USA > New York > Cattaraugus County > Historical review of Cattaraugus County > Part 13
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suitable accommodations for swimming, diving and fishing have been made available.
The land on the west shore of the lake belongs to the county, be- ing a part of the estate occupied by the County Home. Most of it is leased to individuals and occupied by cottages.
In 1937 a huge athletic arena, consisting of a concrete stadium, a baseball field and a quarter-mile track, was built on East State Street in Olean. A gift from Mr. and Mrs. John F. Bradner of that city made the stadium possible. On the northern side of State Street, opposite Bradner Stadium, a modern swimming pool was built on ground occu- pied by a handsome city park. Bradner Stadium and the park which accompany it are close enough to the heart of the city to be within the reach of everyone. In recent years the tendency toward night baseball and night football has resulted in installation of a suitable system of flood-lights. St. Bonaventure College teams play their home football games on this field, as does Olean's baseball team in the PONY League.
In Salamanca, the land which had been occupied by a state nursery on the north side of Broad Street in Salamanca, was sold to the city for one dollar and immediately preparations were made for converting it into an athletic field. A subscription fund was begun and a baseball field of the most elaborate sort, featured by neat lawns and sandy base-paths, resulted. The landscape of the park is featured by beautiful trees, shrubbery and archways. The park was dedicated in April, 1926, Congressman Daniel A. Reed delivering the main address.
A short time later a monument was unveiled at the entrance to this park, commemorating the northern extent of Major Broadhead's march in the Indian campaign of 1778. Broadhead had marched north- ward from Fort Pitt, intending to join Sullivan and Clinton. His pro- visions ran low, however, and he returned southward after reaching a point perhaps a short distance from Salamanca. The monument commemorating this expedition was unveiled by a great grand-niece of Major Broadhead.
The valley of Zoar, mentioned previously as a supposedly "be- witched" region, has been a favorite resort for tourists in recent years. This region, together with the areas known as "the Forties" and "the Breakers" in the basin of the Cattaraugus South branch, has been proposed as the sight of a state park. The waterfalls in this area: Schoolmarm Falls, Barber-brook Falls and Connoisarauley Falls con- stitute picturesque sights especially when viewed in the spring. No definite steps have been taken as yet toward establishing the proposed state park in the Cattaraugus basin.
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The area south of the Allegany River and west of the Tuna Creek differed profusedly from other areas of the same size in the county in that it was made up almost entirely of wooded highlands. The valleys, with the exception of the lower parts of Red House Valley and Quaker Run, had never become the scene of any considerable amount of activ- ity in agriculture. Now and then a report was circulated concerning the presence of bears, bob-cats and other species of wild animals from this area, and the vicinities of Wolf Run and Quaker Run were fre- quented by hunters and fishermen.
After the close of the World War, a movement began to take root in favor of establishing a state park in this area. Former State Senator Albert T. Fancher of Salamanca was prominent in the promotion of the idea of a state park in the area south of the Allegany River, and to his efforts a large amount of credit for the movement is due. The Allegany State Park was established by an act of the legislature in 1921. The members of the state park commission were appointed by Governor Miller, with A. T. Fancher as chairman, and confirmed by the Senate early in 1922. De Hart Ames, of Ellicottville, secretary of the commission, ranks perhaps next to Fancher as a pioneer in this movement. Its area was 56,947 acres, and its boundaries, the Penn- sylvania line on the south, Tuna Creek (except at the village of Lime- stone) on the east, and the Allegany Reservation on most of the north and west. However, much of this area, while part of the park in theory, had not been acquired by the state in the early days of the park's existence. During its first years, park activities were practically limited to the Quaker Run area. General headquarters were located at Frecks, about four miles up this valley.
The formal opening of the park took place on July 30, 1922, featuring a general celebration held in the Quaker Run area.
