On the State and National Register of Historic Places, Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum is a remnant of the rich history of the Erie Canal. Located on and within the Old Erie Canal Historic Park and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, the site sits at the intersection of the Historic Enlarged Erie Canal and the c. 1822 Chittenango Canal. Constructed in 1855, the interpreted site preserved and rebuilt a rare 3-bay dry dock. 19th century craftsmen used the site’s three large, independently functioning bays to build and repair canal boats, maintaining and expanding this vital economic artery until the opening of the Barge Canal in 1918. Using archaeological techniques and historical information, scholars and enthusiasts preserved and recreated the site’s rich history. The interpreted site includes the original dry docks and sluiceway, a canal-side store, a sawmill, boat shop, blacksmith shop, mule stable, a walk-on canal boat exhibit, sunken canal boat remains, a nature trail to a full-width aqueduct, picnic areas, access to the Erie Canalway Trail and a modern visitor center. The museum owns and studies an adjacent 27 acre property encompassing a portion of Clinton’s Ditch, an early dry dock complex and an abandoned portion of the Chittenango Lateral canal.

Founded in 1985 by local citizens concerned with preserving heritage, the Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum is a wonderful source for historians as well as the public. Workshops, events and archaeological investigations explore the site’s history and contribute to its on-going evolution. The museum hosts fall and spring school education programs allowing students to get hands on experience of archeological techniques and tools of the canal era. The CLCBM library and archives contain a variety of books, photographs, ephemera and other artifacts, both specifically related to the Chittenango site and to the broader social, technological and economic history of the Erie Canal.

The Chester Historical Society’s mission is to promote the rich heritage of the Village and Town of Chester, Orange County, New York through the restoration and preservation of its historical places, documents and recordings of oral history. We also provide educational programs for school children, community organizations and all those individuals interested in local folklore and history and exhibit collections of artifacts, pictures, newspapers and recorded oral histories to the general public.

Our digital collections were made possible with the support and cooperation of the office of the Town of Chester Historian.

Founded in 1923, the Chemung County Historical Society is a non-profit educational institution dedicated to the collection, preservation, and presentation of the history of the Chemung Valley region. First chartered by New York State in 1947, today CCHS operates two cultural repositories, the Chemung Valley History Museum and the Booth Library. We are the largest general history museum in our region.

Open year round, CCHS tells the history of Chemung County through interactive exhibits, educational programming and lectures for visitors of all ages.

The Chemung County Historical Society is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and receives funding from the New York State Council on the Arts.

The Olean Library was opened in 1871 and is a member of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System.

The Lakewood Memorial Library was opened in 1960 and is a member of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System.

The James Prendergast Library was opened in 1891 and is a member of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System.

The Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System is a cooperative Public Library System serving 36 member libraries in a two-county area of 2,415 square miles. It is a rural area; most of its 215,222 people live in scattered hamlets and small villages. The member libraries serve populations ranging up to 31,146 but the majority serve populations of less than 4,000. All chartered public libraries in the System's service area are members of the System.

The McClurg Museum has been the home of CCHS since 1951. The Chautauqua County Historical Society was founded in 1883, making it one of the oldest societies in Western New York State. Since its inception, CCHS has been collecting and preserving the significant history of Chautauqua County. Its mission is to foster an interest in and knowledge of the history of Chautauqua County through the collection, preservation, and interpretation of objects and archives of local significance.

The mission of the Chatham Public Library is to nurture a sense of community, past and present, and advance the benefits of lifelong learning.

The Chatham Public Library was chartered in 1902 and has the special features of weekly storyhours, a local history collection, Internet access and Wi-Fi, Large Print fiction, the Chatham Courier on microfilm and online, museum pass reservations, eBooks, eMagazines and eAudiobooks, and streaming video collections. The Chatham Central School District operates the library, one of only two public libraries in NYS that are within a school district.

The Central New York Library Resources Council, familiarly known as CLRC, was formed in 1967 as one of nine Reference and Research Library Resources councils (“3Rs”) in New York State. CLRC serves libraries and library systems in four Central New York counties: Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga.

CLRC members share in the benefits of Council programs and services which are approved by a Board of Trustees elected by the Council membership. Advice and planning assistance are given by CLRC members serving on Standing and Program Committees. CLRC member institutions pay dues and actively participate in Council services including support for database building, access to regional resources, interlibrary loan, and delivery of materials among libraries. Other services available include sponsorship of continuing education events, promoting legislative efforts on behalf of libraries, and communications. Members also benefit from a variety of grant programs.