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CLINTON COUNTY.
landing' is a hamlet, n. of the mouth of the Little Sable. The first settler was Wm. Hay, a
Scotchman, who located upon Steward’s Patent in 1772.1 The census reports 4 churches in town.2
PEATTSI1IJRCS-IS—was first recognized, as a town April 4, 1785. A part of Peru was
taken off in 1792, Beekmantown in 1820, Saranac in 1824, and Schuyler Falls in 1848. It lies
upon Lake Champlain, a little s. of the e. border of the co., and includes Yalcour3 and Crab4
Islands in the lake. The surface is level in the, e. and broken and hilly in the w. It is slightly
inclined toward the e., its w. border being elevated about 500 feet above the lake. It is princi¬
pally drained by Saranac Biver and its branches. In the e. part the soil is a clayey loam,
underlaid by Trenton limestone; in the center, a sandy loam, underlaid by calciferous sandstone ;
and in the w. a light sand, underlaid by Potsdam sandstone. Cumberland Head is a peninsula
extending into the lake and forming Cumberland Bay.5 Plattsburgh, (p. v.,j upon Cumber¬
land Bay, at the mouth of Saranac River, was incorp. March 3, 1815. It has a safe and commo¬
dious harbor, and an excellent water-power, giving it facilities for a large amount of both com¬
merce and manufactures. Besides the co. buildings, it contains a town hall,6 customhouse,7 the
Plattsburgh Academy, 6 churches, a foundery, planing mill, gristmill, 2 sawmills, and 2 tanneries.
Pop. 2,926. Upon a sandy plain, 1 mi* s. of the village and 90 feet above the lake, are situated
extensive barracks belonging to the U. S. Government.7 Cadyville, (p.v.,) upon the Saranac,
10 mi. above Plattsburgh, contains a church, sawmill, and 25 houses. Elsinore, 1 mi. above
Cadyville, contains a forge, sawmill, and a dozen houses. Salmon River (South Plattsburgh
p.o.) contains a church, starch factory, saw and grist mill, and 25 houses. West Plattsburgh
is a p. o. The first settlement was made before the Revolution, by Chas. de Fredenburgh and several
associates, under royal grants. During the war the settlers were driven off and the improvements
destroyed. In 1785 a tract 7 mi. square was granted to Zephaniah Platt and 32 associates, who
had bought up military land warrants to that amount.8 The first 3 families who settled under
this grant were those of Charles Platt, Chas. McCreedy, and Kinner Newcomb. Nathaniel Platt
was .the first surveyor and agent for the proprietors. A farm of 80 acres was offered to each of the
first 10 settlers in town.9 Rev. Benj. Vaughan preached the first sermon, in 1787; and Rev.
Frederick Halsey was the first settled minister, in 1795.10 There are 9 churches in town.12 •
SARAHTAC—was formed from Plattsburgh, March 29, 1824. It lies upon the w. border of
the co., s. of the center. Its surface is a broken and mountainous upland. The highest summits,
along the w. border, are 4,000 feet above tide. Saranac River, flowing through the s. e. part,
is the principal stream. Upon its course are several falls, affording an immense amount of water¬
power.11 -The e. part, sloping toward the river, is covered with a light, sandy soil, and the river
intervale with a sandy loam and alluvium. The soil among the mountains is sandy; but the whole
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acres, should be jointly located, a tract 7 mi. square should be
granted, including 860 acres for gospel and schools.
10 Among the settlers who received lots under this offer were
Kinner Newcomb, Jacob Ferris, Thos. Allen, John S'. Hartwick,
Derrick IVebb. Jabez Pettit, Moses Soper, Lucius Reynolds, and
Henry Ostrander. Among the other early settlers were Ichabod
Truesdale, Peter Roberts, Wm.’ Campbell, Benj. Ketchum, and
Benj. Graves, who settled at the village; Melancthon L. Woolsey,
Joh i Adams, Frederick Durant, Wm. Coe, Russell Ransom, Benj.
