HYDROLOGY OF NEW YORK 



227 



Browftville. Jacob Brown erected a sawmill at Brownville in 

 1800 and a gristmill in 1802, but it was not until 1S06 that a 

 dam was built across Black river at this place. In 1814 a com- 

 pany was formed to construct and operate a cotton mill at Brown- 

 ville with a capital stock of $100,000. This mill Avas operated 

 with varying fortunes until about 1860. In 1820 a woolen factory 

 and various other enterprises were inaugurated. 



Watertoicn. At Watertown the first dam was built across the 

 south channel at Beebee's island by Jonathan Cowan in 1802 to 

 operate a gristmill. In 1805 Coffeen's dam was built at the lower 

 falls and about 1811 the dam at Soules island was constructed, 

 but it was not until 1835 that the large dam across the north 

 channel at the head of Beebee's island was built. According to 

 Dr Hough, these four original dams of 1802, 1805, 1814 and 1835 

 were still standing in 1854, but the flood of 1869, at any rate, 

 worked sad havoc with some of them. The present stone dam 

 across the south channel of Beebee's island was constructed in 

 1869. 



The first important manufacturing industry other than the 

 grist and saw mills was Caswell's paper mill, started in 1808. 

 This mill was the forerunner of the paper industry on Black 

 river. The machinery consisted of a small rag machine, carrying 

 about 150 pounds of rags; two or three potash kettles, set in a 

 brick arch, for boiling rags and preparing sizing; one vat for 

 making the paper sheet by sheet, and a rude standing press to 

 squeeze the water out of the pack. After pressing, the sheets were 

 taken from the pack and hung on poles to dry, and, if intended 

 for writing-paper, were afterwards dipped in sizing and again 

 dried. The entire process was worked without the use of steam 

 or bleaching material. As a substitute for calendering, the sheets 

 were pressed between boards. The output was about 150 pounds 

 of paper per day. This mill continued to make paper until 1833, 

 when it was sold to Knowlton & Bice, who had begun the manu- 

 facture of paper on a more extended scale in 1824. This firm 

 continued to be the only paper manufacturers on Black river 

 until 1854, in which year I. Remington & Sons fitted up a mill 



