Carlson has been a member of the Sons of the American Revolution for many years, including serving as a former president. In order to be an SAR member one has to be able to trace their lineage back to an American Revolution patriot. Altogether Carlson said he has found six ancestors of his that fall into this category, including a Daniel Chiles from Maine that he used to join SAR. He also noted his relation to Josiah Bartlet, who is his fifth great-grandfather. Carlson added that there is a Josiah Bartlet who signed the Declaration of Independence, but this was a different one than his ancestor, as Josiah Bartlet was a common name among the Bartlets back then.

This connection is an important one to Carlson, who said that connections to the past should be important to everyone.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Carlson said. “Why wouldn’t someone’s heritage and the past of their family, community, be important to them? The past is what shapes us and gives us the information that we act on today.”

As a part of the America 250 celebrations, Carlson said New York State is strongly encouraging each county to celebrate the American Revolution. The overall Revolution lasted from 1775 to 1783 when the Treaty of Peace was signed, so Carlson said that anniversary will be celebrated in 2032. Specifically for this year it is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and Carlson said the state is providing counties with funds to help celebrate this anniversary such as for speakers and exhibits, and to overall help counties to celebrate properly.

Submitted photo Pictured is Norm Carlson, Chautauqua County Historian and SAR member. Submitted photo

America’s 250th anniversary is important, Carlson said, because it is in the human mind and habits to review or reminisce on past years with numbers that stand out, such as 250. This will also be the first time many people alive today will have the opportunity to consider and celebrate this anniversary on a grand scale, with multiple organizations nationwide hosting events.

“It’s a splendid opportunity to learn about the past, though anytime is a good time to learn,” Carlson said. “If we’re not learning from the past, then what are we learning from?”

Also when celebrating the 250th anniversary, Carlson said he would like to see people ask the deeper questions. This includes areas such as continuing the revolution and expanding the franchise. In this case, Carlson said he would like to see people question if expanding the franchise helps produce a better government or makes it worse? He also noted the importance of voting, and that people who do not watch the news or read the newspaper still vote, and to not take for granted things like that as everyone who is able to vote is expected to be able to make wise choices. Carlson added that this is also a good time to reflect on the freedoms that people had before the Revolution that people today might not have, and what freedoms people have today that those in the time of the Revolution did not.

Carlson said people should also be reflecting on the history of democracy during this anniversary, which was first instituted in Ancient Greece by Cleisthenes, known as the father of Athenian democracy. Carlson noted that in the 1770s the idea of democracy was a radical one, as some people thought it would not work because it did not work well in Athens. In the Athenian democracy, Carlson said some things were different, such as specific rules on voting, including all adult male citizens had to vote, and a steering committee ruled, though the steering committee was not voted on, rather chosen by a lottery.

“Democracy is complex and difficult to make work,” Carlson said. “We should use this anniversary to ask deeper questions, and not just to continue advancing our ideological views.”

As the county historian, Carlson is chairman of the 2026 History Expo Committee. The history expo is set for August 2, which Carlson noted is the day after the book and paper show, and the day before Ken Burns is set to speak at Chautauqua Institution. The history expo will be heavily America 250 themed and include a lot of history. The Jamestown Harmony Express will be there, along with speakers and a few other things still in the works. Kids activities will be included, such as learning how spies operated during the Revolution. The day will include parking, food, and education. Everything is free and it will take place at the old Mayville school.

Carlson will also be in Mayville’s July 4th parade, and has been doing and will continue to do numerous repetitions of two speeches: Chautauqua County’s Connections to the Revolutionary War and George Washington’s Connections to Chautauqua County. Carlson said both are very pointedly not the same old thing people have heard before, and not what people will expect. He encouraged everyone to come out and join in to the History Expo and other America 250 events.