Jefferson
County, created in 1805 from Oneida County, was named
in honor of President Thomas Jefferson. Settlement started
as early as 1794. The economy has always been heavily
supported by agricultureparticularly dairy farmingand
by some of the oldest paper mills in the state.
The
county is located at the east end of Lake Ontario, in
a region of New York called the "North Country."
It is bordered on the northwest by the St. Lawrence River,
on the northeast by St. Lawrence County, on the east by
Lewis County, and on the south by Oswego County.
The
only city is Watertown, population roughly 30,000, located
about 80 miles north of Syracuse, Onondaga Co., New York.
Today,
the county features numerous historic and tourist attractions,
including the Thousand Islands Region and Sackets Harbor,
site of two battles during the War of 1812.
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