Jamestown, New York

19th century , founder of Jamestown Jamestown is named after James Prendergast, an early Chautauqua County settler. His family purchased in 1806 in the area now known as Chautauqua County. James Prendergast explored the area that is now Jamestown. and saw the area to be valuable, and so he purchased an additional of land in the area in 1808. In the fall of 1809, Prendergast and an employee, John Blowers, built a log cabin, which became the first building in Jamestown. Another log cabin, as well as mills and a dam, were built on the Chadakoin River later on. In 1855, a night watch was created for the purpose of looking out for fires. Jamestown was incorporated into a village in 1827 and incorporated into a city on April 19, 1886. Oscar F. Price was elected as the first mayor of the city on April 13, 1886. ==Geography==

Jamestown is southwest of Buffalo, north of Pittsburgh, and northeast of Cleveland. The Chadakoin River runs through Jamestown. Jamestown is situated at the eastern tip of Chautauqua Lake. Climate Jamestown has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb). Winters are cold and snowy, while summers are warm and humid. ==Demographics==

goods for sale in Jamestown 2020 census As of the 2020 census, Jamestown had a population of 28,712. The median age was 38.9 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.9 males age 18 and over. There were 12,641 households in Jamestown, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 29.7% were married-couple households, 24.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 34.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Historically, up until the 1980s, Jamestown comprised primarily people of Italian or Swedish descent, about 50% of the population being of Italian descent, and fifty percent being of Swedish descent. Jamestown's strong heritage is showcased at the local museum, The Fenton History Center, which boasts both a Swedish Room and an Italian Room. There were 13,558 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $25,837, and the median income for a family was $33,675. Males had a median income of $30,003 versus $20,039 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,316. About 15.8% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over. ==Economy==

The Jamestown area has a few large manufacturing plants that are major employers in this region. The area was once known as the "furniture capital of the world" for its many furniture and brass hardware manufacturers. UPMC Chautauqua is a regional hospital that was founded as WCA Hospital (Women's Christian Association) on May 23, 1885, and included a nursing school until Jamestown Community College filled the need with a two-year RN nursing program. Integrated with UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) in 2016, it has a school of Medical Technology and Radiology Technology. Jamestown General Hospital still stands on Jones Hill and is part of UPMC Chautauqua. It houses mental health units as well as physical, drug, and alcohol rehab units. The main campus of UPMC Chautauqua (formerly known as WCA Hospital or UPMC Chautauqua WCA Hospital) is located on the corner of Allen Street and Foote Avenue. Chautauqua County has over 1,500 farms. Although its primary agricultural product is milk, Chautauqua County is also the state's greatest producer of wine and jelly grapes. The area's production of Concord grapes is one of the nation's largest, second only to California. Cummins - Jamestown Engine Plant (JEP) is located six miles outside of Jamestown in the town of Busti. It is the largest single employer in the city, with more than 1,500 employees. They produce heavy duty diesel engines for agricultural, industrial, and military purposes. ==Arts and culture==

