The Town of Clifton was formed by an act of the St. Lawrence County board of supervisors on April 21, 1868.  It was taken from the Town of Pierrepont, and at that time embraced the original townships of Clifton and Chaumont.  At a later date, the township of Clifton was taken to form another new town, Clare, and the townships of Sherwood and Harewood were added, to make the town as it is today.

            Clifton is an interior town, lying in the south central part of St. Lawrence County, and composed for the greater part of wilderness.  Lovely Cranberry Lake, which covers most of the southeast portion of the town, has, since very early days, been a paradise for hunters and fishermen from far and wide.  The remainder of the Town of Clifton, the portion lying in the township of Chaumont, has always been more heavily populated, due to the Newton Falls Paper Mill, and Jones and Laughlin open pit iron mines at Benson Mines.

            The town of Clifton is rich in the history of logging and northwoods lore.  The hamlet of Cranberry Lake in 1967 celebrated the centennial of the opening of the Cranberry Lake Dam, the beginning of the lake as it is known today.

          The first meeting of the town board was held in the settlement of Clarksboro, in a house owned by the Clifton Iron Co. on the first Tuesday in June, 1868.  The population of the town at that time was 221, of whom 142 were “native”, and 79 “foreign born.”  There were 220 white and 1 African-American..  During the year ending Sept. 1872, the town contained one school district, and one employed teacher.  The number of school children was 50; the number attending school 37, average attendance 26.  Amount expanded for school purposes, $22.71 and the value of school houses and sites was $300.00.

            The present Town board meets in Newton Falls.  The Supervisor is Charles Hooven, councilmen, John Tulip, Bob Snider, Amos Reil, and Anita Backus; justice, Ed Bassinet.  Town Clerk is Bethany Rathman.  Highway superintendent is Kelly Smith.  The Code enforcement supervisor is Randy Gore.  The town assessor is Flora McCuen.

Adapted from Two Towns. Two Centuries. 1776-1976

(Gouverneur, N.Y.: Mrs. Press, 1976),

Compiled and Edited by Jeanne Reynolds and Bessie Decosse