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History of Champlain, NY
FROM: Gazetteer and Business Directory
OF Franklin and Clinton Counties, N. Y. For 1862-3.
Compiled and Published By Hamilton Child, Ogdendburg, NY 1862
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CHAMPLAIN CHAMPLAIN was formed March 7, 1788. Chateaugay (Franklin County) was taken off in 1799, and Mooers and Chazy
in 1804. It is the nprth-east corner town of the County and lies upon Lake Champlain. Its surface is generally
level with a slight inclination towards the lake. The Great Chazy or Champlain River flows in a winding course,
nearly twice through the town and discharges its . waters into King's Bay. It is navigable to Champlain village
for vessels of light draught. Corbeau Creek, its tributary, is the other principal streani. Point an Fer (Fire
Point) and Stony Point are two capes projecting into the lake. The soil is a clay or clayey loam. Champlain Village,
upon the Chazy river, near the north line of the town, is the seat of the Champlain Academy, two founderies, one
of them for the manufactory of car wheels, a linen factory, planing mill, carriage factory, several stores and
an excellent hoteL It is an important station on the O. R R. A large amount of lumber carried east by the O. R.
R. is shipped here. Perry's Mills (P. O.) is a lumbering station upon the Chazy in the north-west corner of the
town. Rouses Point, named from Jacques Rouse, a Canadian who setled here in 1783, is upon the lake in the north-east
corner of the town, it contains three churches, a brewery, and extensive depots and repair shops, belonging to
the Ogdensburgh R. R. It is divided into the Upper and Lower villages, the latter being the largest. This village
has grown to importance since the completion of the Rail Road. The passenger.and freight Depots are among the largest
structures of the kind in the State. The east end of the Depot building and the upper part of the same building
were for several years, occupied as a Hotel, but it has been discontinued of late, the east end being now occupied
as Offices of the R. R. Express, and Telegraph Companies. A Rail Road bridge a mile long with a floating draw of
300 feet opened and shut by steam crosses the lake to Vermont. Fort Montgomery is situated about one mile north
of the village upon the banks of the lake. This fort commands the enterauce to the lake. The fort has been building
since 1814 or 15, but is not finished yet. The work was pushed vigourously the past year, and no doubt will soon
be completed. The Champlain and St. Lawrence R. R. Co. (Canadian) erected at great expense a pile bridge of a mile
in length between the Lower and Upper village, and at the latter place built a large and expensive depot and wharfes,
but the experiment proved a failure for the greater share of the carrying trade tended towards the O. R. R. depot,-after
a short time their improvements were abandoned, and they now occupy the O. R. R. Depot. |
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