In 1835, Joseph Damon became both Chautauqua County’s first convicted murderer and the last man publicly hanged in New York State—a grim spectacle that drew thousands and left behind rare trial records now preserved in county archives. Chautauqua County offers a wide range of historical and genealogical records dating back to 1811.

Historical is used as the general term for describing history, such as 'the historical record,' while historic is now usually reserved for important and famous moments in history, such as 'a historic battle.'

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026 his tor ic (hi stôr′ ik, -stor′ -), adj. World History well-known or important in history: a historic building; historic occasions. World History historical (defs. 1–5).

HISTORIC meaning: 1. important or likely to be important in history: 2. A historic offence is one that was committed…. Learn more.

Definition of historic adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Define historic. historic synonyms, historic pronunciation, historic translation, English dictionary definition of historic. adj. 1. Having importance in or influence on history. 2. Historical. Usage Note: Historic and historical have similar, though usually distinct, meanings....