Tour the Historic Ruins of Rossie’s Factories & Industrial Sites

Join historian John Austin for an exploratory tour of the remains of what once a thriving industrial center in St. Lawrence County- Rossie, NY. David Parish first built a home in Rossie in 1810, establishing the county’s first iron blast furnace in 1813. In the 1830s, lead ore was discovered in the town, resulting in several major lead and iron ore processing facilities that operated until the 1860s. The demand for skilled workers led to a bustling economy in Rossie- a village verging on cityhood, complete with schools, doctors, dentists, coopers, blacksmiths, casket makers, milliners, slaughterhouses, bowling alleys, grist mills, a chair factory and a popular hotel. By 1865, however, ore deposits were depleted, and manufacturing ended. The population of Rossie dwindled and today only fragments of the grandeur of the mid-19th century remain. The tour will cover a distance of approximately 1 mile. Some sites will be visited on foot, and some by car. Walking and good shoes are required to fully view all stops, as some of the building remains are located along the riverbank and/or through fields, across uneven ground.