Museums • The Fenton History Center, located in the former Gov. Reuben Fenton Mansion is named for former resident Reuben Fenton, the 25th Governor of New York. • The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center is dedicated to the city's best-known daughter, Lucille Ball, and held a ceremony in honor of what would have been Ball's 100th birthday in August 2011. Washington Street Bridge has also been fully rebuilt and renovated and renamed the Lucy Desi Bridge. • The Jamestown Gateway Train Station at 211-217 West Second Street in downtown Jamestown • The National Comedy Center opened on August 1, 2018. It currently holds the personal archives of George Carlin, Shelley Berman and the Smothers Brothers. • The Robert H. Jackson Center was built to preserve the life and legacy of Robert H. Jackson while educating the community about justice and tolerance with a continuing emphasis on the Nuremberg Trials. • The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History continues the legacy of Roger Tory Peterson by promoting the teaching and study of nature, and to thereby create knowledge of and appreciation and responsibility for the natural world. Sports , home of the Jamestown Tarp Skunks Jamestown was the home city for the Jamestown Jammers baseball team of the New York–Penn League. The Jammers were the Single A Short Season affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Following the 2014 season, the Jammers announced they would be relocating to Morgantown, West Virginia. It was later announced that a new team in the Prospect League would replace the Jammers, and the team would keep the name. The Jammers played in Jamestown until 2019, when the team was moved to Milwaukee, WI. However, the franchise was donated to Jamestown Community Baseball, LLC, and has been community-owned since. The team currently plays as the Jamestown Tarp Skunks in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, with home games at Russell Diethrick Park. The Jamestown Jackals are a professional basketball team which competes in the Basketball Super League (BSL). Founded and owned by Jamestown native Kayla Crosby in 2016, the team plays their games at Jamestown Community College. The team earned national attention from a 2021 GQ exposé detailing former Division I basketball star Anthony Estes' journey from homelessness to professional basketball with the Jackals. Northwest Arena is a 1,900 seat ice arena in the city. Among the teams that have played in the arena as primary tenants included the Jamestown Rebels and Jamestown Ironmen of the North American Hockey League, the Jamestown Jets of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League, the Jamestown Vikings of the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League, the Jamestown Titans of the North Eastern Hockey League, and the Southern Tier Xpress of the North American 3 Hockey League. Jamestown High School's boys and girls basketball teams have both won numerous Sectional and Division titles, with the basketball team winning back to back Section VI titles in 2009–10, 2010–11 while reaching the NYSPHSAA Class AA State Championship in 2011. The High School football team has been to five New York State Championships, losing in 1993, and winning in 1994, 1995, 2000 and 2014. Jamestown hosted its 15th Babe Ruth World Series in August 2011. Jamestown hosted, at what is now Northwest Arena, three exhibition games prior to the start of the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Retail Chautauqua Mall is in nearby Lakewood; most of the Jamestown area's big-box stores are located just outside city limits in Lakewood and West Ellicott, a stretch between Lakewood and Jamestown known by the Census Bureau as Jamestown West. ==Government==

The government of the City of Jamestown is a mayor-council form of government. Executive branch The executive branch consists of a mayor elected to four-year terms without term limits, and the heads of the departments, most of them appointed by the mayor. Current ==Education==

Post-secondary education Jamestown Community College provides a two-year education and four-year degrees through matriculation agreements with several universities. Recent additions to the campus include a state-of-the-art LEED-certified science building and three residence halls. Jamestown Business College offered two-year and four-year business degrees. However, Jamestown Business College officially closed on February 28, 2025. Primary education Founded in 1867, Jamestown Public Schools is the city's sole school district. The district also extends into several bordering towns. Jamestown Public Schools include: Jamestown High School; three middle schools, Persell Middle School, George Washington Middle School, and Thomas Jefferson Middle School; as well as five neighborhood elementary schools: Lincoln elementary school, Fletcher elementary school, Clinton V Bush elementary school, CC Ring elementary school, and Love elementary school. The former Rogers Elementary School now functions as a Success Academy for selected Jamestown area students. A disciplinary Tech Academy, located on Fourth Street is also part of the Jamestown Public School system. The "Red Raider" Marching Band won the NY State Field Band Conference Championship in 2014, 2015 and 2018. ==Media==

