In 1794, George Washington promised the Seneca Nation that their land in the Allegheny Valley would be theirs forever, but floods and pollution in Pittsburgh caused later generations to renege on his promise.

In the 1920s, a fire ravaged Gowanda and left only a pile of rubble where its grand Opera House once stood. The community was devastated, but a local businessman was waiting in the wings to construct its next great movie playhouse. 

In 1859, businessman and philanthropist Nicholas Devereux joined Bishop John Timon and a group of Franciscan Friars to found St. Bonaventure's College. A century and a half later, SBU still thrives in the Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County.

The sprawling Cattaraugus County campus provided state-of-the-art TB cures in the early 20th century.