﻿HYDROLOGY 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  225 
  

  

  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  region. 
  In 
  regard 
  to 
  Watertown 
  township, 
  he 
  

   states 
  therein 
  : 
  

  

  Township 
  No. 
  2, 
  on 
  Black 
  river, 
  is 
  situated 
  about 
  three 
  miles 
  

   from 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  This 
  river 
  is 
  navigable 
  for 
  batteaux 
  

   about 
  1% 
  miles, 
  but 
  yet 
  with 
  considerable 
  difficulty 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  

   ascended 
  2y 
  2 
  miles. 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  There 
  are 
  excellent 
  mill 
  sites 
  along 
  

   Black 
  river, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  noted 
  on 
  the 
  map, 
  and 
  many 
  more, 
  

   which 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  note 
  with 
  certainty, 
  as 
  the 
  river 
  the 
  

   whole 
  distance 
  of 
  the 
  town 
  is 
  very 
  rapid 
  except 
  at 
  the 
  northeast 
  

   corner 
  for 
  about 
  three-quarters 
  of 
  a 
  mile. 
  The 
  river 
  is 
  very 
  rocky 
  

   along 
  the 
  whole 
  distance 
  and 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  bed 
  of 
  limestone 
  

   rocks. 
  

  

  Settlements 
  began 
  in 
  Watertown 
  township 
  on 
  the 
  site 
  of 
  the 
  

   present 
  city 
  of 
  Watertown 
  in 
  March, 
  1800, 
  three 
  families 
  having 
  

   arrived 
  at 
  that 
  time, 
  and 
  these 
  were 
  the 
  only 
  ones 
  remaining 
  

   during 
  the 
  ensuing 
  winter, 
  although 
  many 
  visited 
  Watertown 
  

   during 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1800 
  on 
  prospecting 
  tours, 
  who 
  subse- 
  

   quently 
  settled 
  there. 
  The 
  precise 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  region 
  began, 
  

   therefore, 
  in 
  the 
  fullest 
  sense 
  with 
  the 
  nineteenth 
  century. 
  1 
  

  

  According 
  to 
  Dr 
  Hough, 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Watertown 
  township 
  was 
  

   doubtless 
  suggested 
  by 
  the 
  extraordinary 
  amount 
  and 
  convenience 
  

   of 
  its 
  water 
  power, 
  for 
  which, 
  Dr 
  Hough 
  says, 
  it 
  will 
  compare 
  

   favorably 
  with 
  any 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  State. 
  " 
  To 
  this 
  cause 
  may 
  be 
  

   mainly 
  attributed 
  its 
  early 
  and 
  rapid 
  growth 
  and 
  the 
  superiority 
  

   in 
  wealth 
  and 
  business 
  which 
  it 
  enjoys 
  far 
  beyond 
  any 
  other 
  place 
  

   in 
  the 
  county." 
  

  

  Watertown 
  is 
  the 
  county 
  seat 
  of 
  Jefferson 
  county. 
  According 
  

   to 
  the 
  census 
  reports 
  the 
  population 
  of 
  the 
  township 
  in 
  1800 
  was 
  

   119; 
  in 
  1810, 
  it 
  was 
  1841; 
  in 
  1820, 
  2766; 
  in 
  1830, 
  4768; 
  in 
  1840, 
  

   5027 
  ; 
  in 
  1850, 
  7201 
  ; 
  in 
  1860, 
  7567. 
  In 
  1869 
  the 
  city 
  of 
  Water- 
  

   town 
  was 
  erected 
  from 
  territory 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  townships 
  of 
  

   Pamelia 
  and 
  Watertown. 
  In 
  1870 
  the 
  population 
  of 
  the 
  city 
  of 
  

   Watertown 
  was 
  9336, 
  the 
  population 
  of 
  the 
  township 
  being 
  in 
  

   that 
  year 
  1373; 
  in 
  1880, 
  the 
  population 
  of 
  the 
  city 
  was 
  10,697 
  

   and 
  the 
  township 
  1264; 
  in 
  1890, 
  the 
  population 
  of 
  the 
  city 
  was 
  

  

  *For 
  early 
  history 
  of 
  settlements 
  on 
  Black 
  river 
  see 
  Hough's 
  History. 
  

  

  