Our History

In 1804, Cadwallader Child, while surveying a road from the Friends' settlement to the St. Lawrence River, suggested to the proprietor that the site whereon now stands this village was both desirable and eligible for the purpose of a port, whereupon, at the direction of Mr. LeRay, a mile square of land was reserved from the salable territory of the town that a village might be established at some future time. No further improvement was made until 1818, when Edmund Tucker laid out a village plat, and at the same time the proprietor erected a tavern and a store building.

In 1878, the people determined to incorporate the village, and accordingly a census was taken which found the proposed district to contain 638 inhabitants, The necessary land surveys were made, and included within the limits about 930 acres of land, being about 390 acres of mainland, about 50 acres of Pullman's, Welcome, Nobby, Friendly, Rye, Maude, Florence, Hart?s, Gussie and Steamboat Islands, the Isle Imperial and the Manhattan Group, and also about 90 acres under the water of St. Lawrence River.

On October 22, 1878, a special election was held to determine the question, and by a vote of 29 to one against, the measure was carried.