Fredonia Village

Chautauqua County, New York

Fredonia Village Hall is located at 9‑11 Church Street, Fredonia NY 14063.
Phone: 716‑679‑2302.

Beginnings [1]

The Village of Fredonia, originally called "Canadaway," is located in the heart of New York State's grape growing belt. First settlement occurred here about 1804, people being attracted to the vicinity by its proximity to Lake Erie and the water power afforded by Canadaway Creek. The village was renamed "Fredonia" in 1817 and was incorporated in 1829. Grist and saw mills were in operation here at an early time, but distinction did not come to the village until the first natural gas works in the country was established here in 1821. Also, for many years, Fredonia's Risley Seed Gardens were among the most extensive in the United States.

Fredonia has been and remains today primarily a residential community. The garden seed company is as-yet one of the village's largest employers; educational institutions have become an important part of village life.

Fredonia Trivia [2]

• Location of the first gas-well in the U.S.
• Location of the first farmers "Grange" in the U.S.
• Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) chose Fredonia for his mother and sister to live during the time he served as an editor for the "Buffalo Courier." The village is rumored to have been the setting for Twain's short story, The Man Who Corrupted Hadleyburg.

1. Fredonia Post Office, Fredonia, New York, National Register nomination document, 1986, prepared by Larry E. Gobrecht, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, National Park Service, Washington, D.C.
2. village.fredonia.ny.us, accessed July 2009