Chautauqua Lake Region - New York Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Chautauqua Lake, eighteen miles long and one to three miles wide, has as its outlet a branch of Connewango Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River. This gives Chautauqua an indirect connection with the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. French expeditions used Chautauqua Lake and these rivers as a route to Mid-West posts in the 18th century. In the next century, lumber rafts, cut from the rich timberlands nearby, were floated down this river system.

Indian occupation of the area began approximately 10,000 years ago. Much later, Erie Indians lived here until conquered by the Iroquois in 1656. The Holland Land Company, from its branch office in Mayville, opened the area to settlement after 1800. James Prendergast, in 1808, settled Jamestown which developed into a center for making furniture. After 1860, the cultivation of vineyards became widespread throughout the lake region. A long growing season is favorable for agriculture, and fruit orchards and dairy farms have become extensive.

The Chautauqua Institution in 1874 began a program of adult education. Informative lectures, musical presentations, and various forms of entertainment later spread the fame of Chautauqua throughout the United States.

Marker Name: Chautauqua Lake Region Marker Type: Roadside Agency: State Education Department Dedication Date: -9223372036854775808 City/Town/Village Name: Mayville County: Chautauqua Region: Chautauqua-Allegheny (Region 1) Website: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/09/2011 MadHut visited it