The man who built the first log-house in Cape Vincent on the mainland was Abijah Putnam; and it stood about two miles below the railroad depot. This was in 1801. Some traces of the old site of the village which he founded and named Port Putnam are still visible. In 1804, Mr. Putnam sold his property to John Macombs and Peter Sternberg, from NewYork, who made improvements immediately, and drew the plan for a prosperous town. On of the original maps of Port Putnam, now in the possession of Mr. William Esseltyn, indicates that it was to be in the form of a parallelogram, with a public square of five or six acres, and public buildings sanding on the upper side of it, facing the water. As a matter of curiosity, the names of the streets may be given. Parallel with the river were Water street, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh streets. Pleasant street was also laid down on two sides of the square. Intersecting these at right angles were Green, Montgomery, Herkimer, Washington, Jefferson, Clinton and Hancock.

The chief business of tht day is made known by what Messrss. Macombs and Sternberg said of the advantages of Port Putnam over other towns in this new region. To vary the language of the map a little they stated:

This site was subsequently abandoned through the influence of Mr. Le Ray, who caused a piece of ground to be surveyed, in 1811, on Gravelly Point, where stood five or six houses, and named it Cape Vincent, after one of his sons. Millen's Bay was then known as Hubbard's Bay; Clayton was called French Creek; Depauville, Cat Fish Falls; Dexter, Fish Island; and Carthage, Long Falls. The original survey of Cape Vincent, however, was not followed when it was incorporated. (Jefferson County History, by L. H. Everts, 1878)