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Fredonia's History    Museum Display

A Brief History of Pomfret and Fredonia, NY

The original settlement of our area was known as Canadaway, the name being taken from the Native American tongue "Ga-na-da-wa-o" meaning "among the hemlocks." Canadaway Creek is the large stream that flows through the Village and upon whose banks the early settlers built their homes.

The settlement of the area began in 1804 but the Village of Fredonia was not incoporated until May 2, 1829. For more than a century after the first vessel sailed upon Lake Erie, the forests of our area were undisturbed, except by the few adventurers and the few Native Americans who cleared a small amount of land. While the first permanent settlers of the town found but a wilderness here with only foot paths and a few Natives, there had been prehistoric Indians, then the Erie,

and then it was the Senecas that inhabited the area when the early settlers came to it. The first three men to contract land in this area: Thomas McClintock, Low Miniger, and David Eason, remained but a short time. They sold their claims to Hezekiah Barker and Zattu Cushing, who became our first permanent settlers. To these men we owe a great debt of gratitude and give credit for planning our Village, for the clearing of land for roads, and for encouraging other settlers to come. They often aided these settlers with the building of their homes. The two early missionaries, John Spencer and Joy Handy, often brought comfort to the courageous pioneers. These men were responsible for organizing many of the early churches in Chautauqua County. A great number of events, which we now recognize as of great significance, occurred before our Village was incorporated, while the settlement was still known as Canadaway. These include the presentation of the Common to the Town of Pomfret, the discovery of natural gas, the visit of General Lafayette of Revolutionary War fame, and the establishment and the building of the Academy. It was about the time of our first newspaper appearing in 1817 that the name "Fredonia" was adopted for our settlement. No one knows for sure how the Village got its present name but local legend has it that it was Judge Jacob Houghton who suggested that the name Fredonia be used. The name does appear in Spafford's Gazetteer and "The Spirit of '76". We know that there are or have been at least 10 Fredonias in the United States. The Incorporation of Fredonia in 1829 defined the boundary lines of the Village and gave in detail the powers of the President and Trustees of the local government. It also detailed how the Village elections were to be held. In 1837 the Village Charter was amended and the boundries enlarged due to the increase in the number of residents.

Fredonia is Famous For:

The Village is the site of the first natural gas well in the world and was the first village to be illuminated by natural gas lighting in 1825. Fredonia is the site of the first local organized Grange. The Village is also the birthplace of the Womans Christian Temperance Union. Many famous authors were born here. It was the home of Mark Twain's family. Fredonia is the site of the first home for aged persons in the State of New York. The Women's Christian Association (WCA) home is located on Temple Street.

The first Academy was located in Fredonia. Following the closing of the Academy in 1867, the Fredonia Normal School, nicknamed "Old Main" was established. From this came the Fredonia State Teachers College which was eventually brought into the State University of New York (SUNY) System. The recently restored Village Hall and Victorian Opera House (1891) continues to be a performing arts center throughout the many years. Over the years, the Village also has gained fame from its remarkable architectural examples. Many streets have a marvelous blend of well-maintained period styles.