History
Ellington Town Picnic
“As American As Apple Pie”
by Roger Gilbert
Welcome to the Celebration of the Ellington Town Picnic! You are part of a proud tradition that dates back to 1905. By the year 1912, there were so many town picnics in Chautauqua County that a county wide committee was formed just to schedule dates for picnics so there would be no conflicts in scheduling. Unfortunately many of those town picnics did not survive. But our picnic has survived through bad economic times, as well as good, through two World Wars and five bitter military conflicts and through good weather and some not so good.
What has caused our picnic to be successful when so many others failed? Townspeople came forward to serve on committees, plan events, and were always looking for something new and interesting to present. Thank you to all the people who have served on the committees over the years.
What was life like in Ellington when our first town picnic was held? Life was not so difficult as that experienced by our first settlers in 1812. Theodore W. Case was Town Supervisor. George G. Gilbert was Postmaster. Nationally, Albert Einstein was working on his “Theory of Relativity.” Orville Wright flew the Wright Flyer III on October 4, 1905 in Huffman Prarie, Ohio; while Wilbur looked on. A library in Brooklyn, NY had just banned as unfit reading material Mark Twain’s “Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn.”
In Ellington, people were beginning to have more time to enjoy leisure activities. Some town residents felt there was a need for a town picnic.
The first picnic was held at Lawrence Grove on the property of Inez and Wight Lawrence on Thornton Road. The grove was called “One of the beauty spots of old Chautauqua!” People came in their buggies bringing well filled picnic baskets. After lunch there might have been speeches by dignitaries, but the major attraction was a baseball game with the men in attendance, cheered on by their ladies. In 1907, rain caused the speeches to be held in the Congregational Church. From 1909 to 1914 our town picnic was held on Wednesday or Thursday of the week. In those early years a race was scheduled between a horse and a car. The 1924 poster for the town picnic lists an automobile parade at 11:00am. First prize was $10, second place $7. However, Ford cars (apparently a separate category) were awarded $7 for first place and $3 for second place. Baby contests were scheduled. Band concerts also became a tradition at picnics; often featuring Ellington’s own “Citizen Band,” organized in 1899, or later, the “Park City Band,” organized in 1915.
In 1923 the main feature of the picnic was a wedding ceremony taking place at high noon in the town park. The picnic was still held at the Lawrence Grove. The couple received $50 from the Town Picnic Association. It was reported that the newly weds separated after approximately one week of marriage.
By that time, there were numerous events scheduled: parades, dignitary speeches, contests (car races, foot races, greased pig contest, nail driving, and ball throwing contest for ladies, tug of war, running races and ever popular ball games with local teams). A dance was held in the evenings at the Odd Fellows Hall. In the 1920’s a bus line had special schedules for the town picnic.
The 1925 or 1926 picnic featured the landing of an airplane at Lawrence Grove. The grand finale was a stunt man
standing on the top wing of the biplane in a flyby.
The town picnic was held at both the Lawrence Grove and the Town Park for several years, finally settling upon the Town Park as the location for the picnic. Residents thought the park was the ideal location; convenient, a shaded grove with a bandstand, and with convenient parking.
Over the years the Ellington Town Picnic continued popular events, but also tried adding new events too: horse shows, plays, dinners, wood cutting and chain saw contests, parades, bicycle parades, water battles, kiddie rides and contests, and special shows at the bandstand.
The Ellington Town Picnic was not held in 1943 and 1944 due to everyone’s involvement in the war effort. The Town Picnic was expanded to include a celebration of the Ellington Sesquicentennial in 1974.
“As American As Apple Pie”
by Roger Gilbert
Welcome to the Celebration of the Ellington Town Picnic! You are part of a proud tradition that dates back to 1905. By the year 1912, there were so many town picnics in Chautauqua County that a county wide committee was formed just to schedule dates for picnics so there would be no conflicts in scheduling. Unfortunately many of those town picnics did not survive. But our picnic has survived through bad economic times, as well as good, through two World Wars and five bitter military conflicts and through good weather and some not so good.
What has caused our picnic to be successful when so many others failed? Townspeople came forward to serve on committees, plan events, and were always looking for something new and interesting to present. Thank you to all the people who have served on the committees over the years.
What was life like in Ellington when our first town picnic was held? Life was not so difficult as that experienced by our first settlers in 1812. Theodore W. Case was Town Supervisor. George G. Gilbert was Postmaster. Nationally, Albert Einstein was working on his “Theory of Relativity.” Orville Wright flew the Wright Flyer III on October 4, 1905 in Huffman Prarie, Ohio; while Wilbur looked on. A library in Brooklyn, NY had just banned as unfit reading material Mark Twain’s “Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn.”
In Ellington, people were beginning to have more time to enjoy leisure activities. Some town residents felt there was a need for a town picnic.
The first picnic was held at Lawrence Grove on the property of Inez and Wight Lawrence on Thornton Road. The grove was called “One of the beauty spots of old Chautauqua!” People came in their buggies bringing well filled picnic baskets. After lunch there might have been speeches by dignitaries, but the major attraction was a baseball game with the men in attendance, cheered on by their ladies. In 1907, rain caused the speeches to be held in the Congregational Church. From 1909 to 1914 our town picnic was held on Wednesday or Thursday of the week. In those early years a race was scheduled between a horse and a car. The 1924 poster for the town picnic lists an automobile parade at 11:00am. First prize was $10, second place $7. However, Ford cars (apparently a separate category) were awarded $7 for first place and $3 for second place. Baby contests were scheduled. Band concerts also became a tradition at picnics; often featuring Ellington’s own “Citizen Band,” organized in 1899, or later, the “Park City Band,” organized in 1915.
