Fire and Ice
Chautauqua Lake was home to a bustling ice harvesting industry in the 19th century. On exhibit are ice harvesting equipment and tools used on Chautauqua Lake.
Early firefighting was done one bucket at a time. In 1828 a fire engine, as shown in the exhibit, was put into use. It was cranked by hand, and pulled by hand. The photo on the left shows the final run by a horse drawn engine on July 2, 1927. The Eagle Hose Co., shown in the photographs, was the largest firehouse and located near the Fenton Mansion. Jamestown suffered major fires in 1861, 1871, 1910 and 1922. Jamestown’s first professional fire department was started in 1911 following the Gokey Shoe factory fire of 1910.
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