The introduction to the park to a large number of future patrons, however, occurred in the late summer of the same year, when the Elks of Salamanca staged a gigantic outing for the children of that city. This expedition, featured by a long chain of automobiles filled with noisy, demonstrative youngsters, made its way along the Allegany River road and up the Quaker Run valley to Frecks, where the prepa- rations made by the Elks were lacking nothing in either entertain- ment or refreshments. The one dark phase of the outing came neither from ants or from rain, the traditional enemies of such occasions, but from a swarm of black hornets, occupying a convenient spot at which the erstwhile happy children made their way. Clay was believed an antidote to the attacks of these pests, and the clay on the shore of Quaker Run was heavily depleted as a result of this demand for first aid.
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During the 1920's improvements in convenience to both tourists and campers were pushed forward yearly. Governor Smith took a lively interest in the park's welfare and made a personal tour through its area. Roads were considerably improved, both as to quality and numbers, and a larger area was acquired by the state. The summit on the hills south of Salamanca became the scene of a hamlet of cabins known as "Summit Camp." An observation tower of fifty feet was built near this camp and the drive over the "Scenic Highway," leav- ing Salamanca from the south, to this point, ascending the tower, later proceeding toward the already expanding Red House area of the park, was a favorite route for visitors.
The development of the park in the vicinity of Red House valley was greatly stimulated by the construction of the lake, at the point where Stoddard Run and Meeting House Run enter Red House Creek, in 1929. This lake, occupying a basin of about 110 acres, is an example of superlative, skill in the fields of engineering and landscape archi- tecture. Its broken coast line, featured by peninsulae and capes, gives it much more of a natural appearance than the river-like Cuba Lake, in spite of the fact that the latter mentioned body is over four times as large.
A proposal that the lake be named in honor of Albert T. Fancher was rejected, probably on the grounds that the name was already firmly established at other points in the park. The lake derives its name from its principal feeder, Red House Creek.
On the southern shore of the lake, a handsome stone building of colonial style has been built which houses the general offices of the park, besides containing a museum and recreational hall. .
The death of Albert T. Fancher in 1929 was followed by the ap- pointment of William Ryan as his successor as chairman of Allegany State Park Commission. This appointment aroused the ire of some of the park's supporters in Cattaraugus County, as it represented the passing of the chairmanship from this area to the city of Buffalo. It should be remembered, however, that many of the rapidly expanding activities of the park were largely the result of patronage of citizens of Erie County.
Among the institutions which have taken the quality of perma- nence in the park are the Children's Health Camp, established by the Cattaraugus County Board of Health, Camp Turner, instituted by Bishop Turner, Camp Fancher, The Allegany School of Natural His- tory and Boy Scout and Girl Scout Camps. A more recent establish- ment which has assumed great popularity is the Camp Fire Meeting, a weekly entertainment at an outdoor amphitheatre at which various forms of amusement, such as one-act plays, group singing, etc., are held. The auditorium consists of benches with a seating capacity of
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several hundred in front of the stage, near which a "camp fire" is maintained.
During its early years of existence, both fishing and hunting had been permitted under strict regulations. At the beginning of general activity by the C. C. C. in the park, hunting was prohibited. The cur- tailing of work by this group in 1939 was followed by a general re- quest from hunters' organizations for restoration of legal hunting. The state council of parks, as well as large groups of the park's most active supporters, opposed the lifting of the ban on hunting, and a bitter controversy took place during the winter of 1939-1940 over the issue. Spokesmen for the hunters pointed out that hunting had been prohibited because of the presence of C. C. C. workers in the park and, as all the camps except one near the Red House entrance had been closed, danger to C. C. C. workers no longer should be considered as an obstacle. Likewise, they declared themselves willing to submit to a plan which would permit hunting in certain areas only, and some of their spokesmen were willing to have deer-hunting prohibited en- tirely. The amount of revenue which hunting licenses brought to the state was also brought into controversy.
On the other hand, it was pointed out that tourists and campers often visit the park throughout the fall, that both bears and deer had become surprisingly tame and friendly under the prohibition of hunt- ing, that they believed the beauty and attractiveness of the park could best be preserved by continuing this ban, and that in other parks of similar type hunting was completely out of the question. Two vacancies, including the chairmanship, appeared on the commis- sion at this time. The filling of these by raising Commissioner Thomas H. Dowd to the chairmanship and appointment of two other men from the southern tier to the commission was followed by an announcement that the ban on hunting would continue. In this stand it appears that the commission had the support of a majority of the general public, in spite of the strong stand taken by the spokesmen for the hunters.