In 1923 the main feature of the picnic was a wedding ceremony taking place at high noon in the town park. The picnic was still held at the Lawrence Grove. The couple received $50 from the Town Picnic Association. It was reported that the newly weds separated after approximately one week of marriage.
By that time, there were numerous events scheduled: parades, dignitary speeches, contests (car races, foot races, greased pig contest, nail driving, and ball throwing contest for ladies, tug of war, running races and ever popular ball games with local teams). A dance was held in the evenings at the Odd Fellows Hall. In the 1920’s a bus line had special schedules for the town picnic.
The 1925 or 1926 picnic featured the landing of an airplane at Lawrence Grove. The grand finale was a stunt man
standing on the top wing of the biplane in a flyby.
The town picnic was held at both the Lawrence Grove and the Town Park for several years, finally settling upon the Town Park as the location for the picnic. Residents thought the park was the ideal location; convenient, a shaded grove with a bandstand, and with convenient parking.
Over the years the Ellington Town Picnic continued popular events, but also tried adding new events too: horse shows, plays, dinners, wood cutting and chain saw contests, parades, bicycle parades, water battles, kiddie rides and contests, and special shows at the bandstand.
The Ellington Town Picnic was not held in 1943 and 1944 due to everyone’s involvement in the war effort. The Town Picnic was expanded to include a celebration of the Ellington Sesquicentennial in 1974.
History of the Ellington Town Picnic 2
Written in 1970 by Marion Bagg
The first Ellington Picnic was held in August 1905. It was then called “The Town Picnic and Reunion of Students of Ellington Academy.” The Students’ Reunion was later dropped and a separate organization was formed for Students of Ellington Academy and High School, known as “Ellington School Mates Reunion.” It was strictly a Picnic, people and families came to the park bringing their own food and sat on the ground in regular picnic fashion to eat it.
This was horse and buggy days and there was no electricity in the town, so it was a day time affair. In 1914 electricity came to the community. Soon electric lights were made available in the park and later the Picnic Ass’n enlarged its activities to a talent show given the evening before the picnic. The best talent was used in the program on the following picnic day, which practice is continued at the present time. Parades of different kinds of floats were held some years and a speaker was employed, but the speaker generally made a political speech, which wasn’t appreciated by the general public as the Town Picnic was a nonpartisan affair so speeches were discontinued.
During World Wars I and II no picnics were held. Presently, the Ellington Town Picnic is held on the first Saturday in August of each year.
There are various sports, contests, a variety show, ball games and water battles. One of the high lights of the picnic is the baby show. Over fifty babies were entered in 1970. A judging team of three ladies judge the babies in various categories and prizes are given to the winners in various activities. There are many concessions operated mostly by various organizations in the town. The day’s activities are concluded by a dance in the I.O.O.F. Hall.
The Ellington Town Picnic is operated by the Ellington Town Picnic Association as a nonprofit organiztion. If they make enough money each year to pay expenses and have a little extra for a fund to draw on in case of a rainy day (which sometimes occur) they feel well repaid for their efforts. Their slogan “A Full Day of Fun and Entertainment – Come and see old friends and make new ones.”
Written in 1970 by Marion Bagg
The first Ellington Picnic was held in August 1905. It was then called “The Town Picnic and Reunion of Students of Ellington Academy.” The Students’ Reunion was later dropped and a separate organization was formed for Students of Ellington Academy and High School, known as “Ellington School Mates Reunion.” It was strictly a Picnic, people and families came to the park bringing their own food and sat on the ground in regular picnic fashion to eat it.
This was horse and buggy days and there was no electricity in the town, so it was a day time affair. In 1914 electricity came to the community. Soon electric lights were made available in the park and later the Picnic Ass’n enlarged its activities to a talent show given the evening before the picnic. The best talent was used in the program on the following picnic day, which practice is continued at the present time. Parades of different kinds of floats were held some years and a speaker was employed, but the speaker generally made a political speech, which wasn’t appreciated by the general public as the Town Picnic was a nonpartisan affair so speeches were discontinued.
During World Wars I and II no picnics were held. Presently, the Ellington Town Picnic is held on the first Saturday in August of each year.
There are various sports, contests, a variety show, ball games and water battles. One of the high lights of the picnic is the baby show. Over fifty babies were entered in 1970. A judging team of three ladies judge the babies in various categories and prizes are given to the winners in various activities. There are many concessions operated mostly by various organizations in the town. The day’s activities are concluded by a dance in the I.O.O.F. Hall.
The Ellington Town Picnic is operated by the Ellington Town Picnic Association as a nonprofit organiztion. If they make enough money each year to pay expenses and have a little extra for a fund to draw on in case of a rainy day (which sometimes occur) they feel well repaid for their efforts. Their slogan “A Full Day of Fun and Entertainment – Come and see old friends and make new ones.”