History of Plattsburgh, New York, USA

PLATTSBURGH, organised April 4th, 1785; centrally distant N. from New York 319, from Albany 164, and from Plattsburg village 5, miles; surface on the E. level or gently undulating, becoming hilly towards the W.; soil clay loam, along the lake, and its culture in an improving condition; drained E. by the Saranac river flowing centrally through it, and by Salmon river near the southern boundary. Plattsburg and Cadyville are villages; the latter lies in the N. W. upon the left bank of the Saranac 9 miles W. from Plattsburg and has a saw mill, forge with 2 fires, 1 store, tannery and 12 dwellings. Plattsburg, incorporated village and seat of justice of the county and port of entry for the Champlain collection district, at the mouth of the Saranac river, on Cumberland bay, N, La. 449 42 and Long. 3° 32' E.; having the distances above given from New York and Albany; 112 miles N. from Whitehall, 120 E. from Edensburg, by the usual road, and 97 in a direct line; 13 N. of Port Kent, and 21 §...

Plattsbubq, a post-village in Plattsburg township, and capital of Clinton county, New York, is situated on both sides of the Saranac river, at its entrance into Cumberland bay of Lake Champlain, about 160 miles N. by E. from Albany. The Plattsburg and Montreal railroad connects it with Montreal, and steamboats ply to the several ports on Lake Champlain. The village contains churches of four or five denominations, 2 banks, an academy, and two or three newspaper offices. The shipping of the port, June 80, 1852, amounted to an aggregate of 6258 tons enrolled and licensed, of which 1701 tons were employed in steam navigation. It is a place of active trade, and has manufactories of cotton, wool, machinery, &c. The river furnishes extensive water-power. A battle was fought on the bay in September, 1814, which resulted in the capture of the British fleet. Population of the township, 6018.

PLATTSBURGH was first recognized as a town April 4, 1785. A part of Peru was taken off in 1792, Beekmantown in 1820, Saranac in 1824, and Schuyler Falls in 1848. It lies upon Lake Champlain, a little south of the east border of the county, and includes Valcour and Crab Islands. These islands are memorable, the first for the naval engagement which took place near it during the Revolution. The remains of the Schooner Royal Savage, sunk at that time may still be seen. Crab Island, for its being the burial place of the sailors and marines killed in the naval battle of Sept. 11. 1814. The surface of the town is level and gently undulating in the east, and broken and hilly in the west. It is principally drained by the Saranac and its branches. This river is the dividing line on the south between this town and Schuyler Falls. The soil in the east is a clayey loam, underlaid by Trenton limestone; in the center, a sandy loam underlaid by Calceferous sandstone; and in the west, a light sand...

PLATTSBURG, N. Y., Jan. 11. - The people of this village were startled at 8:45 o'clock this morning by a terrific report followed by long-continued rumbling and the smashing of windows. Fully 1,200 pounds of nitro-glycerine were exploded at the Clinton Powder Company's factory, a mile and a half from this place. The report was heard within a radius of 25 miles, and where the explosive stood there is now an immense excavation in the earth. The timbers of the building were completely destroyed, so that hardly a trace of them can be found. No one was in the building at the time. The explosion was caused by the building taking fire from the smokestack of the boiler, and the employes, having a fair warning, left the building with great rapidity. The boiler, which weighed three tons, was found over 500 feet from the spot over which it stood before the explosion. The entire plant of the company was destroyed with the exception of the magazine, which contained a small quantity of dynamite,...