On a rainy June day in 1941, a boisterous parade marched along the flag lined streets to dedicate the Simon Bolivar Triangle Park. Bands played loudly, while enthusiastic crowds of American Legion companies, girls scouts, boy scouts and other civic groups marched towards the small park on Broad street.
Hundreds of people crowded into the park to hear the honored speakers. State assemblymen, county legislators, and regional leaders of the American Legion mounted the dais to address the cheering crowd. The guest of honor was the General Director of the League for Bolivarian Action who traveled from New York City to join in honoring the great South American leader Simon Bolivar. He gave a rousing speech and awarded a medal to the local post of the American Legion. A plane flew low over the gathering, dropping colorful flower petals. The crowed stood in awe as the memorial was unveiled. A bronze plaque mounted on a rock from Allegany State Park read “In honor of Simon Bolivar, Latin-American Liberator- Cattaraugus County Legion 1941.” The American Legion bank played a Bolivian hymn. Messages from the Vice President of the United States, a U.S. Senator, and the Director General of the Pan American Union in Washington, D.C. were read.
Why Simon Bolivar? Why Salamanca, New York? Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) was a Venezuelan soldier and statesman who played a central role in the South American independence movement. In the 1940’s there was a common desire to honor democracy between South American nations and the United States.
The move to honor Simon Bolivar in Cattaraugus County, New York started with Miss Margaret Hall. Originally a resident of Little Valley, Miss Hall was a resident of New York City when she began to formulate a plan to promote friendly relations between democratic Latin American countries and the United States. She enlisted the help of the Cattaraugus County American Legion, Allegany State Park, and the Salamanca Department of Parks to realize her goal. It isn’t clear what became of her, or whether she attended the grand dedication.
In 2020 there was a proposal to rename the park in honor of a beloved local teacher who died of COVID-19.