The Potsdam sandstone forms one of the finest building materials in the world. Specular iron ore is found in this county in immense quantities, and is largely manufactured. The magnetic and bog iron ores are also quite abundant. Graphite or black lead is found in several localities. Lead exists in vast quantities in the neighborhood of Rossie. Zinc and copper occur frequently. Marble, serpentine, and other forms of carbonate of lime are deposited in various parts of the county; steatite or soapstone is plentiful. The other principal minerals are phosphate of lime, sulphate of barytes, quartz crystals, Brucite, talc, pyroxene, hornblende, asbestus, feldspar, albite, Labradorite, mica, spinel, tourmaline, zircon, Babingtonite and sphene.

SOIL AND VEGetable ProductTIONS. The greater portion of the land is of excellent quality. The soil consists of a dark vegetable mould, often underlaid with lime and marl, and is very productive of grasses, grains, &c. Much of the county is yet covered with dense forests of oak, beech, maple, basswood, butternut, ash, elm, hemlock, white and Norway pine. In the marshes white cedar, tamarack and black ash, are the principal trees. From the maple, large quantities of sugar are manufactured.

PURSUITS. The people are chiefly engaged in agriculture. Great numbers of cattle are reared, and much attention paid to the products of the dairy. They are becoming interested in manufactures, which at present are mostly limited to flour, lumber, fulled cloths, potash and leather.

Commerce. The commerce of the county is increasing in value and importance. Ogdensburgh is the principal port. The shipping of the Oswegatchie district amounted, in 1845, to about 1500 tons.

STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Butter, cheese, potatoes, oats, corn, peas, wheat, sugar, wool, potash and lumber.

SCHOOLS. There were 402 common schools in the county in 1846, taught an average period of seven months each, and attended by 22,263 children. The teachers were paid $22,023. The libraries contained 33,191 volumes.

The number of select schools was twenty-three, with 303 scholars; of academies, four, with 346 students.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Presbyterians, Methodists, Congregationalists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Universalists and Roman Catholics. Total number of churches, seventy-five; of clergymen, 125.

HISTORY. The French erected a fort at Oswegatchie, in this county before 1740, which they named Fort Presentation. This fort was captured by General Amherst, in 1760.

The first permanent settlement in the county seems to have been made in 1796, by Judge Nathan Ford, at Oswegatchie. At that time the Oswegatchie Indians had a village near his settlement, and attempted several times to drive him away, but without success.

The next settlement was made at Canton, by

Mr. Stillman Foot, in 1799. These were soon succeeded by others, mostly from New England, and a line of settlements was speedily formed along the river. Much of the land in the county is held by the Messrs. Van Rensselaer, Gouverneur Morris and other wealthy capitalists.

During the late war with Great Britain, some interesting incidents occurred in this county. On the second of October, 1812, the British, in retaliation for the destruction of a large quantity of their stores at Gananoque, Canada, by Captain Forsyth, commenced a heavy cannonade upon Ogdensburgh, from their batteries at Prescott, a Canadian village, on the opposite bank of the St. Lawrence. They continued the cannonade for two days, and on Sunday, the fourth of October, attempted to storm the town.

For this purpose, about 1000 men were embarked in forty boats; as they approached the American shore, General Brown ordered his troops to fire upon them. They did so, and for two hours the British attempted to land, but the galling fire of the Americans was too severe to be endured, and at length they were compelled to retreat to Prescott, with the loss of three boats and a number of men. The American force engaged in this contest, was only about 400 men.

On the twenty-first of February, 1813, the British again attacked Ogdensburgh with a large force, and, though encountering the most determined resistance, succeeded in driving out the American troops, and capturing the village.

Two schooners, two gunboats and the soldiers' barracks were destroyed, and the enemy returned to Canada. The army of General Wilkinson embarked for the campaign of the autumn of 1813, from Morristown, in this county. Since the war, the increase of population in this county has been exceedingly rapid. Its population has nearly quadrupled in twenty-five years; and from its extraordinary facilities for manufactures, mining and agriculture, its future growth must necessarily be rapid.

