If you're a local history buff, there's an event coming up this summer that's right up your alley. The Chautauqua County History Expo will be held on Saturday, August 23rd from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Fluvanna Community Church in the Town of Ellicott and will feature dozens of local history organizations, historians, and museums from across the Chautauqua region and surrounding areas. The event is being organized by the Chautauqua County Historian's Office, with assistance from other groups from across the county. County Historian Norman Carlson says there will be historical artifacts, plus lectures focusing on various historical topics.
There are more than two dozen historical organizations in Chautauqua County, and most will be represented at the event. In addition, each of the county's municipal historians have been invited to attend, along with all the county's public libraries. Groups and organizations focusing on genealogy will also be on hand. The expo will also include a few groups from beyond Chautauqua County's borders, including those located in Erie County and Cattaraugus County in New York, along with Erie County and Warren County in Pennsylvania. Authors who have written books focusing on local and regional history have also been invited.
There will also be four separate lectures focusing on local and regional history, scheduled to take place throughout the day. These lectures will focus on the opening of the Erie Canal and its impact on Western New York, Chautauqua County's connection to the Revolutionary War, Lafayette's 1825 visit to Western New York and Chautauqua County, and Arthur Wellington Anderson (Chautauqua County's first explicitly, though not officially designated, County Historian).
The Chautauqua County History Expo is modeled after the county's Bicentennial History Fair in 2011, along with a follow-up History Fair that occurred in 2016. A similar event was tentatively scheduled for 2021 until the COVID-19 pandemic put plans on hold.
There is no cost to attend, and the event is made possible through funding from the event sponsors, including the Jean Vandewark Olson Stowell Genealogy Research & Education Fund. Additional sponsors are also welcome.
