150 Years
- April 8, 1875: Ashbel Bushnell, of Napoli, was engaged in delivering copies of Child’s Cattaraugus County Directory to subscribers who had previously given their names for their work. Among such was a Mr. Spaulding of the town of Coldspring. Mr. Spaulding examined the book and refused to take it on the grounds that it was not what he subscribed for. He ordered Bushnell not to leave it, but Bushnell left it nevertheless and started to leave the house. Spaulding picked up the book and threw it at Bushnell, hitting him in the back. Bushnell had Spaulding arrested for assault and battery, and he was fined $25.
April 8, 1875: The Jennie Carroll Troupe had a very respectable audience last Thursday evening (April 1), and their performance was witnessed with pleasure by all present. The drama, “Kathleen Mauvoorneen,” was as well rendered as the narrow limits of the stage would admit, Jennie Carroll, of course, taking the leading part. Her acting is good and her songs are fine.
100 Years
- April 4, 1925: Trout streams on the Indian reservation south of the river are not being closed to fishermen, Arthur Hoag, treasurer of the Seneca Nation, said this morning when questioned concerning reports that an arrangement had been entered into with the Allegany State Park Commission whereby that would be done. Mr. Hoag said he was issuing licenses to the fishermen and that he understood Walter Kennedy, one of the councillors, also was issuing licenses. Many fishermen, judging from inquiries made by them, are confused about regulations of the park commission as to trout fishing in brooks in the park.
- April 9, 1925: (SALAMANCA —) The annual meeting of the Grand Committee of Cattaraugus District No. 1, I.O.O.F., and annual district convention were held here yesterday afternoon and evening. Following the afternoon session, a grand parade was held in which 300 members participated. Mayor Horace G. Cox acted as marshal, and with District Deputy Grand Master Weagraff, headed the parade. Chief Cornplanter and his granddaughter Margaret Mosler were two characters represented in the parade.
50 Years
- April 3, 1975: Three area residents will be among the nine contestants in the April 12 Miss Cattaraugus County Scholarship Pageant: Maureen Ann Hill of Salamanca, Donna Spaulding of Ellicottville and Penny Rae Pritchard of Little Valley. All three girls plan to showcase their singing abilities for the talent presentation at the pageant.
● April 5, 1975: “Thirty-three inches and still snowing,” was the word from the Cattaraugus County Highway Dept. in Little Valley this morning as the wintry springtime storm which struck the area Thursday afternoon (April 3) continued. The Little Valley area, along with the northern section of the county appeared to be the hardest hit, while the Allegany and Olean areas measured as little as six inches overnight.
● April 7, 1975: Despite a two-hour delay, the Holiday Hippodrome Original Stage Circus performed to a capacity crowd of cheering children at the Salamanca Central High School gym Sunday (April 6). Weather conditions delayed the arrival of an equipment truck for the circus, but the performance at 4 p.m. was enthusiastically received by the 1,200-plus youngsters.
25 Years
● April 4, 2000: ELLICOTTVILLE — Area Vo-Tech students will be competing at the state VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America) Competition on Wednesday through Friday (April 5–7) in Syracuse. VICA is the largest youth organization in the nation. A majority of the student population at the Ellicottville Career and Technical Center on Route 242 are members of VICA.
● April 6, 2000: SALAMANCA — Pre-kindergarten education may be available for all 4-year-old children in the Salamanca City Central School District this fall. The goal of the state is to offer universal — or a uniform program — of pre-kindergarten instruction to all 4 year olds to get them off to a good start in the educational system, according to its guidelines.
● April 7, 2000: SALAMANCA — When the city cleans house, it really cleans house. Two vacant homes this week were swept right off their lots in an early-spring cleaning venture as part of the city’s continuing beautification effort and to rid it of broken-down structures and rubbish. “We want to do our spring cleaning early and make sure all the houses that are condemned get taken down,” said Mayor Carmen Vecchiarella.
10 Years
● April 9, 2015: CARROLLTON — The final project that stands between drivers and a smooth ride on Interstate 86 in Cattaraugus County is scheduled to begin this year.
The state Department of Transportation (DOT) is expected this spring to oversee a $22.2 million project that will rehabilitate a rough section of Interstate 86 from approximately 3 miles west of the exit at Seneca Junction to the eastern Seneca Nation of Indians boundary near Allegany. Work will pick up where it left off last year between Salamanca’s exit 21 and exit 23 Seneca Junction.
● April 9, 2015: ELLICOTTVILLE — Skiers may not have noticed much difference at the moment, but work has already started on what will become $4 million in upgrades and improvements to Holiday Valley this summer.
Crews have commenced the beginning stages of the most prominent aspect of the upgrades: realigning Holiday Valley Road and reconfiguring the resort’s parking lots for better accessibility and to make them safer.
Jane Eshbaugh, marketing director at Holiday Valley, said trees have already been removed on the northernmost part of the project, which will, in essence, move part of Holiday Valley Road north and follow where the upper-level parking lot is currently located.
