In 1912, as a result of a severe explosion of gas in the furnace of the Sheffield school, Professor Harry Weaver was injured, though not seriously, the furnace was wrecked, the pupils and teachers badly frightened and a panic ensued. Houses were shaken in the immediate vicinity. Smelling gas and hearing a roar in the basement, Weaver, whose home was in Clarendon, investigated. He found the gas in the furnace, both on the burner and lighter, out, the roar coming from the mixer where the vapor was burning. A deafening explosion followed. Weaver was hurled back several feet and knocked down. The explosion lifted some of the pupils from their seats. No fire broke out. Order was restored, finally, through the efforts of Weaver, who declined surgical aid until this was accomplished. The school janitor was absent at the time of the explosion.
Arrangements had been made for an "open house" on Thanksgiving night in the Young Women's Christian Association rooms for young women away from home. Many times women found themselves in strange cities on such days and with visions of the home, friends constantly in mind and without friends with whom to pass the day, the time became irksome and anything but pleasant. For such strangers and for all others who for any reason were away from home the following Thursday, the association had planned this "at home." There would be a candy pull, corn popping and other Thanksgiving features and a pleasant time was assured.
In 1937, a panel discussion on How We Get A Living, the opening topic of a year's study on Our Town's Business to be conducted by the Business and Professional Women's Club, took place at a dinner meeting at the Hotel Jamestown. The discussion opened with a consideration of the basic industries of the city. Then followed a discussion of the outlook for local business and the outlook for employment. That the production of furniture had diminished and the output of metal goods increased was emphasized in the summary, indicating that the first industry of Jamestown, based on a heavy supply of timber in the region 75 years ago, was being followed by a new type of metal industry.
Plans were discussed for the Christmas opening of the retail Merchants' Association of Jamestown. Dec. 16 was when local stores would inaugurate the extension of closing time from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the Christmas shopping season. The committee had planned a colorful parade to be held on the Dec. 16, to include local merchants, their employees and several floats. Each store would be characterized by some nursery rhyme theme or well-known character such a Mickey Mouse, Little Red Riding Hood, etc. Stores would be closed and darkened from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. A cannon would sound the opening of the Christmas season at 7:30 p.m. at which time the parade would end and stores would reopen.
In 1962, the house caved in but the Pabis family of Owego, N.Y. rescued the turkey and ate Thanksgiving dinner next door. A huge elm toppled onto the family's two-story frame house as Mr. and Mrs. Leon Pabis and their four daughters were about to have Thanksgiving dinner. All escaped without injury. The 100-foot-high tree, five feet in diameter and believed to be more than a century old, was rotted at the roots and apparently succumbed to gusty wind. It split the house and destroyed many furnishings. Pabis, a policeman in this village west of Binghamton, was in the kitchen with his wife and daughters. The turkey was in the oven. "It sounded like a bomb," said Pabis. Pabis had just taken the turkey from the oven to see whether it was brown. Mrs. Pabis grabbed it as they fled through a rear door and soon they were dining with neighbors.
Youngsters turned out by the hundreds the previous day at noon to watch Santa Claus arriving in Jamestown by helicopter atop the Furniture Mart building. Santa stepped from the whirlybird which whisked him down from the North Pole. He leaned over the Furniture Mart parapet to wave to his admirers on West Second Street and later enjoyed a triumphant ride by fire truck along West Third Street.
In 1987, the final bell had not yet rung for the former Euclid Avenue School in Jamestown as a city committee would study whether the building could be used. Twelve residents attended a public hearing on a proposal by WCA Services Corp. to demolish the former school. WCA Services bought the building for $73,500 in 1983 and received landmark status for it in 1985. Although the building's standing as a historic site was meant to decrease taxes on the property, it also made it impossible for WCA Services Corp. to make renovations needed to make the building into an apartment complex.
The Lance Sargent family was homeless following a fire which destroyed their rented home on Route 353 in Dayton around 12:45 p.m. The family, Sargent, Debbie Williams and her five children, ranging in age from 4 to 12, were looking for a place to rent in the Dayton-Cattaraugus area. The family lost everything in the fire and had no insurance. The fire was caused by ashes from a wood stove that were disposed of around 10:30 a.m. in front of the home. They were blown back onto the porch by heavy winds and burned the house down. The family was away on a trip to Buffalo at the time of the fire.