Mayville, New York

Mayville, New York is a village on the west side of Chautauqua Lake and is the county seat for Chautauqua County.  It was settled in the early 19th century after the Seneca Indians gave up their claim to the region in 1797 with the signing of the Big Tree Treaty.

The Buffalo and Oil Creek Cross Cut Railroad (later part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system) came to Mayville in 1867.  In 1881 the Mayville Extension Railroad connected Mayville with the Chautauqua Institution, a popular summer vacation destination.

In 1887 the Chautauqua Lake Railway reached Mayville by running along the east side of Chautauqua Lake from Jamestown.  In 1904 the Chautauqua Traction Company reached Mayville via its route along the west side of the lake.

These two postcards show the lake side of the Pennsylvania Railroad depot in Mayville.  The date of the top image is unknown and the bottom postcard was dated 1910.  Notice the long pier into the lake in the top postcard.  This was used by the many steamships that plied the waters of Chautauqua Lake at the time.

This view of the station is from the street side.  The interurban electric cars of the Chautauqua Traction Company would arrive on this side of the station while the steam trains of the Pennsylvania Railroad would use the lake side.

This station was destroyed by fire on the morning of May 24, 1923.  Three railroad employees were sleeping in the bunk room on the second floor but escaped unharmed.  The fire was very intense and hotels across the street were hosed down to prevent them from catching fire as well.  While rebuilding the station the railroad raised the track level in the area by four feet to reduce frequent flooding.  The new, single-story, station was completed in 1925 and still stands today.

Railroad service to Mayville ended on December 29, 1978 when Penn Central engine 8125 left town, ending 112 years of railroad history.

Two undated photos of the tower at Mayville

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