In 1838, this county and the Canada shore opposite, was the scene of some of the exploits of the Canada Patriots, (so called.) The battle of Prescott was fought at Windmill Point, nearly opposite Ogdensburgh, and several of the citizens of New York, who had aided "the Patriots," were taken prisoners and executed, and others banished to Van Dieman's Land.

ANTIQUITIES. In the town of Gouverneur, is an ancient Indian fortification, consisting of an embankment, enclosing three acres, and containing some remains of rude sculpture.

VILLAGES. CANTON village is the county seat. It is situated on Grasse river, and contains besides the county buildings, an

academy, and some manufactories. A fine wooden bridge, with three piers, crosses the river here. Population, 1300.

Ogdensburgh, in the town of Oswegatchie, and at the mouth of Oswegatchie river, was incorporated in 1817. It is a flourishing village of about 4000 inhabitants. It has an academy in a very prosperous condition. It is at the foot of sloop navigation on the St. Lawrence, and is the terminus of the proposed Ogdensburgh and Plattsburgh railroad.

Potsdam, incorporated in 1831, is the seat of the St. Lawrence academy, a chartered institution, with two large stone edifices, each four stories high. It has also several manufactories. Population, 1200.

Rossie is celebrated for its valuable and inexhaustible lead mines. Population, 800.

Brasher's Falls, on the rapids of Deer river, is finely situated for manufacturing purposes.

Waddington is a manufacturing village in the town of Madrid. It was incorporated in 1839, and is rapidly increasing in population. A bridge connects it with Ogden's island, in the St. Lawrence. Population, 600.

Gouverneur is the coldest place in the state. Here is located the Gouverneur Wesleyan Seminary. Population, 600.

it on either side, to an altitude of 1200 or 1300 feet above tide water, and presents a pleasing diversity of beautiful valleys and hills.

RIVERS. The Seneca outlet is the principal stream, connecting Seneca and Cayuga lakes. The Clyde crosses its north

eastern corner.

FALLS. The Seneca outlet has a descent of forty-seven feet, at the village of Seneca Falls.

LAKES. The lakes are Seneca and Cayuga.

CANALS. The Erie canal passes through the town of Tyre, in the north-east corner of this county, and the Cayuga and Seneca canal crosses the county, through the towns of Seneca and Waterloo, connecting the waters of the Seneca and Cayuga Lakes, and the Erie canal, at Montezuma.

RAILROADS. The Auburn and Rochester railroad passes through this county, most of the distance running parallel with Seneca outlet and canal.

CLIMATE. Mild and temperate. The situation of the county between two considerable bodies of water, prevents the long continuance of snow in winter, and essentially modifies the climate. It is considered healthy.

GEOLOGY AND MINERALS. The rocks of the northern section of this county, belong to the Onondaga salt group; those of the central, to the Helderberg limestones; and the southern to the Ludlowville shales of the Erie group.

Gypsum, or plaster of Paris is found in extensive beds near Seneca falls, and is largely exported. Variegated marble occurs near Seneca lake. Petroleum or Seneca oil is found floating on the Seneca lake, and on springs near it. A pool twenty feet in diameter, near Cayuga, constantly gives off nitrogen gas in large quantities.

SOIL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS. The soil is mostly a calcareous loam and mould of excellent quality, and well adapted to wheat and grass. Fruit is cultivated to a considerable extent, and attains great perfection. Oak, maple, beech, elm, butternut, and in the highlands, pine and hemlock, are the principal forest trees.

PURSUITS. The people are largely engaged in the culture of wheat and grass, and the rearing of cattle.

Manufactures are increasing. The principal articles are flour, cotton and woollen goods, distilled liquors, and leather. Commerce. The county has considerable commerce, both by way of the Seneca and Cayuga lakes, and by the Erie canal. Gypsum and agricultural products are largely exported.

STAPLE PRODUCTIONS. Wheat, oats, corn, hops, plaster of Paris, wool and butter.

SCHOOLS. In 1846, there were 110 common schools, taught, on an average, nine months each, and attended by 8065 children. The teachers' wages amounted to $13,022, and the district libraries to 14,956 volumes.

There were also twenty-two select schools, with 298 scholars, and three academies, with 248 students.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Dutch Reformed, Episcopalians, Friends, and Roman Catholics. The whole number of churches is thirty-eight, of elergymen, forty-six.