100 Years Ago

In 1909, a large part of the business section of Westfield was wiped out in the morning by a fire which started in the garage building at the rear of the Minton House and which quickly spread to the hotel and other buildings.

In the Journal on this evening was an appeal to the people of Jamestown from the pen of Mayor Carlson, who had the faculty of making very clear statements as to municipal problems, in regard to the purchase of the plant of the Jamestown Light and Power Company. The mayor showed the benefit that the purchase of this plant would give the taxpayers of the city. He showed that the revenues of the plant when combined with the municipal lighting system would more than meet the obligations the city would assume in the purchase. The Journal commends the mayor's communication to the people of Jamestown. It would be well worthy of careful reading and its conclusions could not be fairly controverted.

50 Years Ago

In 1959, a father of three children was instantly killed and his two companions injured when the car in which he was riding overturned on Route 60, near Peck Settlement Road, south of Jamestown. Robert Leslie Bendle, Jr., 22, of Bush Street, died within a half mile of the spot where two others were killed in a traffic mishap early the previous Saturday. Daniel Dye, 21, of Elmwood Ave., Falconer, owner and driver of the car was listed in good condition at WCA Hospital. Police said Mr. Dye was driving to Warren, Pa., at a speed of between 20 and 30 miles an hour, when his car struck icy pavement, skidded and rolled over, landing upside down.

City and county highway crews were at work coping with the snow which fell continuously over already slippery highways. More snow was forecast for the next two days. Three salt spreaders were in operation working on Jamestown streets, which were all reported passable by the Department of Public Works. No reports of impassable roads had reached the highway department, although nearly all roads in the county were reported slippery.

25 Years Ago

In 1984, a newly staged version of the live musical Cinderella would be performed by the award-winning Prince Street Players on Nov. 28 at the Palace Civic Center in Jamestown. According to a Palace news release, the Palace stage would come alive with two silly stepsisters, a handsome Prince Charming, a loving fairy godmother and the pretty heroine Cinderella. The company had toured such prestigious locations as the Helen Hayes Theatre in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Every year it seemed as if Christmas was coming earlier and earlier. Local stores had already filled their aisles with wrapping paper, cards and presents, malls had their holiday decorations set up, the city of Jamestown had its Christmas tree in place, and Santa was getting in on the act. Before the Thanksgiving turkeys even made it to the oven, Santa arrived in Falconer over the weekend to spread Christmas cheer.

10 Years Ago

In 1999, the search for a successor to R. James Gronquist as general manager of Jamestown's Board of Public Utilities was nearing an end. BPU board member David J. Switala, search committee chairman, reported at a meeting that he expected to make its recommendations public soon. Board member Philip C. Morris called for a decision to be made on a project to renovate the old Erie Railroad station on West Second Street, which bogged down after bids came in considerably higher than projected.

Hospice Chautauqua County, through its Light-A-Life Memorial Tree program, was offering a special day and time for all county residents to remember and memorialize family members and friends who have died. A ceremony was set for Dec. 4, in front of the county office building in Mayville. The brief ceremony would include a musical introduction by bagpiper Frank Wehren and other music by the Chautauqua Lake Central School Chorale. Mac McCoy would be the guest speaker for the event.