The steamboat Griffith is at the Point Chautauqua dock, circa 1882. Dr. Edward T. Davis III will discuss his books, which focus on the early years of boating on Chautauqua Lake and the early history of Point Chautauqua, at the Fenton History Center on June 25.

The Fenton History Center will host a meet the author event at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, at the Fenton Mansion with Dr. Edward T. Davis III.

Davis is the author of a two-volume set entitled “The Early Years of Boating on Chautauqua Lake” which contains almost 600 pages of text, mostly consisting of newspaper articles dating from 1826 through 1888, the majority of which are from the Jamestown Journal, Jamestown Daily Journal and Jamestown Evening Journal. Accompanying the articles are 280 photographs/advertisements supplied by the Fenton History Center, the Chautauqua County Historical Society, the Chautauqua Institution Archives, the Davis collection of stereoviews of the Chautauqua Lake region dating from the 1870s through 1880s and several private collectors.

The second publication is “Life in a Chautauqua Lake Resort Community: The Early Years of Point Chautauqua, New York” tells the story of the evolution of Point Chautauqua from a Baptist colony in 1875, through the years of the Grand Hotel and ending in 1930, as it settled into a quiet summer and year-round community using period newspaper articles. It consists of 320 pages with 250 photographs.

Copies of the books may be ordered at the event.