Broadcast stations The following stations are licensed to Jamestown or its immediate suburbs: AM radio • WJTN – 1240 – gold-based adult contemporary music (simulcast on FM 101.3) • WKSN – 1340 – oldies FM radio • WUBJ – 88.1 – NPR news/talk (simulcast of WBFO in Buffalo) • WYRR – 88.9 – radio evangelism (SonLife owned-and-operated station) • WNJA – 89.7 – Classical (simulcast of WNED-FM in Buffalo) • WCGN – 90.9 – contemporary Christian music (Family Life Network owned-and-operated station) • WWSE – 93.3 – hot adult contemporary • WIHR-LP - 94.1 - religious (3ABN Radio) • WLKW – 95.3 – contemporary Christian music (K-Love owned-and-operated station, licensed to Celoron) • W262BX – 100.3 – country (simulcast of WBKX in Fredonia) • WHUG – 101.9 – country • WOGM-LP – 104.7 – religious (Fundamental Broadcasting Network) • WKZA – 106.9 – contemporary hit radio (licensed to Lakewood) • WRFA-LP – 107.9 – community radio TV WNYB, channel 26, is the only station licensed to Jamestown. It has no local operations and was, for all but its first three years of existence operated out of Buffalo. The station, a TCT owned-and-operated station, now operates the straight TCT national feed. Its transmitter is located well north of Jamestown, in Arkwright. Previous transmitters that had carried Trinity Broadcasting Network (W10BH) and WNED-TV (W46BA) have since been shut down. WNY News Now, based in Jamestown, operates a daily local newscast that is distributed online. Lilly Broadcasting, owners of radio stations in Warren, Pennsylvania and TV stations in Erie, Pennsylvania, signed a shared services agreement with WNY News Now in July 2021. NOAA Weather Radio • WNG541 – 162.525 (licensed to Frewsburg; operated out of the National Weather Service office in Cheektowaga) Newspapers The daily The Post-Journal is published in Jamestown. Free weekly papers distributed in the city include the Jamestown Pennysaver, the Chautauqua Star, and the Jamestown Gazette. ==Transportation==

Air The Chautauqua County-Jamestown Airport (JHW) is north of the city and provides charter air service. There is also a county-wide bus service (CARTS) and taxi service through various companies including Rainbow Cab and Uber. Rail Present-day Jamestown is on the mainline of the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad which provides freight service. A proposal to connect the Western New York and Pennsylvania to the New York and Lake Erie Railroad would allow for excursion rail service; to do so, the New York and Lake Erie Railroad would need to undergo extensive rehabilitation of the rail lines near the junction between the two rail lines at Waterboro, several miles east of Jamestown. Amtrak does not serve the area, except through contract with Coach USA to provide Amtrak Thruway service along Coach USA's existing bus route to bus Amtrak passengers to and from the Exchange Street station in Buffalo. Until 1950, two railroad companies traveled through Jamestown: • Erie Railroad – mainline passing through Jamestown (New York to Chicago), whose last trains were the Atlantic Express/Pacific Express (discontinued, 1965) and the Lake Cities (discontinued, 1970). • Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad - freight and passenger interurban train company, which went defunct in 1950. In 1976, the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad was absorbed into Conrail, and then ultimately, by Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation in 1998. The Erie Railroad's former Jamestown Station still exists and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. It is now home to a portion of the National Comedy Center which opened in Summer of 2018. An electric interurban railroad—Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad—connected all three above towns (Jamestown-Mayville-Westfield) and ran along the north side of Lake Chautauqua. The Jamestown, Westfield, and Northwestern Railroad ended passenger operation in 1947, continued with freight, then quit entirely in 1950. Its rails and right-of-way have slowly disappeared. Highways The Southern Tier Expressway (I-86/Route 17) passes to the north and east of Jamestown, with direct access to the city from Exits 12 and 13. New York State Routes 60 and 394 (Fairmount Avenue on the west side, Second Street on the east) pass through the city north-to-south and east-to-west, respectively; Route 430 begins in Jamestown and follows a westward path. US 62 passes by Jamestown to the southeast. ==Notable people==

