Editing Depauville, New York (section)

== History ==
In 1784, the [[Oneida people]] ceded all territory to the state of New York except for a tract of land around {{convert|100|sqmi}} known as Penet Square. The Oneida considered the tract as a gift to Pierre Penet. After Penet's death, rights of land ownership were blurred and [[squatter]]s occupied the territory as early as 1785.<ref name="marcmny.tripod.com">{{Cite web|url=https://marcmny.tripod.com/jeffco.htm|title=A History of the Jefferson County Region - page 1|website=marcmny.tripod.com}}</ref> Catfish Falls was a settlement at the head of the Chaumont River, named after the {{convert|25|ft|adj=on}} waterfall within the settlement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nnywaterfalls.com/chaumontriver/catfishfalls/|title = Northern New York Waterfalls ... Catfish Falls}}</ref> The squatters that inhabited this area were often called "Catfish People", marking their settlement from the clearing of trees establishing its boundaries. In 1816, merchant Francis Depau purchased several lots in Penet Square including Catfish Falls, later renaming the settlement "Depauville" after himself.<ref name="jefferson.nygenweb.net">{{Cite web|url=http://jefferson.nygenweb.net/depauv.htm|title = History of Depauville}}</ref>

Depauville during the early 1800s was a site of manufacturing; the settlement contained a gristmill and sawmill. Lumber was a profitable resource for the region. Depauville also produced [[limewater]], nearly 1,000 barrels after two years of production, a first for the county.<ref name="jefferson.nygenweb.net"/> Around 1868 the Depauville Steamboat Company was established and produced side-wheel steamboats. The ''M. W. Wright'' was constructed in 1968, a steam-powered vessel {{convert|70|ft}} from bow to stern, with a width of {{convert|14|ft}}, and weighing in at nearly 43 tons.<ref name="marcmny.tripod.com"/> The ship was large enough to raise concerns on its capability to navigate the shallow waters of the Chaumont River before reaching [[Lake Ontario]].

Depauville's first Fire District was created in 1932 and during the Great Depression housed a camp of the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] (CCC). The CCC established a headquarters consisting of ten camps at the Madison Barracks in [[Sackets Harbor, New York|Sackets Harbor]].

Depauville saw damage from a [[microburst]] on July 15, 1995. In 1996, the Clayton Fire District formed, bringing the Depauville Fire Department<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.depauvillefd.org/|title=Depauville Volunteer Fire Department|website=www.depauvillefd.org}}</ref> under the same umbrella with the Clayton Fire Department, although each retained its identity. Depauville in January 1998 witnessed one of the most destructive natural disasters that Jefferson County had ever endured, the [[Ice Storm of 1998]], 36 hours of freezing rain that left damaged homes and properties, impassable roadways and many people powerless and hungry for weeks.<ref name="marcmny.tripod.com"/>