Recently, I've been reading "The early history of the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua County, N.Y." by Dr. Gilbert Wilkinson Hazeltine (1816-1893). Printed in 1887, this book gives an outline of the early history Chautauqua County as it pertains to Jamestown and surrounding area. The town of Ellicott was set off from the town of Pomfret in 1812. It initially comprised not only the present area of Ellicott, but also the present-day towns of Poland, Kiantone, Carrol and Busti, along with the current city of Jamestown.In addition to offering some lively and colorful stories regarding the early settlement and development of the southeastern area of the county, Hazeltine also provides some details about the establishment of the county government, including one of the first court cases heard in county court back in the summer of 1811.
The story involves what could be the first bar room brawl ever to take place in Chautauqua County. It happened in Mayville with no fewer than 16 men, several of whom were scarred for life. One guy had his thumb bitten off and the plaintiff in the subsequent court case was scalped and laid up for two months afterward. The two factions were the area's early pioneers vs. a contingent of keelboatmen who were transporting supplies. It was the culmination of a series of prior altercations, including one incident where Capt. James Dunn, Portland's first settler, had his eye gouged out by a keelboatman by the name of "Valentine."
