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Photo: Pubdog (talk), Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
First built in 1861, the former First Congregational Church serves as the Town of Otto's local history museum, named in honor of the town historian who supervised its founding. Historical photos, records, old clothing, Civil War artifacts, and biographical displays of prominent Ottonians populate the walls, shelves, and display cases.
First Congregational Church of Otto, now known as the Medora Ball Historical Museum, is a historic Congregational church building located at Otto in Cattaraugus County, New York. It was built in 1861 and is in a vernacular Italianate style. The building served as a hub of religious and social life in this rural community. An original steeple was removed in 1917 after being severely damaged by a tornado. The church underwent a major remodeling in 1925. The last regular church service was held in 1946. In 1969, the building was deeded to the Cattaraugus Area Historical Society. It was renamed in 1994 the Medora Ball Historical Museum, after the Otto town historian.
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Hewing to the old-school definition of "cutlery" as essentially any sharp-edged tool, the American Museum of Cutlery displays antique knives, swords, axes, and other implements from pre-Columbian times through today that tell the story of how cutlery contributed to American history — as well as the story of the Cattaraugus Cutlery Company, which was once based in the nearby town of Little Valley and was the only cutlery company in the U.S. to exhibit at Buffalo's Pan-American Exposition of 1901.
Covering two floors in a handsome brick building in the village center, this large museum contains an assortment of historical artifacts relating to the Civil War, railroad and industrial history, genealogy, and everyday life in the 19th century. The highlight is a hand-carved Statue of Liberty that toured the country during the American bicentennial celebration in 1976.