building fell outward, causing the seething mass of flames to get a new start because of the increased opportunity for the wind to sweep into the fiery furnace. A little later the ... Read MORE...
Fire Started From Flying Embers in a Blaze on Saturday, and Continued Until Eight O'clock This Morning.
Jamestown, March 14 - Shortly after one o'clock this morning a fire broke out anew in the GOKEY factory building and spread so rapidly that before the firemen could rach the scene and get streams of water plying upon them, the flames were beyond control. The fire was an even more spectacular one than that of Saturday night in the same building and in which Foreman JOHN HANSEN of the fire company met his death.
The wind was blowing at possibly thirty miles an hour and huge particles of burning cinders were carried at great distances and the heavens were lighted to that extent that the fire could be seen for miles.
Within fifteen minutes after the new alarm was sounded the east wall of the old factory building fell outward, causing the seething mass of flames to get a new start because of the increased opportunity for the wind to sweep into the fiery furnace. A little later the ... Read MORE...
1916
Jamestown, a city and summer-resort of Chautauqua co., N.Y., on the navigable outlet of Chautauqua Lake, 69 miles S. by W. of Buffalo, on the Erie and the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Rs. It is finely situated on the hill-sides, 2 miles from the beautiful Chautauqua Lake. It has extensive manufactures, embracing textile fabrics, furniture, washing-machines, saws, stained-glass, boots and shoes, photographic paper, iron fabrics, shirts, knitted and worsted goods, etc Numerous steamboats ply between this place and the head of the lake. The Chautauqua Out let here furnishes water-power, which is employed in flouring- and other mills. Pop. in 1890, 16,038 ; in 1900, 22,892.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher
Jamestown, a city and summer-resort of Chautauqua co., N.Y., on the navigable outlet of Chautauqua Lake, 69 miles S. by W. of Buffalo, on the Erie and the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Rs. It is finely situated on the hill-sides, 2 miles from the beautiful Chautauqua Lake. It has extensive manufactures, embracing textile fabrics, furniture, washing-machines, saws, stained-glass, boots and shoes, photographic paper, iron fabrics, shirts, knitted and worsted goods, etc Numerous steamboats ply between this place and the head of the lake. The Chautauqua Out let here furnishes water-power, which is employed in flouring- and other mills. Pop. in 1890, 16,038 ; in 1900, 22,892.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher
1921 - The City of Jamestown
The first white man to seriously consider the place now Jamestown as a possible site for settlement was James Prendergast, and it is from him that the city takes its name. The members of the Prendergast family were prominent in the early history of the county, and had in 1806 bought 3,500 acres of land in the vicinity of Mayville, and were rapidly clearing away the forest. James Prendergast, the youngest of the family of eleven children, was sent out to find a team of horses which had strayed away, and before catching up with them at what is now Rutledge, Cattaraugus county, had traversed the great pine tree region of the Conewango Valley, Kiantone, one of the granaries of the Six Nations, and a great deal of the then unbroken wilderness now Southern Chautauqua county.
To such a man as James Prendergast proved to be, his view of the magnificent pine forests must have impressed him with a conception of their great future value, as with rare judgment he chose the site for mills, home ... Read MORE...
The first white man to seriously consider the place now Jamestown as a possible site for settlement was James Prendergast, and it is from him that the city takes its name. The members of the Prendergast family were prominent in the early history of the county, and had in 1806 bought 3,500 acres of land in the vicinity of Mayville, and were rapidly clearing away the forest. James Prendergast, the youngest of the family of eleven children, was sent out to find a team of horses which had strayed away, and before catching up with them at what is now Rutledge, Cattaraugus county, had traversed the great pine tree region of the Conewango Valley, Kiantone, one of the granaries of the Six Nations, and a great deal of the then unbroken wilderness now Southern Chautauqua county.
To such a man as James Prendergast proved to be, his view of the magnificent pine forests must have impressed him with a conception of their great future value, as with rare judgment he chose the site for mills, home ... Read MORE...
1929 - CITY HALL ROCKED BY BOMB BLAST.
Jamestown, Jan. 15, (AP) - A bomb planted in a public rest room of the City Hall late yesterday badly damaged the interior of the room and injured two men slightly. There have been seven previous bombings in the city in recent months, this being the eighth.
