Legendary Locals Of The Chautauqua Lake Region New York

From founding families in the early 1800s to contemporary conservationists in 2011, this volume celebrates a multitude of individuals who have impacted the Chautauqua Lake region. Before the armchair traveler journeys around the lake, a sampling of historians and photographers are honored for preserving its past. Subsequent chapters showcase the lakeside communities of Mayville, Dewittville, Point Chautauqua, Maple Springs, Bemus Point, Greenhurst, Fluvanna, Jamestown, Celoron, Lakewood, Ashville, Stow, and the Chautauqua Institution. Each presents several residents who aided its growth, made significant contributions, or simply remain of interest for their uniqueness.

The period from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s is fondly remembered as the heyday of the Chautauqua Lake region in southwestern New York State. It was a wondrous era, when railroads, steamboats, and trolleys transported local residents as well as wealthy and socially prominent families from Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Cincinnati, and St. Louis to their summertime destinations around Chautauqua Lake. Showcased in Chautauqua Lake Region are not only adjacent lakeside communities, industries, and occupations of the residents but also the exceptional natural beauty of the lake itself, its importance to early navigation, its recreational attributes, and its overall allure as a tourist mecca. This "pocket museum" focuses on the myriad attractions that once dotted the lake's forty-two-mile shoreline: hotels, parks, camps, picnic groves, rowing clubs, boat liveries, fish hatcheries, icehouses, railroad and trolley depots, and steamboat landings.

A geographical encyclopedia of world place names contains alphabetized entries with detailed statistics on location, name pronunciation, topography, history, and economic and cultural points of interest.

The Baby Boom generation (those born between 1946-1965) are starting to reach three quarters of a century in age. Their youth came after the Great Depression and World War II; and Americans were longing for fun activities that sports provided. Baby Boomers grew up just as television was being welcomed into average households. The youth of this generation were the first to see sports events live on TV rather than listening to them on radio or reading about them in newspapers. This new visual medium enabled this generation to react together immediately to the same athletic competition. This autobiography presents a nostalgic look at the author’s reactions to the sports events that many of his readers also witnessed. This work is also a history book whose stories detail events in a personal, readable, enjoyable way. Baby boomers and sports fans in general will have fun exploring such enticing chapters such as: How the author’s uncle became a pro wrestler to pay his way through law school. Meeting a boyhood sports idol 40 years later. Two grandsons ride in a pace car with their Papa. Meeting the only major league ambidextrous pitcher. The first T-ball game played on “artificial turf”! Author plays international basketball game in Senegal. Author beats future Supreme Court justice in basketball! Larry Bird ruins local TV sports broadcast! Author participates in prison basketball game. Running with the “Vaulting Vicar”, Bob Richards! Author’s wife meets Michael Jordon....almost! The Detective Wrestling Dentist! Golfing on the Moon! Vietnam and a remembered fallen teammate. Patrice meets Kentucky Derby winner Go for Gin. The most comfortable pole vault landing pit ever! Author Spinner was prompted to write his book after reading this quote from Toni Morrison: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”