Chautauqua Lake Steamboats

For many years it has been the ambition of a group of Chautauqua Lake steamboat historians to share their knowledge and collections with others. Whether for steamboat history or just a touch of nostalgia, we have felt that many people along the lake, both local dwellers and summer visitors, might enjoy seeing and hearing of the picturesque white fleet. Now, through the sponsorship of the Fenton Historical Society of Jamestown, New York, it has been possible to accomplish our aim with this publication.

My thanks go first to C. Malcolm Nichols, Victor E. Norton, Sr., and Victor L. Norton, Jr., the committee on publication for the Fenton Historical Society, for their encouragement and enthusiasm toward this venture. Special thanks must go to the Nortons for opening their large collection of photographs and their scrapbooks for our use, and without which this publication would have been difficult. Mr. Norton, Sr. has collected Chautauqua Lake history as it happened, and his research extends back to the very first steam boat. Mr. Norton, Jr. has kept up the collection and did all the copy photographs for this volume.

My thanks also to DeForrest W. Peterson, of the Fenton Historical Society, for not only providing the information on the pilot page, but who, many years ago, let me "help" him wheel the CITY OF JAMESTOWN on the easy courses of the lake.

You will notice that there are no individual picture credits, for the simple reason that the original photographer was rarely known. All pictures are from the Society collection, the Norton collection or from my own files.

Harold J. Ahlstrom, Editor