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Before the division of the town of Brownville it included the present towns of Lyme, Cape Vincent, Orleans, Clayton, Pamelia, and a part of Alexandria, Le Ray, and Theresa.
The present limits of the town include thirty-three thousand nine hundred and ninety-four acres of land almost wholly under cultivation. It is a valuable town for agricultural purposes. The land is rich, strong, and productive, and well adapted to general farming. There is very little waste land in the town. Timber has been left to meet the requirements of the farm, giving to every farm its wood lot. The timber is principally beech, maple, hickory, basswood, ash, and elm. There are sections where pine and hemlock were found, as well as cedar. These latter varieties served a most valuable purpose for the early settlers for building and fencing.
Limestone is abundant for building and fencing purposes. It crops out in many places, particularly along the banks of Black river, presenting an interesting and singular appearance, its worn surface and deep fissures indicating the action of water at an early period.
The town is divided up into about 350 farms, averaging less then 100 acres each, ranging from 50 to 200 or more acres. The productions are hay, wheat, oats, barley, corn, and rye, and potatoes more than sufficient for home consumption; oats, barley, and hay so much in excess as to be a source of revenue. Hops are raised to a limited extent, but the principal articles of export are butter and cheese, almost every farm of one hundred acres keeping from ten to fifteen cows. Most of the milk is taken to cheese-factories, which are conveniently located over the town to meet this demand.
Farms are well fenced with boards, rails or stone wall, and divided into lots of ten or fifteen or more acres. The farm buildings are good, plain, and substantial, many of them of modern styles, with the surrounding grounds well laid out. The older barns are gradually giving place to a better class, both as to style and convenience. The farming population as a class are intelligent and enterprising. The inhabitants of the town are a reading and very generally a church-going people. There are ten church edifices in the town, so situated as to be convenient of needs to the inhabitants. There are twenty school districts in the town, each having a commodious school-house.
By a vote of the town, under the “local option law,” the sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage has not been permitted for the last three years.
There are five post-offices in the town, viz.: at Brownville village, Dexter, Perch River, Limerick, and Pillar Point,--that at Brownville being a “money-order” office.
Railroad facilities are afforded by the Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburgh railroad, which passes through about eight miles of he town, with stations and substantial buildings at Brownville village and Limerick.
The assessed valuation of the real estate of the town in 1876 was $1,656,000. The personal property was assessed at that date at $176,430. The census of 1814 credited one slave to Brownville. This was probably Sylvia Robinson, the slave of Thomas Bowlsby, brought by him from New Jersey. “Old Sylvy,” as she was called, said, “she didn’t know how old she was; guessed she was about a hundred years old;” and her bent form and trembling limbs indicated an advanced age. Her face was a familiar one upon the street in days gone by, but her remains now rest in the village cemetery.
In 1840 the list of revolutionary pensioners for Brownville was, John Baxter, aged 88; Walter Wilson, 85; Selah Burton, 79; David Rimiston, 93; John P. Beecher, 78.
In 1849 the Dexter, Brownville and Pamelia plank-road, five miles and twelve chains long, was commenced, and completed October 5, 1850, but was long since abandoned. In its place, between Brownville and Watertown, a very substantial macadamized road has been under the management of Alanson Skinner for many years. Since his death (the lease having expired) the road has been given up to the towns of Watertown and Brownville.
In 1852 the Cape Vincent branch of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburgh railroad, connecting at Watertown , was completed, passing directly through the village of Brownville.
Transcribed by Holice B. Young from Jefferson Co. History by L. H. Everts.
Copyright January 2000 by Sherrye Luther Woodworth