Levi Beebee

Levi Beebee was an early settler and industrialist in Watertown.

Beebee purchased land on what was then known as Cowan's Island on the Black River and land immediately north of the river. In 1827, he built the Jefferson Cotton Mills on Cowan's Island. The mill became a vast complex of stone buildings and the success of Beebee's mill proved to be the impetus for Watertown's burgeoning industrial prosperity.

Disaster struck the Jefferson Cotton Mills in 1833 when most of the complex was destroyed by fire. It was never rebuilt, and several years later, other mills were erected on the site.

Cowan's Island, which was located next to the great falls on the Black River under the Mill Street Bridge, was soon to become known as Beebee's Island, the name which is it still known by today.

Jefferson County Pioneers