[5] Chautauqua was formed on April 11, 1805, from the town of Batavia, while still part of Genesee County.

[6] The meaning of the name Chautauqua remains unknown and a source of speculation, with two longstanding folk translations being “bag tied in the middle” and “place where fish are taken out,”[7] the latter having some support based on similar words in other Iroquoian languages.

[8] In the years of the Chautauqua Institution's heyday, rail transport was the chief mechanism by which long distance travelers accessed the town.

[9][10][11] To the latter 1940s, Pennsylvania Railroad offered service at nearby Mayville, on a Pittsburgh-Buffalo route.

[15] (Clockwise) As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 4,666 people, 1,881 households, and 1,269 families residing in the town.

28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Route 394 comes from Jamestown on the western side of the lake and continues on to Westfield.