Traveling to the Antique shops and auctions in Chautauqua County can lead to wonderful finds of the history of Chautauqua county and past businesses.

In my recent stop at an antique store in West field, NY I found a few old Post cards.

This is a different look than I am used to of The St, Elmo’s Hotel located at the Chautauqua Institution. Does anyone have a time date for this image? I believe the image was taken my J.M. Bonji

This is a postcard of Bestor Plaza and the Colonnade at Chautauqua Institution.

I also picked a book that was used at the Chautauqua Institution in the opera department. The opera, “Adia” was used by one of the members of the Chautauqua Opera. A post card was tucked in the binding of the book to a member of the opera in the year 1989.

The past has a way of resurfacing and sharing moments in time. And all who know the Chautauqua Institution know its rich history.

Chautauqua County is rich in antique shops and flea markets. A few local well known antique shops are Small Emporium in Findley Lake and Landmark Acres Antiques

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Chautauqua County NY is know for its winter wonderland effect. Many areas have a high snowfall, which is great for cross county skiing, skiing, and other winter events. Peek and Peek is also one of the local ski resorts.  If you enjoy winter activities there will always be an event for you to attend.

photo credit: fincher69

Chautauqua County benefits from two bodies of water, Lake Erie and Chautauqua Lake. Chautauqua Lake being a more tranquil body of water provides a winter paradise for skaters, skiers and ice-fishing enthusiasts. The beauty of the lake when it is frozen over is a must see site.

There are many places to cross-country ski. You can select groomed trails, or head out near the lakes or Chautauqua Gorge. The peace and solitude of the outdoors at this time of year is amazing. Just make sure you dress warmly – the cold seems to hit you all at once.

Another favorite event for many are the horse-drawn sleigh rides on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution. This year they began Dec 26 and will run through Feb. The Chautauqua Institution Bookstore, which is open year-round, has tickets available for the event.

The annual Ice Castle Festival in Mayville is held in February. If weather conditions are good, and if there is enough ice in the lake, a castle is made from ice. The event kicks off with a parade, followed by a variety of other activities and competitions.

In 2009 the winter weather warmed up before the event. The committee was afraid the ice castle would melt before the weekend event. So they took a lesson from the Amish community in preserving ice during the warm months of summer. They filled the ice castle with snow and brought in many barrels of hay and packed around the castle to act as insulation. The bales were left in place until the unexpected warm weather left.

When the cold weather returned, the hay bales were removed to reveal a frozen and preserved ice castle. The castle construction crew then finished the castle in record time, creating a unique castle with an almost mythical history.

The 2010 ICE Festival will be held the weekend of Feb. 12-14 at Lakeside Park in Mayville. The winter event will also have a new name beginning with the 2010 festival – the President’s Day Weekend ICE Festival.

The Cool Jazz Festival runs in conjunction with the Ice Castle Festival. It’s quite an event with a variety of music at all the area restaurants, clubs and hotels.

And last but not least is the Snowflake Festival at the Audubon Center located just outside of Jamestown NY. This event, to be held Saturday February 6 offers snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, sleigh rides, and a variety of entertainment.

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For those not as familiar with the Amish culture, the Amish choose to live without many of the modern conveniences that we take for granted. Electricity is one of these conveniences and automobiles are another.

photo credit: saikofish

When you pass through an Amish community you will see windows with no curtains and black Amish buggies in the farmyards. The Amish refer to us as “the English”

Growing up around many Amish communities I have become accustomed to many of their customs and beliefs. Here are a few traditions:

1.  Sunday is a day for church and family. The day begins very early and lasts until dusk. There will be no business conducted on Sunday.

2.  Amish usually dress in black or dark blue colors. Many areas are using brighter colors but in my more traditional area black and blue are still the primary colors. They also have no buttons on their clothing.

3.  Amish children can sample some of the English ways when they are young but must choose whether to follow the Amish tradition at a certain age and forgo any modern convenience. If the choose the English ways they no longer belong to the Amish community.

4.  Most Amish do not allow their photographs to be taken. They feel it captures their soul. It is ok to photograph their homes or buggies – just not their faces.

There are many more traditions in the nearby Amish communities in Chautauqua County, Cattaraugus County and Warren County. The best way to learn more about them is to shop in their local stores or take a trip to a local Amish community. It is like stepping back in time.

photo credit: cindy47452

Cherry Creek Amish Community

The largest Amish community in Chautauqua County is located near Cherry Creek NY.  Several Amish families settled just outside of Cherry Creek in 1949 and set up a community where they use no modern conveniences.

The Amish are known for their skilled craftsmanship.  Many Amish make a living by making and selling furniture, quilts, and other handmade items from shops beside their homes. Recently Amish sheds, barns and garages have also been added to the skills they provide to the surrounding “English” communities.

The Amish are continuing to harvest Hickory off of our land for creating Amish rustic furniture. They will probably be here for another two weeks. They show up when it fits in their schedule and usually let me know before hand when they will return again.

So far I have picked up a few new recipes, learned more about the Amish traditions and found a great place to purchase my plants for gardening next year.

If you would like to find out more about Amish tradition in Chautauqua, Carol Lorec, Foxe Farmhouse Bed & Barn offers an Amish Flair Tour.

