No. 112.] 815 



destroying element their homes, furniture and provisions. No- 

 thing in a few hours remained to mark this site of industry and 

 business, but a single cabin, all else was a black and smoking 

 ruin. The aggregate loss from this calamity amounted to thirty 

 thousand dollars. This is one of the contingencies and ex- 

 posures to which the raanuficturing interests are subjected. 



Iron Manufactures. — The iron manufacturing business of Essex 

 CTOunty, destined to become an interest of national consideration, 

 was initiated in an humble establishment at Willsboro' Falls. 

 These works were erected in 1801, by George Throop and Levi 

 Highby, connected with Charles Kane of Schenectady, and de- 

 signed for the manufacture of anchors. They held an unlimited 

 contract for the sale of all that article they might make for a term 

 of ten years. The anchors varying from 300 lbs. to 1500 lbs., 

 were to be delivered at Troy. One or two experiments were 

 made in exporting them to Quebec, but the result was unfavora- 

 ble. It is a remarkable circumstance, that the ore used in these 

 works for the first ten years, was principally imported from Ver- 

 mont, with a few loads from Canada. " A bed at Basin Harbor, 

 owned by Piatt Rogers, was the only deposit of iron ore which at 

 that period had been developed in this whole region. Soon after 

 the close of the ten years contract the Arnold ore bed in Clinton 

 county was discovered."* At that period no knowledge, and pro- 

 bably little suspicion existed of the richness and magnitude of the 

 iron ore deposits which were hidden amid the rocks and mountains 

 of Essex county, t The fdundery at Willsboro* in addition to an- 

 chors, manufactured mill cranks, griit mill machinery, and ulti- 

 mately steamboat irons. This property passed into other hands, 

 ami was finally converted into a forge. i 



JVht/ Plates. — At an Qiirly j»eriud in this century, Mr. W. D. 

 Rose, late of Essex, erected a rolling mill on the B<'(juct, for tb« 



• Letter of Levi Hi^bbj, Esq. 



t It ifl evident, bowcrcr, from the CiillilMid [«i«it, ihat llic Idea of Ibe elSl■te^D^f (K iron ore 

 IVM ciciUHJ fct an early \>tz'uA. He refrrw, in 17M, to the f»et of tbr eotnp««9 being Appa- 

 rently affoctod by it* prejenoe. In bin joamal (if July 31, 1780, iji the followirff enti7 : "Jo- 

 fieph Oanler of Scitaate, Kbodc Itland, uffeni 0d. lawful money per ton for iron ore, and rai»o tt 

 at bis own rxjiOiuK-, !>00 to 1000 tc-nj» annually.'' On Marrh \^, 1783, the rtill rrorc definite 

 entry oocum : *' John (lilbert, owner Ikrkrhirt- Famaoc in Ltnoz, propoacv to be eoneemed so 

 iron workf, at Lake Cluunplaio, or to lay the ore at on* thillint; I^^fol ironey per ton, aod 

 nu0e it at bi« expenae. Mem — to write bim a« aoon a/ we may vafaly \\kii. the plaec.'' I 

 diM«rcr no trade of any expkration« ur farther action on the evibjeet. 