Edward M. Priest, 56, was cut on the head and Howard R. Beebe, postal mail carrier, bruised when a slate partition fell on him. They were the only occupants of the room when the blast came, shaking the entire building. No one had been hurt in the previous explosions.
Syracuse Herald
Syracuse, New York
January 15, 1929
Jamestown, Jan. 15, (AP) - A bomb planted in a public rest room of the City Hall late yesterday badly damaged the interior of the room and injured two men slightly. There have been seven previous bombings in the city in recent months, this being the eighth.
Edward M. Priest, 56, was cut on the head and Howard R. Beebe, postal mail carrier, bruised when a slate partition fell on him. They were the only occupants of the room when the blast came, shaking the entire building. No one had been hurt in the previous explosions.
Syracuse Herald
Syracuse, New York
January 15, 1929
2023 - Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Jamestown:
Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum:
A must-visit for fans of the iconic comedienne Lucille Ball. The museum celebrates the life and career of this legendary actress, as well as her husband Desi Arnaz. You'll find memorabilia, costumes, and interactive exhibits.
Chautauqua Institution:
Just a short drive from Jamestown, Chautauqua Institution offers a unique cultural experience. It hosts a variety of events, lectures, and performances. Check the schedule to see if there's anything interesting happening during your visit.
Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History:
Nature enthusiasts will appreciate this institute named after the renowned ornithologist and naturalist Roger Tory Peterson. The institute features exhibits on bird watching, natural history, and art.
Chautauqua Belle Steamboat:
Take a scenic cruise on Chautauqua Lake aboard the Chautauqua Belle Steamboat. It's a relaxing way to enjoy the beauty of the area. The boat offers different types of cruises,... Read MORE...
Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum:
A must-visit for fans of the iconic comedienne Lucille Ball. The museum celebrates the life and career of this legendary actress, as well as her husband Desi Arnaz. You'll find memorabilia, costumes, and interactive exhibits.
Chautauqua Institution:
Just a short drive from Jamestown, Chautauqua Institution offers a unique cultural experience. It hosts a variety of events, lectures, and performances. Check the schedule to see if there's anything interesting happening during your visit.
Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History:
Nature enthusiasts will appreciate this institute named after the renowned ornithologist and naturalist Roger Tory Peterson. The institute features exhibits on bird watching, natural history, and art.
Chautauqua Belle Steamboat:
Take a scenic cruise on Chautauqua Lake aboard the Chautauqua Belle Steamboat. It's a relaxing way to enjoy the beauty of the area. The boat offers different types of cruises,... Read MORE...
Our Jamestown Gift Ideas
Discover Your Roots: Jamestown Ancestry
Ancestors Who Were Born or Died in Jamestown, New York, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who were born or died in Jamestown.View Them Now (sorted by year of birth)
Sarah ALDRICH (10 April 1739, Douglas, Massachusetts, USA (East Douglas) - 1760, Jamestown, New York, USA)
Ebenezer TRASK (12 January 1754, Smithfield, Rhode Island, USA (Esmond) (Georgiaville) - 2 February 1813, Jamestown, New York, USA)Huldah READ (16 February 1760, Smithfield, Rhode Island, USA (Esmond) (Georgiaville) - 1 October 1834, Jamestown, New York, USA)Washington Lafayette THOMPSON (August 1824, Pine Grove, Warren, Pennsylvania, USA - 29 May 1908, Jamestown, New York, USA)
Elliott Fitch SHEPARD (25 July 1833, Jamestown, New York, USA - 24 March 1893, Manhattan, New York, USA (New York City) (New Amsterdam) (Washington Heights))Mary Ann ALMY (26 January 1847, Gerry, New York, USA - 22 July 1924, Jamestown, New York, USA)
James MCTIGUE (1853, , New York, USA - 1914, Jamestown, New York, USA)
Mary O'HARA (1857, , New York, USA - 19 August 1938, Jamestown, New York, USA)Gustavis E AUSTIN (6 May 1857, Wayne, New York, USA - 1 March 1927, Jamestown, New York, USA)Ancestors Who Were Married in Jamestown, New York, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who were married in Jamestown.View Them Now
Fredrick Raymond MCGILL (3 March 1895 - 9 June 1966) and 
Beatrice Sara MCTIGUE (13 April 1896 - 2 July 1987) married 23 June 1919
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