Mooers, Wm. P. and -Theodoras Platt, who settled on Cumber¬
land Head; Lambert Hoppin, John Stevenson, Gideon Ruger,
Joshua Hillyard, and Abm. Webb, who located on South St.:
Benj. Reynolds, Sam’l Norcross, John Roberts, and Benj. Ham¬
mond, on Center St.; Nath’l Platt, Sam'l Benson,Eliphalet Has¬
kins, Jos. Ormsbv, Benj. Vaughn, and John Wait, on North St.;
and Melancthon Bmith, Zephaniah Platt, Thos. Treadwell, Peter
Sailly, and Wm. Bailey, in other parts of the town.
11 The first ehild born was Ida Ostrander, Sept. 7, 1785; tho
first male child, Platt Newcomb, Nov. 1, 1785; the first marriage
was that of Peter Sailly and Marianne Adelaide Greille, June
8, 1789; and the first death, that of Mrs. Sailly, first wife of
Peter Sailly, Dec. 23,1786. Twelve of the original proprietors
met at the house of Judge Platt, at Poughkeepsie, Dec. 30,1784,
and took measures for the immediate erection of a grist and saw
mill and forge. These buildings were the first in town.
12 3 R. C., Bap., M. E., Wes. Meth., Presb., Prot. E., and
Union.
13 At the Saranac Falls the river flows through’ a narrow, tor¬
tuous channel, bounded by nearly perpendicular rocks, for the
space of a mi. In its course its descent is very' rapid, and aS
several places it is precipitated down precipices of 20 or 30 ft.,
and at last it plunges into a basin in a perpendicular fall of 60
feet. The ragged rocks upon the bottom and sides, and the
abrupt angles in the channel, cause the water to boil and seethe
and struggle in the wildest commotion. In high water, thou¬
sands ol saw logs float down the l iver, and in their passage
down the falls they are pitched and tossed upon the surges, or
thrown into the air like play things. |
1
Hay lived opposite Valcour Island, and witnessed the naval
engagement of Arnold, He soon after removed to Canada, but
returned in 1785. Among the other early settlers were John
Cochrane, John Howe, Isaac Finch, Abijah Ketchum, Lott and
John Elmore, Ezekiel Lockwood, Samuel Jackson, Cyrenus
Newcomb, Geo. Hayworth, Benj. Sherman, and Silas and Robert
Cochrane. The first child born was Ira, son of John Howe, in
1784; the first, marriage, that of Lott Elmore and Mary Hay,
Dec. 17,1788; and the first death, that of Wm. Hay, Feb. 28,
1779. M. Finch taught the first school, in 1790-91; John
Cochrane built the first grist and saw mill; Weed built
the first forge, and Geo. Hayworth and John Hackstaff built
the first factory. A large stone woolen factory built in 1836, by
Richard Hayworth, was changed in 1851 to a starch factory.
2
2 M. E., Cong., and R. C.
3
* This island is memorable for the naval engagement which
took place near it during the Revolution. The remains of the
schooner Royal Savage, sunk at that time, may still be seen.
4
* The sailors and marines killed in the naval battle of Sept.
11,1814, were buried upon this island.
5
t> Extensive military works were begun here in 1814, but
were abandoned upon the approach of the enemy. The State
of Vt. presented Com. MacDonough with a farm on this point,
which is still owned by his descendants.
6
Built in 1856, at a cost of $3,000. It is a fireproof brick
building, and contains a town hall, armory, and fire engine
room.
7
Thr.se buildings were commenced in 183S, and were originally
, designed to inclose a space of 600 feet square. Only a part of
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the design has been carried out. Troops were stationed here
9
until 1846, when they were sent to join the army in Mexico.
The buildings are now used by the Clinton Co. Agricultural
10
Society for its annual fairs.
11
act passed in 1781, which provided that when 61 rights, or 30,600
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