Jefferson County Pioneers



A list of personalities who shaped Jefferson County during its early years.

B
Levi Beebee - Watertown industrialist for whom Beebee Island is named.

Dr. Abner Benton - Physician and early settler in Oxbow.

Joseph Bonaparte - Brother of Napoleon Bonaparte who settled for a time in Jefferson County.

Jacob Brown - Army officer during the War if 1812 for whom Brownville is named.

Benjamin Buck - First free black settler in Jefferson County

Zachariah Butterfield - One of the first settlers of Watertown.

C
Chauncey Calhoun - Early settler, carpenter and joiner on some of Watertown's earliest structures and at Madison Barracks.

Henry Champion - Army general and namesake for the Town of Champion

Peter Chassanis - Leader of Castorland Company, who sold land in Jefferson County

Henry Coffeen - One of Watertown's first settlers.

Johnathan Cowan - Watertown industrialist, built mills on Cowan's (Now Beebee) Island

D
Jenika de Ferriet - French noblewoman for whom Deferiet is named.

Simon Newton Dexter - Part owner and namesake of the Village of Dexter.

E
Marval Ellis - Settler for whom Ellisburg is named.

F
Jabez Foster - Early Watertown businessman and judge.

G
Captain Elias Getman - An early entrepreneur in Jefferson County

John Gunn - Settler of what is today Gunn's Corners.

Samuel Guthrie - Sackets Harbor physician and inventor

H
Ezra Hounsfield - Early settler for whom the Town of Hounsfield is named.

Noadiah Hubbard - Land surveyor and first settler in Town of Champion

Orville Hungerford - Watertown resident and Congressman, instrumental in getting the railroad to Jefferson County.

I
Lotus Ingalls - Early Watertown newspaper publisher.

K
Perley Keyes - Early Watertown judge.

L
John La Farge - French settler for whom LaFargeville is named.

George Lee - Farmer and early settler in Henderson

James D. Leray - French settler for whom the town of Leray is named.

Vincent LeRay de Chaumont - Son of James D Leray for whom Cape Vincent is named.

M
Alexander Macomb - Owner of Macomb's Purchase, which at one time included most of the county.

Hart Massey - Early Watertown settler.

Dr. Isaiah Massey - Brother of Hart Massey, early Watertown settler.

P
John Paddock - Early Watertown merchant.

Loveland Paddock - Watertown businessman, builder of the Arcade.

Abijah Putnam - Army captain and first settler in Cape Vincent.

R
William Rice - Early Watertown industrialist.

S
Augustus Sackett - Lawyer, names sake of Sackets Harbor.

Abel Sherman - First Jefferson County sheriff

Robert Sixberry- Early Jefferson County Resident

Benjamin Skinner - First treasurer of Jefferson County

William Smith - Early Watertown Merchant.

Micah Sterling - Early Watertown lawyer and Congressman.

T
Harry Tyler - Famous American Weaver.

W
Otis Wheelock - Prolific Watertown architect.

Norris Woodruff - Watertown businessman and builder.

William Worth - Army office and namesake for the Town of Worth.

Benjamin Wright - Land surveyor one of the first to follow the Black River into Jefferson County.