Calendar of Bicentennial Events

1. July 11, 2008 Machias Firemen's Bicentennial Steak Bake
2. July 12, 2008 Machias Town Hall 100th Birthday Celebration
3. July 12, 2008 Village of South Dayton
4. July 13, 2008 Celebrate America's Veterans at the Machias Pines
5. July 14-20, 2008 Farmersville Community Highlighted
6. July 27 - August 2, 2008 Cattaraugus County Fair
7. August 1-2, 2008 Olean Farm City Days
8. August 8-22, 2008 Bicentennial Wagon Train

   Wagon Train & Stagecoach Run (8/9-22, 2008) - A Wagon Train and Stagecoach Run is planned over a 14-day period, traveling 150 plus miles throughout the County. The Stagecoach Run will be an educational living history celebration. The proposed route includes many municipalities. There will be hands-on demonstrations at each site. Town memorabilia will be picked up along the way for inclusion in the Time Capsule. There will also be a youth contest.

   • 8/8/2008 Ellicottville
   • 8/9/2008 Ellicottville-Otto-Cattaraugus
   • 8/10/2008 Randolph
   • 8/11/2008 Randolph-Leon-South Dayton
   • 8/12/2008 South Dayton-Gowanda
   • 8/13/2008 Gowanda-East Otto
   • 8/14/2008 East Otto-Ashford Hollow-West Valley
   • 8/15/2008 West Valley- Riceville-Delevan
   • 8/16/2008 Delevan-Machias-Franklinville
   • 8/17/2008 Franklinville-Ischua-Hinsdale
   • 8/18/2008 Hinsdale-Portville
   • 8/19/2008 Portville-Olean-Allegany
   • 8/20/2008 Allegany-Seneca Junction-Salamanca
   • 8/21/2008 Salamanca-Little Valley
   • 8/22/2008 Little Valley: Lunch and Ceremony
9. St. Bonaventure University (8/7-11/2/08) - St. Bonaventure University will be celebrating their sesquicentennial in 2008. There will be a photographic exhibition at Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University from August 7 - November 2, 2008. This exhibition will feature photographs of early St. Bonaventure and around the County. Maps and etchings will be included in this exhibition. The photographs will be collected from the University archives, the archives of the Quick Center for the Arts, as well as the County Historical Museum and private lenders.
10. Community Day at Onoville Marina (August 9, 2008) - This event will be a family event held at the Onoville Marina. There will be live bands throughout the day and various vendors on site. A fireworks display will end the day.
11. September 25, 2008 A plan for the future. Ed Barlow, futurist, speaker at Premiere Banquet Center, Olean, NY
12. September 28, 2008 Salamanca Falling Leaves Festival Bicentennial Parade in Salamanca, NY
13. October 3-4, 2008 Leon Historical Society events
14. October 6-12, 2008 Randolph Community Highlighted
15. Santa Clause Lane Bicentennial Parade (November 28, 2008) - The Bicentennial Advisory Committee has agreed to work with the 2008 Santa Claus Lane Parade Committee. John Sayegh, Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, was contacted and they have agreed to partner with us for the parade activity. The County, with its bicentennial celebration, hopes to be able to embellish the already existing traditional Santa Claus Lane Parade. A bicentennial motif will be interwoven with the traditional parade activities. Themed floats and presentations will be judged using established guidelines. The date of this parade is Friday, November 28, 2008 (day after Thanksgiving). A fireworks display will mark the end of the parade. This will be the closing event for the Bicentennial celebration. There is discussion that the bell used to open the bicentennial celebration would be rung at the end of the parade for the closing of the bicentennial.
16. Time Capsule - At the end of the bicentennial, a time capsule will be placed on County property commemorating the Bicentennial. Memorabilia from 2008 will be included in this time capsule.

For more details on some of these event please visit the Bicentennial Committee Projects section.

ONGOING

County History

1. Cattaraugus County History Book
2. DVDs of postcards/pictures

DVD of “now”

Old Chautauqua Trail

1. three press releases
2. self-guided tour
3. equine trail

Tours

Amish Trails

Guide yourself or find a guide by using the Enchanted Mountains brochure: Amish Trails of Western New York

Historic Ellicottville

A self-guided heritage walking tour through the historic Village of Ellicottville, New York. Download the Historic Ellicottville Tour, File Size: 3.64 MB

Franciscan Historical Sites

The Franciscan Friars came to the United States through the efforts of Bishop John Timon of the Buffalo Diocese and Nicholas Devereux, a Utica businessman and philanthropist. They arrived in Ellicottville in 1855 and immediately set about their missionary work in the Cattaraugus County Area.

This tour visits many of the sites used or established by those early Franciscans. Download the Franciscan Historical Sites Brochure in PDF

Gowanda's Historic Walking Tour

A self-guided tour through the Historic Village of Gowanda, NY. This tour highlights 35 of more than 200 historically significant properties located in the village of Gowanda. Request the brochure "Gowanda's Historic Walking Tour"

Downtown Olean

A self-guided walking tour of Historic Downtown Olean, New York. Request the brochure of "Self-Guided Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Olean"

Historic Portville

A self-guided walking tour of Historic Portville, New York. Request the brochure of "A Walking Tour of Historic Portville, New York"

Historic City of Salamanca

Self-guided walking tour of Salamanca, New York. Train, Railroad history and more to explore! The only city in our country that is nearly all located on an Indian reservation. View the Salamanca Walking Tour

Traveling Exhibit Trailer

The Enchanted Mountains Travel Trailer will be at many events throughout the county promoting all the things to see in Cattaraugus County.