Vince Martonis, Hanover Historian, shows a claw from a Deinonychus dinosaur to the Corbelli family of Ellicott at Sunday’s Busti Apple Festival. Submitted photo

Busti was once again full of history and fun for the thousands who attended the Busti Apple Festival. For many years, Vince Martonis has been promoting and displaying area and out-of-the-area history.

“We need to light the historical fires in the minds of the young so that they can carry on the work we have started,” he said. “I try to bring items like dinosaur bones and interesting fossils that kids today find fascinating. And maybe this fascination will spread to an interest in area history. Many don’t know that we have fish, tree, and other fossils in our area creeks, much older than the dinosaurs.”

Besides dinosaur bones and eggshell, Martonis displayed mammoth and mastodon teeth and many other fossils. Also on display were area Indian artifacts, many Chautauqua County bottles along with jugs and crocks from Dunkirk and Jamestown, Civil War items, Devonian fish items from Silver Creek, a photo of the Hanover Elm from the 1920s while it was still growing, an 1820s drawing of the Great Black Walnut Tree of Silver Creek, 2 large 1800s posters from Fredonia, Welch’s Grape Juice items, an 1850s poster from a Jamestown gravestone dealer, and many other historically interesting items.