Massena, New York

3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 W ith a population of 16,729 people, the Town of Massena in St. Lawrence County, New York, is ideally situated only a few hours from the historic Canadian city of Montreal to the north, and the majesty of the Adirondack mountains to the south. Bordering the powerful St. Lawrence River, the community also offers the beauty of the winding Grasse and Racquette rivers. Massena is home to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Lock system and Robert Moses State Park, and draws camping and fishing enthusiasts, who flock to the area for annual fishing events. Prior to its establishment in 1792, the region had provided a rich hunting, fishing and foraging ground for the Iroquois people for thousands of years. At the time of settlement, Massena was known as Nikentsiake in the Mohawk language, meaning, “where the fish live”. During the 1800s, the town saw increased popularity when word spread of the sulphur mineral springs around the Racquette River, which were said to offer medicinal benefits to those who bathed in them. These springs were a main source of industry until the first hydroelectric facility was built in 1900, creating a low cost and reliable power source in Massena. This prompted new industry, bringing the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, now known as Alcoa, an aluminum production facility, which remains part of the Massena landscape today. AT A GLANCE TOWN OF MASSENA, NEWYORK WHAT: Resilient, tourist-friendly city; population approx. 16,000 WHERE: St. Lawrence County, NY WEBSITE: www.exploremassena.com www.massena.us ena York “People helping people”