Reference Credit and Photo Courtesy of Fenton Historical Society

Did you know that the documented history of passenger steamboats on Chautauqua Lake dates back to the 1820s? The first such boat, named “Chautauque” (an early spelling of our region’s name), was a side wheel-propelled boat launched in May 1828. Throughout the remainder of the 19th century, about 30 of these smaller steamboats were on the lake providing passenger travel. In 1863, the first of many, much larger steamboats appeared. This steamboat, named “Chautauqua”, was of double-decked design and 120 feet in length. From then up thru the 1920s, there were at least 15 known large passenger steamboats in operation at various times. The largest by far was “Nettie Fox” (later renamed “Jamestown”). It was 175 long, propelled by a stern paddle wheel and traveled the waters of Chautauqua Lake from 1875 to 1892. The era of steamboats on Chautauqua Lake as a mode of travel to the many destinations had all but disappeared by about 1930. This fate ran parallel to that of the resort hotels and passenger rail service along the lake as private ownership of automobiles became more widespread across the U.S. Pictured is the “Jamestown”; formerly the “Nettie Fox”, navigating up the Chadakoin River.