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JEFFERSON COUNTY.
works in repair. In 1832 a canal, for hydraulic purposes, was completed from Huntington’s Mills,
above Watertown, to Sackets Harbor; but in about 10 years it was abandoned.1 Dr. Samuel
Guthrie, one of the discoverers of chloroform, and inventor of the percussion compound for firearms,
which has superseded flints, resided at Sackets Harbor. A Union school was established in the
village in 1840. There are 5 churches in town.2
LE RAY 3—was formed from Brownville, Feb. 17, 1806. Antwerp was taken off in 1810, a
part of Wilna in 1813, and a part of Philadelphia and Alexandria in 1821. It is an interior
town e. of the center of the co.- The surface is level, or gently rolling, and the soil is principally
a clayey loam. ' A strip of barren sand, once covered.with pine, but now almost a desert, extends
along Black River. The streams are Black and Indian Rivers, Pleasant Creek, and several
small brooks, lie Raysvtlle4 (p.v.) contains 22 houses. Evans Mills5 (p.v.) is situated
on Pleasant Creek and the P. & W. R. R. Pop. 410r Sandfords Corners^ (p. v.,) on the
P. & W. R. R., contains a dozen houses. Rlack River,6 a village of 50 houses, is partly in
this town. The first settlement was made in 1802, by a party under Benj. Brown, agent for Le
Ray.7 Le Ray removed to this place in 1808, and began a liberal system of settlement, by opening
roads and building bridges and mills. The census reports 6, churches.8
LORRAINE9—was formed from Mexico, March 24, 1804, as “Malta.” Its name was
changed April 6, 1808. Worth was taken off in 1848. It is the central town on the s. border of
tlie co. The town is elevated, and is underlaid by slate and traversed by immense gulfs. The
• surface is rolling, and the soil is a clay and loam. It is mostly drained by Sandy and Skinners
Creeks. Lorraine, (p.v.,) the only village, contains about 30 houses. Settlement was begun
in 1802, by James McKee ahd Elijah Fox.10 The State Road from Rome to Sackets Harbor was
laid through this town in 1804. A sulphur spring is found on the farm of Totman. The
town has 2 churches, Bap. and M. E.
LYME11—was formed from Brownville, March 6, 1818. A part of Clayton was taken off in
1833, and Cape Yincent in 1849. It lies upon Chaumont Bay, in the w. part of the co. The sur¬
face is very level. The w. border is deeply indented by Chaumont Bay12 and its branches. The
soil is principally clay. There are several sulphur springs in town. Near Chaumont are extensive
and valuable limestone quarries.13 Chaumont (p.v.) is situated upon the bay at the mouth
of'Chaumont River. Pop. 306. Three Mile Ray14 (p. v.) lies upon a bay of the same name.
Pop. 295. Point Peninsula (p. o.) is a scattered settlement containing 25 houses. The first
settlement was begun under Jonas Smith and Henry A. Delamater, agents for Le Ray, in 1801.15
The first location was 2J mi. above Chaumont; but in 1805 the settlers removed to the site of the
present village. During several years much sickness prevailed; but this gradually disappeared
as the co. became more settled. In 1812 the inhabitants, numbering about a dozen families, built
a blockhouse, which was taken and destroyed by the enemy. The first church (Bap.) was organized
in 1816.16
ORLEANS—was formed from Brownville, April 3, 1821. A part of Pamelia was taken off
April 1, 1829, and a part of Clayton in-1833. The boundary between Orleans and Alexandria has
twice been changed. It lies on the n. border of the co., and embraces the w. part of Wells and
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Cols. Electus Backus, Timothy Dix, Jr., and John Mills, Maj.
tfohn Johnson, Capts. Ambrose Spencer, Jr., and Joseph Nichol¬
son, and Lieut. Michael P. Vanderventer, officers who had been
killed or had died of sickness during the war, were collected, and
buried in one grave. A monument of painted pine boards was
erected to their memory by a grateful country; but it soon
rotted down, and there is now a strong probability that the
place of their interment will be forgotten.
1 This canal was 20 feet wide at the top, 12 at the'bottom,
and 4 feet deep.
2 M. E., Prot. E., Presb., Christian, and Seventh Day Bap.
s Named for James Le Bay de Chaumont, the proprietor.
4 The land office for much of thb land in the co. N. and E.
of the river was located here uniil 1835, when it was removed
to Carthage. P. S. Stewart has been the agent many years.
6 Named from Ethni Evans, who built the first mill in 1805-06.
« This village is locally known as “ Lockport.” A trace of
an ancient Indian fort was found nearit; another 1 mi. n. ; and
another near Sandfords Corners.
. I Among these first settlers were David Coffeen, Dyer Bhodes,
Gershom. and John Matoon, Joseph Child and sons, Thomas
Ward, William Cooper, and Benj. Kirkbride. The first child
born wqs Abi Brown; the first marriage, that of Jonas Allen
dnd Sarah Dyke; and the first, death, that of Chester Ballou.
Margaret Comstock taught the first school.
8 Bap., Eriends, M. E., Presb., R. C., and Union. |
9 This town embraces “ Atticus,” or No. 1, of the Boylston Tract.
1° In the following year; Comfort Stancliff, Benjamin Gates,
Seth Cutler, John Alger, and others, came in. McKee and Fox
kept the first inn. Mr. Frost built the first sawmill, and Mr.
Cutler the first grist mill, in 1804; The first death was that
of A. M. Child, killed by a falling tree;
U Name selected by Eben. Kelsey, a native of Lyme, Conn.
12 Name derived from Le Ray de Chaumont. Upon old maps
this bay is named “ Niahoure,” “ Niaoure,” and “ Nivernois
The last name is probably derived from that of the Due de
Nivernois, a French nobleman.
13 The limestone quarries of this place have furnished largo
quantities of stone for the piers at Oswego, locks on the canal,
and for other public works.
14 Name given from its being 3 miles w« of Chaumont. This
bay is celebrated for its fisheries. In 1856, $90,000 worth of
fish were taken, consisting principally of “ ciscoes” (lake her¬
ring) and whitefish. It has been the seat of considerable ship
building.
13 Among the first settlers were Richard M. Esselstyn, T.
Wheeler, Peter Pratt, and Jonas, David, and Timothy Soper.
James Horton was the first settler on Point Salubrious, in
1806.
1® The census reports 6 churches; 2 M. E., 2 Bap., Presb, and
Free W. Bap. |
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