OLEAN

Hamilton Terrace

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C.N. Lodge & Co. announced in the Times Herald newspaper that Hamilton Terrace, consisting of 18 lots “on the south side of the Hamilton Country Club grounds” would be available for inspection on June 12, 1910 ①.  The subdivision was developed by Caleb N. Lodge, an Indianapolis real estate dealer who was "for many years associated with Grafton Johnson… ②.”   It was located in the Town of Olean and included a total of 68 lots on Hamilton Avenue, and Wood and Terrace Streets.

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Lodge sought to attract prospective buyers to the subdivision with an appearance by Dorothy DeVonda, described in a local newspaper advertisement as "The champion Lady Balloonist of the world  ③."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her thrilling routine was elsewhere later described as: 

 

"Dorothy DeVonda, young and fair, who will make a balloon ascension every day to the height of 2000 feet, and drop from the balloon at that altitude by means of a parachute, performing on a trapeze as she goes up by the balloon. She has a dog, also, which goes up with her, sometimes, and drops by a parachute of its own... ④."

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By 1928, Hamilton Terrace was referred to in newspaper records of real estate transactions as a "Grafton Johnson subdivision" ⑤.  In fact, the deed for Lot #45 was signed and transferred by Johnson, as well as containing the following racial covenant:  

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​Fair Park

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N.P. Dodge and Company purchased 28 acres of the former fair grounds in West Olean in January of 1924 and subdivided the property into 148 lots on 17th, 18th, and 19th Streets ⑥.  At the time, the portion of the subdivision north of Sullivan Street was left unplotted.  An additional 42 lots north of Sullivan appear on the revised plat map that was filed on July 15, 1924 ⑦. 

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Nathan P. Dodge, Jr., signed and transferred a deed for lot #311 in the Fair Park Addition that included the following racial restrictive covenant:

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Fairfax Addition

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In 1924, N.P. Dodge also opened the Fairfax Addition "half way between Olean and Allegany ⑧."  The subdivision was comprised of X lots "between State Road and Cranberry Road or Willard and Franklin streets ⑨,” and was in fact located in the Town of Allegany.  Prospective buyers were promised that lots would "double in value in two years' time" due to their close proximity to where "a million dollar seminary" [Christ the Kind Seminary, associated with St. Bonaventure University] was soon to be built ⑩.

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Like nearly every other lot sold in a N.P. Dodge and Company addition, lot #29 was transferred with a deed signed by N. P. Dodge, Jr. and included an explicit racial covenant, as evidenced below:

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Kingston Addition

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In 1928, N.P. Dodge acquired “the Johnson Estate at the head of King Street in East Olean” and subdivided it into 203 lots in the new Kingston Addition.  The development included Hubbard, Johnson, Prospect, and Deleware [sic.] Avenues, Park Drive, and Queen, King, and Gulf Streets.

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According the an advertisement in the local Times Herald newspaper, every lot in the subdivision was "restricted to white people… ⑪” and this was legally enforced through deeds that included racial restrictive covenants such as that below found in the deed for lot #161 and which bears the signature of N.P. Dodge, Jr.:

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①  Times Herald (Olean, NY), June 10, 1910, p. 6.  Accessed via newspapers.com

②  "Caleb N. Lodge Dies in West," The Indianapolis Times, Sept. 17, 1945, p. 4.  Accessed via https://newspapers.library.in.gov

③  Times Herald (Olean, NY), June 10, 1910, p. 6.  Accessed via newspapers.com

④  "Fair Will be Hummer," Arizona Republican (Phoenix, Ariz.), September 24, 1911.  Accessed via https://www.loc.gov/item/sn84020558/1911-09-24/ed-1/.

​⑤  Times Herald (Olean, NY), September 27, 1928, p. 11.  Accessed via newspapers.com

⑥  Times Herald (Olean, NY), January 12, 1924, p. 39.  Accessed via newspapers.com

⑦  "Revised Map Fair-Park Sub Division City of Olean," Map #431 plates 1 & 2, Office of the Cattaraugus County Clerk, Cattaraugus County, NY).

​⑧  Times Herald (Olean, NY), July 6, 1927, p. 15.  Accessed via newspapers.com

⑨  Times Herald (Olean, NY),  June 11, 1924. p. 13.  Accessed via newspapers.com

⑩  Times Herald (Olean, NY), May 11, 1925, p. 2.  Accessed via newspapers.com

⑪  Times Herald (Olean, New York), July 20, 1928, p. 3.  Accessed via newspapers.com

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© AUGUST 2026