By, Kent Mathewson
Saturday May 25, The Chautauqua Town Historical Society is hosting an open house from 1pm- 5pm, at the Mayville Depot Museum, 16 Water Street, Mayville Lakeside Park. The museum is open 1-5pm Friday-Sunday, during the summer season: Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends. While admission is free, modest donations are appreciated.
The event will feature the launching of the museum’s new touch-screen video display system. A series of 18 short videos (approx. 10 mins each) will be shown. They are edited from full videos produced by Chautauqua Town Historian Devon Taylor, covering a number of local historical topics. These include: a survey of “126 Years of Historic Mayville: A Pictorial Tour,” “Chautauqua County Historical Markers,” “The History Stored in the Mayville Cemetery,” “Ice and the Ice Industry,” and a selection from John Luensman’s series “Chautauqua Lake, Past, Present, and Future,” produced for Access Chautauqua (formerly Access Channel 5) under the direction of Chuck Kelsey and assistance of Chris Burt.
The current campaign to upgrade the museum would not be possible without the generous support of local foundations. The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation’s $10,000 lead grant has underwritten the video display system. The DFT Communication/RMM Golf Tournament Community Betterment Fund has provided $1,500 toward fiber optic installation and broadband internet service. The Lake Shore Savings Bank Community Reinvestment Program has contributed $1,300 for the purchase of a computer, printer and associated software. Future funds will be sought for an outdoor touch-screen video kiosk. With these gifts, the museum has rapidly moved into the 20th century! (if not quite the 21st…).
In addition to the continuous video show, the Museum’s holdings will be on display. The Museum houses numerous artifacts related to former Mayville residents and businesses. Its archives also have selected holdings of genealogical material. Some of the representative artifacts include an early printing press from the Mayville Sentinel, and early voting booth, ice harvesting and ice fishing equipment, the Sea Lion room featuring artifacts, including a brass cannon, from the famous replica of a 16th century English three-masted sailing ship. The walls display numerous framed historical photos of local sites and artifacts. Whether a quick dip, or a serious immersion, a museum visit promises fascinating historical views and insights on Mayville, and its surrounding region.
Today, the museum occupies one half of the former Mayville railroad depot. The original two-story depot was built in 1871. It served the regular rail service that passed through Mayville. In 1923, the original depot was destroyed by fire, not an uncommon occurrence for Mayville’s commercial buildings. In 1925 a new one-story depot was rebuilt in the same location. Train service ceased in December 29, 1978, thus ending 112 years of rail service in Mayville. During the first century that the depot was in full operation, a number of notable figures passed stopped there, various politicians including Presidents Teddy and Franklin D. Roosevelt, presidential candidate Alf Landon, magician Harry Houdini, and the Liberty Bell. Over the past forty-five years, various community-oriented concerns have occupied the depot building.
The museum moved into the ticket office and passenger waiting room on east side of the former depot in June, 1979. The freight room occupied the west side of the building for most of its history. As rail service declined in the 1960s and early 1970s, the west side was rented by Chautauqua Malted Milk, Inc to store 100-pound bags of malted milk. Later, Access Channel 5, the public television station, set up shop there. Following this, the Rails to Trails and Historic Vessels had offices there. The last occupant was Susan Giannantonio, local artist who maintained a studio and taught classes there. Currently, it is unoccupied, but various plans are afoot to make use of this prime space for one or more civically-oriented activities or functions.
The railroad came to Mayville in 1866, and started regular service in 1867. Mayville was a major stop on the line that went from Oil City, PA to Brocton, NY. There, it linked with the Buffalo to Erie lines, and in turn, to the formerly vast North American rail system. Mayville, the county seat, benefited greatly this new accessibility and transport. It spawned the ice business, stoked tourism, and allowed for furniture manufacturing. According to some accounts, by the late 1880s, Lake Chautauqua, with its twenty-odd tourist hotels, its fleet of steam ships, and its rail links to major Eastern cities, became the number one tourist destination in the United States. Side trips to Niagara Falls were often included in the Lake Chautauqua package tours.
Currently, Mayville is undergoing revitalization and revival. The village recently received $675,000 in funding to enhance The Landing Plaza near the Chautauqua Belle steamship, build a new kayak/canoe launch, make improvements to the waterfront multi-use trail system. On the village’s main street, several vacant store fronts have been recently purchased, and new businesses projected. In the last few years, several main street properties have welcomed new businesses, including The Mayberry Jungle florist shop and Handcrafted From the Heart, a gift shop. New restaurants have also been launched. Music for Your Mouth, a music-themed restaurant is garnering recognition beyond the region. She Sings Cafe, another music-themed restaurant, recently opened at the lower end of town, adding to the new-business momentum. Close by, Webb’s Year-Round Resort complex of hotel and miniature golf, was sold in April, soon to be renovated. Within the coming year, Tim Hortons is slated to open a new location in the village center. It will occupy the site of the former Mayville Diner, destroyed in an arson fire. And Mayville now supports its own local food truck, The Best of Buffalo by Bryon, usually stationed outside the Mayville Depot.
A number of local businesses will be sponsoring the open house with contributed door prizes. These businesses include: Andriaccio’s Restaurant; Art Cloth & Craft; Boxcar Barney’s Ice Cream; Bellini Lounge; The Best of Buffalo; Big Inlet Brewing; Brazil Lounge; Brigiotta’s Farmland Produce; Chautauqua Golf Club; Chautauqua Liquor & Wine; Evergreen Outfitters; Fenton History Center; Haff’s Acres Farm; Handcrafted From the Heart; Heirloom Restaurant at the Athenaeum; Johnson Estate Winery; Lakeview Restaurant; Lighthouse Grocery; Mayville VFW Post 8647; The Mayberry Jungle; Music for Your Mouth; National Comedy Center; Portage Hill Art Gallery; She Sings Café; Truffle Honey Eatery; Webb’s Candies; Webb’s Miniature Golf; Willow Run Golf Course.
There will be drawings throughout the afternoon, and at the close of the event, there will be a final “crescendo drawing,” with all the remaining prizes. Light refreshments will be served.