OLD POSTCARD,OF Small Towns around Brasher Falls

St Regis Falls, N.Y.
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St. Regis Falls N.Y.
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R.G.Church, St. Regis N.Y.
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Flooding in Helena N.Y. 1913
Helena.- In May, 1819, Benjamin Nevin succeeded to the agency of lands in the town. As the little settlement in his locality grew it was given the name Helena from Helen, only daughter of Joseph Pitcairn, who proposed passing his summers here. He built a large stone mansion on the left hand of the St. Regis, opposite the settlement. Domestic affliction prevented him from carrying out his plan. Some of the first settlers have been mentioned, and others were Morris Gehan, Neil McIntyre, John Bonar, Robert Means, James Nicholson, and others, who came in the spring of 1817. Francis Nevin came soon after Ward and his brother Benjamin in 1819, succeeding Atwater as agent. John Nevin, father of Francis and Benjamin, with his other sons, Holmes and David, came in 1820. His family was for many years prominent in the town. Other settlers of a later date were James Platt, Benjamin Watts, David McMurphy, and the Lantry, Houghton, Brown, Wait and Hall families. The saw mill on the river before mentioned is long since gone. A run of stones was added to it and it sufficed for grinding until Benjamin Nevin built his mill. This was burned in 1828, and he immediately rebuilt it, and it is running at the present time, after various improvements, by Samuel Baxter. The saw mill site was occupied by the third mill, but it is not now in operation. A tannery was carried on for about thirty years near the village by A. and L. Burgett, but it has gone out of use. A store was opened here in 1823 by Stowell & Burrows. Other former merchants were L Gory, Joseph Hall and S. C. P. Thorndyke. In earlier years the settlers went to Cornwall, Canada. for their merchandise, and a custom house was opened at Helena. The present merchants are C. C. Lantry, John R. Crowley, and C. T. Fletcher. The first hotel was opened about 1840 by Ezra Ballard and continued many years. The present landlord is Hugh Geehan. The post-office here was the first one opened in the town, February 13, 1827, with David McMurphy as postmaster. The present official is William A. Hamlin.
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