Olcott Beach was
founded by Burgoyne Kemp. It was known as Kempville. However,
a Thomas Olcott owned much of the property there and,
sometime after 1820, had the hamlet named after himself.
Unfortunately, this is all I could find online. But, I do
know my grandmother and mother would often reminisce about
the days when Olcott beach was a resort town. In it’s hey day
between the turn of the century and the late fifties it was
the place to be with amusement parks, a beach, and hotels. As
a child, I remember going to New Rialto Park to ride the
rides and although it was still a busy place, the area was
dying. In the 80’s other than a few people hanging around
Krul Park, it looked like a virtual ghost
town.
However, today, Olcott Beach
has a full service marina, beautiful parks, interesting shops, good
food and lodging, with a long tradition as a place for all forms of
water recreation. Olcott Beach Carousel Park, Inc. is a
not-for-profit corporation that was formed for creating an historic
amusement park reminiscent of the 1940-50’s era. Located on the
site of an original 1940’s amusement park, between Main and Ontario
Streets in Olcott, it has once again become a focal point for
family gatherings. See http//newfane-olcott.com for more
details.