Bemus Point Circa 1950s
Italian Fisherman When Owned by the Dalpra Family
This vintage black and white top photo of Bemus Point shows the village's main intersection without the blinking red light that we all have come to know in recent decades. Through the years that crossroads has seen many different businesses which included the Pickard Hotel and Warden's as seen in this photo. Warden's eventually became the Italian Fisherman and the Pickard Hotel became the Surf Club with its neon blinking sign. Today it is the Ellicottville Brewing Company (EBC) and the Surf Club sign has become a piece of nostalgic history for its current owners.
The quaint village of Bemus Point has changed through the years as have most villages in one way or another throughout our county. In the above top photo one can see the empty Southeast corner. On that corner a beige stucco gas station was eventually built and later became a quaint gift shop that featured pastel vintage-looking bicycles. In the photo one can also see a small gazebo located on the lawn which later became the site of the Bemus Bay Pops property and the floating stage where numerous tribute bands performed each summer season until the summer of 2017.
View from the Fish Tank
Pat Locke, Maestro Muse