In the two decades of its existence, the park has grown from a forsaken wilderness into one of the most frequented resorts in New York State, the center of vacationing for hundreds of campers an- nually, who find in its cool, refreshing atmosphere a pleasant relief from the confinement of city life. *
On October 1, 1940, the new bridge over the Allegany River at West Salamanca was opened amid a colorful display of ceremony. The construction of this bridge served to recall the fact that the land be- neath the structure had been the scene of an island park, locally treasured as a recreation spot, in the preceding century. Local mythology even identified it with still more ancient events, as is evidenced by the following poem written by Rev. Leon L. Wooden.
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It is uncertain whether or not Mr. Woodin intended to portray any definite historic event. The incident has some resemblance to the conference at Big Tree. The substance of the "treaty," however, has a close resemblance to the 1838 attempt of the Ogden Land Co. to purchase occupation rights to Allegany, Cattaraugus and other reservations and establish the Indians in the West.
This plan was agreed to by a number of the sachems; however, the tribesmen objected, the validity of the transaction was questioned, and the plan was superseded in time by a different arrangement.
The portrayal of Bucktooth Island as the setting is, of course, to be taken in the light of poetic license.
"Manitou" was a title of deity used by Indian tribes of the Mid-West, but not by the Senecas.
The poem is symbolical in that it shows the heartlessness and defeatism which often featured negotiations over Indian lands :
In the days that long have vanished A fairy islet lay, Where noble Allegany Winds its torturous way. Its shores which loving nature In richest robes have decked, Cleaving in twain the river that 'Till now no power had checked.
Tall trees adorned its bosom, Maple and beech and oak; The sound of beast and wild bird Alone the silence broke. Beneath its leafy cover No sun ray ever gleamed- An idol spot of shadows Where fairies dwelt and dreamed.
Here from the redskin's wig-wam Curled wreath of smoke at night Here reigned the painted warrior Preparing for the fight. Here, when the fight was over The tortured captive died; Here burned the gentler peace-pipe The council fire beside.
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And now the fire burns brightly Around each veteran chief With scar of many a conflict Brought out in bold relief. By the red flickering firelight Sat in the ruddy glare, Seneca's best and boldest- In sullen, mute despair.
Before them stood the agents, Men of a fairer race, Holding the treaty that gave areay Their homes to another race. "No," cried a fierce young warrior, "Bring not your treaties here! Think not your bullets havoc Has softened our hearts with fear."
"Manitou made the forests, Manitou made the brave; Seneca's son will leave his home Only to take his grave. Count here the scalps we've taken, List' to your women cry! Go, tell the grasping Yankee We'll fight him till we die!"
Up rose a gray old chieftain Grizzled and grim with years, Raises the smoldering calumet, Speaks, and the listener hears: "What use to longer carry on A war that is certain death? Merely to curse the conqueror With our last dying breath?"
"We children of the forest Know not their arts of war; Beaten in every battle Driven from near and far. If we destroy one army Another takes its place; Why longer wage a war that means Destruction for our race?"
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"May-hap the great white Father, So merciless in the strife, Will give to us and our children Conquered, the. boon of life. Bring here the Yankee's treaty, Brothers, I vote to sign! Manitou judge between us, Be it our land or thine!"
One by one rose the chieftains, Grim in the twilight gray, Sullen with heavy heartache, Signing their homes away. No sign of pain or anguish Breathed in their stoic pride; Silent, as fades the sunlight The Seneca Nation died.
Near the gate of our little city Lies still the fairy isle; Wasted, its mighty forests, Open to daylight's smile. Grows now the weeds and bushes Where once the great tree stood; Stilled now, the savage war-whoop That echoed through the wood.
Around, the land is fertile, Cultured by human hand, But on the council island, Now by the great bridge spanned, There dwells no human being. 'Tis said when someone sought To build thereon, the river washed The structure from the spot.
May-haps a spectre council Sits in the shadows gray, Guarding the sacred island, But be that as it may O'er-flew the gentle peace-dove O'er the white man and the red; And the isle in endless silence Hallows a memory dead.
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