Cattaraugus Cutlery Company Cattaraugus Cutlery Company The Cattaraugus Cutlery Company began as the New York distribution company J.B.F. Champlin and Son, founded by John Champlin and his son Tint in 1882. The Champlins expanded into knife production, and along with William R. Case and his brothers, they formed Cattaraugus Cutlery in 1886, based in Little Valley. The company hired expert cutlers from Germany, England, and other U.S. manufacturers, to produce high quality cutlery. Admiral Byrd selected Cattaraugus knives to take on his expedition to the South Pole. Over time, the Case family separated from Cattaraugus to form W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery
Don Messer Don Messer for the CBC and created a full-length stage production on "Don Messer's Violin," which was presented across Canada. In the production, the role of Messer vocalist Marg Osborne was played by Catherine MacKinnon and Leahy played the role of Messer. A fiddle purchased by Messer in 1930 for $150 sold at an auction on July 23, 2006 for $11,750 to a resident of St. Stephen, New Brunswick. The fiddle was a copy of an instrument made by luthier Antonio Stradivari from the late 1600s. Messer owned 14 fiddles in his lifetime. A plaque to recognize the former home