¹ Its present limits embrace No. 2, or “Leghorn,” of the
“ Eleven Towns.” It first contained Nos. 1, 2, and 3.    -

² First settled in 1800; and became the co. seat in 1805. In
1849 the business portion was almost destroyed by fire, b^t it
recovered from the disaster in 2 years,

³ The Watertown Acad, was incorp. May 2,1835, and a large
academic building was erected in a grove in the s. e. part of the
village. It was soon after merged in the Black River Literary
and Religious Institute, founded under the joint auspices of the
Watertown Presbytery and B. R. (Cong.) Assoc, in 1836. In May,
1846, its name was> changed to the Jefferson County Institute.

4 During the war a factory was built, at a cost of $75,000, for
the manufacture of cotton and woolen cloths. ‘ In 1827, Levi
Beebe purchased Cowans Island and erected upon it, an im¬
mense stone cotton factory. It had just been put in operation
when, July 7, 1833, it was burned, under suspicious circum¬
stances. The loss was $20

•>00;

and the site has since remained
a ruin. The manufactures of cotton and woolen goods, flour,
paper, iron castings, machinery, leather, agricultural imple¬
ments, lead pipe, sash and blinds, and furniture, are extensively
carried on.

⁶ Named from the wife of Samuel Whittlesey, who in 1815
threw herself from this'point into the river, and was drowned.
Her husband, a lawyer, and paymaster to the drafted militia,
had received in N. Y. the sum of $30,000, in bills, and while
returning to Watertown was secretly robbed of $8700 hy his
wife. He -was greatly alarmed, hut was persuaded by her to
keep quiet, as it would he difficult to convince the public that a
thief would have left so large a portion, and, as.they must them¬
selves be suspected of having taken a part, they might as well
keep the whole. Her logic succeeded, upon the weak-minded old
man, and before reaching home she had matured plans for con¬
cealment and evasion. He started with his portmanteau for
Oneida co., leaving appointments along the road for paying on
his return; but on arriving at Trenton he found he had been
robbed. The news of the robbery spread quickly over the
country; but the most active inquiry and very liberal rewards
failed to bring the thief to justice. On his return home he met
his family frantic with grief; hut there was an inconsistency in
his story, and upon a searching conversation, held separately,
with his two bondsmen, Perley Keyes and Jason Fairbanks, the

latter were convinced that there was fraud. By an ingenious
course of inquiry and eavesdropping, they were not only con¬
firmed in the belief, hut assured that; the family soon intended
to remove, and that summary means must, be employed to re¬
cover the money. They accordingly invited W. to take a walk,
which led as if hy accident to a lonely spot near the village,
previously prepared, where they suddenly charged him with the
robbery and threatened instant drowning unless he disclosed.
He was twice submerged and life nearly extinguished, when he
confessed and was liberated. The money was found sewed into
a pair of drawers fitted to be worn by either husband or wife,
Mrs. W. immediately after slipped away from the crowd unob¬
served, rushed down to the river, and was drowned.—Sough’s
Hist. Jeff. Co., p. 263.    ,

⁶ An Artesian well was bored 127 feet deep upon Factory
Square in 1829, and a copious supply of water was obtained,
slightly impregnated with sulphur and iron.

1 These lots are respectively 12 By 28 and 9 hy 32 rods.

³ The principal business of the village is located around the
Square and upon Court St.

⁹ Named from John ’Burr & Sons, vrho settled here in 1804.
Hart Massey built a saw and grist mill here, in 1801, for Low,
the proprietor.

¹⁰ Oliver Bartholomew came in the same year, (1801,) and in
1802, about 80 families arrived. Jonathan Cowan built the first
grist mill, in 1802, and Dr. Isaiah Massey opened the first inn the
same year. In 1803, a bridge was built near the present court¬
house. In 1805, Wm. Smith and John Paddock opened the first
store; and a dam was built across Black River the same year.
The first birth was in the family of Moses Bacon; and the first
death, that of Thornton, who was killed hy a falling tree.

n Two Presb., 2 M. E., Bap., Wes. Meth., Prot. E., R. C., Union,
and Univ.

¹² Named from Wilna, in Russia, then fresh in memory from
its battle.

1³ After affording 42 mi. of navigation, the river here com¬
mences to descend by a series of rapids, extending to the lake,
falling, in all, 480 feet. The “ Long Falls” here descend 55 feet
in a distance of 5090; and in the rapids are about 50 small
islands. The State Dam, built at this place, is 900 feet long, and
the State Bridge 500i