on downtown Jamestown parking garage Business • John Jachym, businessman and sportsman • Reginald Lenna, businessman and philanthropist • Willis R. Whitney, founder of the research laboratory of the General Electric Company Entertainment and arts • Douglas Ahlstedt, opera singer • Theodore Albrecht, music historian • Brad Anderson, cartoonist • Mitchell Anderson, notable character actor • Marshall Arisman, illustrator • Fred Ball, movie studio executive, actor, brother of Lucille Ball • Lucille Ball, actress, comedian, and businesswoman; born in Jamestown and raised in nearby Celoron; two life-size statues of her are in Celoron Park • Suzan Ball, actress and second cousin of Lucille and Fred Ball • Rob Buck, founding member of 10,000 Maniacs • Nick Carter, singer, member of the Backstreet Boys • Dennis Drew, keyboardist for 10,000 Maniacs • William Feather, publisher and author • Vagn F. Flyger, wildlife biologist, one of the world's foremost authorities on squirrels • Gilbert Dennison Harris, notable geologist • Hayward A. Harvey, inventor of the Harvey process • Shawn Higbee, professional motorcycle racer • Harry Pratt Judson, second President of the University of Chicago • Laura Kightlinger, actress, comedian, writer • John Lombardo, founding member of 10,000 Maniacs • Janelle Lynch, photographer • Natalie Merchant, singer; her band 10,000 Maniacs originated in Jamestown; their gold and platinum records hang in Jamestown City Hall • The Mighty Wallop!, rock band • Pandora Boxx, drag queen, contestant on second season of reality-television series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' • Marc Parnell, author and ornithologist • Julie Anne Peters, author • Roger Tory Peterson, naturalist • Charles Pitts, radio engineer and LGBTQ+ freeform radio pioneer • Jackson Rohm, country/pop musician • Elliott Fitch Shepard, owner of the Mail and Express newspaper • Ira Spring, photographer, author • Jud Strunk, singer/songwriter • Dale Willman, award-winning journalist • Thomas B. Woodworth, newspaper publisher, lawyer Military • Charles Justin Bailey, US Army major general • Wilfred Beaver, World War I flying ace • Alfred Eugene Bradley, US Army brigadier general, chief surgeon at the American Expeditionary Forces headquarters during World War I • John B. Hayes, retired US Coast Guard Admiral and 16th Commandant of the US Coast Guard • Harriet L. Leete, Red Cross nurse in World War I • James M. Young, American Civil War recipient of the Medal of Honor Science and technology • Louis W. Roberts, microwave physicist Sports • Cheryl Bailey, Executive Director of the National Women's Soccer League • Hugh Bedient, former MLB pitcher • Walter Brown, former MLB player • Leon Carlson, former MLB relief pitcher • Stephen Carlson, NFL tight end, Chicago Bears • Parke H. Davis, football player and coach • Michael G. Foster, karate pioneer • Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner, born and raised in Jamestown • Dwight Lowry, former MLB catcher • Jim McCusker, retired NFL player • Irv Noren, former professional baseball and basketball player • Jaysean Paige, professional basketball player • Nick Sirianni, NFL head coach, Philadelphia Eagles Politics • Augustus F. Allen, former US Congressman • Alfred W. Benson, former US Senator from Kansas • Samuel A. Carlson, former mayor of Jamestown • Reuben Fenton, congressman, senator, and Governor of New York; born in the nearby Town of Carroll and made his home in Jamestown • Andy Goodell, New York State Assemblyman • Charles Goodell, former US Senator, father of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell • Mihal Grameno, Albanian rilindas, politician, writer, freedom fighter, journalist • Alva L. Hager, former US Congressman from Iowa • Abner Hazeltine, former U.S. Congressman • Robert H. Jackson, U.S. Solicitor General, U.S. Attorney General, U.S. Supreme Court associate justice and Nuremberg chief prosecutor, graduated from Jamestown High School, lived and practiced law in Jamestown from 1910–1934, was buried following an October 1954 funeral at Jamestown's St. Luke's Episcopal Church • Nick Langworthy, U.S. representative for New York • Stanley Lundine, politician, Mayor of Jamestown, Congressman, Lieutenant Governor of New York • Richard P. Marvin, former US Congressman • Francis W. Palmer, former US Congressman • William Parment, former New York State Assemblyman • Jess Present, former New York State Senator • Porter Sheldon, former US Congressman • George Stoneman, born in nearby Busti, New York, and studied at the Jamestown Academy, became a Civil War General and the 15th Governor of California • Samuel Teresi, mayor of Jamestown • Davis Hanson Waite, 8th Governor of Colorado • Walter Washington, first African-American Mayor of Washington, D.C., raised in Jamestown ==Twin towns — sister cities==

Jamestown is twinned with: • Haicheng, Liaoning, China • Jakobstad, Finland • Cantù, Lombardy, Italy • Jakova, Kosovo ==References==