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Fenton History Center
The 11th annual Saints and Sinners Lake View Cemetery Tours will be held October 1 and 8 in Jamestown’s historic Lake View Cemetery. Over the past ten years the Fenton History Center has told almost two-hundred life stories of the more than forty-three-thousand souls in the cemetery. “Jamestown’s actors and history lovers come together on this tour. The knowledgeable guides and the information provided by the cemetery and Fenton staff make the stories come alive,” says Fenton director Joni Blackman, “the community has volunteered to sponsor, act and sell tickets.” The lead sponsor is the Lenna Foundation, alon g with the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, Lind’s Funeral Home and Fessenden, Laumer and DeAngelo. The tours are on Saturdays, October 1 from 3-10 PM and October 8 from 3-9 PM. There are walking and horse-drawn carriage tours offered each day. The walking tours on October 3 are from 6-10 PM with the last tour leaving at 9 PM. The carriage tours start every hour from 3-6 PM. The walking tours on October 10 are from 3-6 PM and carriage tours from 6-9 PM leaving at 6, 7, and 8 PM. The cost for the walking tours is $10 pre-sale and $12 at the gate for adults. Children up to age 18 are $2. Fenton members are $5. All seats on the carriage tours are $18 regardless of age. Seating is limited, reservations are required.
The walking and horse-drawn tours are separate tours with different stories. The trained guides from each tour tell the stories of a dozen residents of the beautiful 1859 cemetery. From a Tuskegee Airman to a tragic drowning to a gangster era murder, there are a wide variety of stories to tell. Costumed actors will portray many of the interesting personalities. “The tours are a fun way to find out about our local history, it’s great for families – children are only $2,” says Fenton History Center Board President Rick Lundquist, “Last year we had over 600 guests, this year we are planning for over 700. We respectfully ask those interested in coming to make reservations for their chosen Saturday to make sure they don’t miss out.” The walking tours are being offered every 20 minutes on October 3 and every half hour on October 10. There is plenty of space to keep the groups to 16 people per tour group. The horse-drawn carriage tours will take 26 people per hour. A bake sale and coffee will be available to purchase during the tours. All proceeds benefit the ongoing work of the Fenton History Center to collect, conserve and tell Jamestown’s history.
Reservations are requested, please call 664-6256 and reserve your tickets. Tickets can be purchased at the Fenton History Center from 10-4, Monday through Saturday. The Fenton History Center is located just south of the Washington St. Bridge on Washington Street. Guests are asked to wear comfortable shoes, to bring a flashlight for the evening tours and to be ready to learn interesting information about Jamestown and Lake View Cemetery. For more information, visit www.fentonhistorycenter.org.