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The Amish have been on and off my property for the last few weeks harvesting Hickory branches for making rustic furniture. It’s been close to 15 years that they have harvested hickory off the land.

It’s not a yearly process and they only select small branches off trees or cut a smaller tree up about 3 to 4 foot high. The tree that has been trimmed will continue to grow and will either grow into a large mature hickory or be harvested for smaller branches again in three to four years.

Hickory is chosen for its strength, ability to bend and for its ease to work with. Many varieties of wood will work but they either do not hold up over time or crack when being nailed or after they have dried.

In past years the Amish have harvested hickory in February or March. They select small branches and twigs for Amish rocking chairs. My hill where they cut is steep so it’s fascinating to watch them scale the hill. Later they bring a sleigh (over one hundred years old) to take the hickory bundles off the hill.

This year, for the first time, the Amish are harvesting in the fall. This is because they are using larger branches. The branches are four to six inches in diameter and will be used for dressers, and bed headboards. They have also cut smaller branches to bend for décor and other parts of furniture.

My yard is now full of hickory that has been sorted by size. The larger branches are propped against trees and the smaller branches and twigs are in piles. Some of the larger branches have been bundled.

In about a week the Hickory will be loaded onto a one hundred year old wagon and carried home by a team of draft horses to our local community in Lander, Pa.

Eli, the elder Amish, told me the smaller branches will be steamed in preparation for making furniture and the larger branches, used for the furniture frames, can be used immediately without further preparation.

I always enjoy the time the Amish spend on the property. I usually end up with an Amish recipe or a story of their traditions.

Chautauqua County has three larger communities of Amish. Tours are offered through several travel agencies or local businesses of the Amish landscape and businesses.  Neighboring Warren County, Pennsylvania also has an Amish community.

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Lighthouses hold a mystery and lure of the sea and waterways. And Chautauqua County has two lighthouses on the shores of Lake Erie reminding visitors and residents alike of the importance of Lake Erie in shipping and its rich history of steam ships.

photo credit: lemonad

The Dunkirk Lighthouse, is located in Dunkirk NY in Chautauqua County. Besides the lighthouse there is the adjacent Veterans Park Museum. The lighthouse and museum attract visitors from all over the world and many in the city refer to it as “the jewel of Dunkirk.” The lighthouse is still a working lighthouse.

The lighthouse was built in 1827 on Point Gratiot. The lighthouse worked in conjunction with a pier head beacon to help guide ships safely into the Dunkirk harbor.

Several points of historical interest are associated with the Dunkirk lighthouse. The first shot of the “1812 War” was fired near the west side of the lighthouse. Also the first casualty of the Civil War, Cpl. Cyrus Jones of Dunkirk, was killed in the war. His final resting place is located on the lighthouse grounds.

The Lake Erie waters just off of Dunkirk has had several notorious shipwrecks that are recoded in historical reports.

1. 1. The Walk-on-Water was lost in a storm in 1818. This was Lake Erie’s first steamboat.
2. 2. The Erie burned with the loss of 141 lives in 1841. 141 lives were lost. The fire was caused by turpentine and varnish that was stored on the deck above the ship’s boilers.
3. 3. In 1893 the steamboat, Dean Richmond, sank off Dunkirk. Dunkirk residents salvaged hundreds of bags of damp flour after the wreck. Cargo also included meal, copper sheet and silver and gold bullion.
4. 4. The freighter Idaho was destroyed in 1897 just above Long Point during a gale. Nineteen lost their lives and two deckhands were rescued.

The 61-foot lighthouse tower still has its original third order Fresnel lens, which was installed in 1857. The light was made and imported from Paris France and cost $10,000 at that time. The light’s 21-mile range makes the Dunkirk lighthouse one of the most prominent on Lake Erie.

In 1874 the tower was in desperate need of repair. A 61-foot stone tower and a Victorian residence were constructed to replace the original tower in 1875-76. The original structure was damaged from erosion and needed immediate repair.

Bricks from the original keeper’s house formed the foundation for the new house. The old cylindrical tower was moved near the lighthouse keeper’s residence and a square tower was built around the old tower. These building still stand and form the lighthouse, Veteran’s Park Museum and grounds as they are known today.

photo credit: Reza Vaziri

Although the “Dunkirk” is still in use, it is again in dire need of repair and restoration. Erosion is again creating problems with the structure and the town is trying to raise the funds to complete the repairs. It is reported that 190 feet on the bank of the Lighthouse has washed away with 1 1/2 to 2 feet washing away everyday.

The Dunkirk lighthouse today:

Light House Specifications

• Country: United States
• State: New York
• City: Dunkirk
• County: Chautauqua
• Body of Water:  Lake Erie / Great Lakes
• U.S.C.G. District: 9
• Current Use: Active – Aid to Navigation
• Latitude: 42.4936
• Longitude: 79.3537
• Lighthouse No:  USA 248
• Range:  approximately 21miles

More information is available on the lighthouse at the Dunkirk Lighthouse website

The lighthouse stands out on Lake Erie and is one of my favorite places to visit. The historical value and history of the lighthouse adds to Chautauqua County and Lake Erie.

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