David Parish, a wealthy European merchant, purchased a 200,000-acre wilderness tract here on speculation in 1808, and a town soon formed to take advantage of the power of the St. Regis, eventually taking the name Parishville. His early development plans focused on clearing roads and opening land for farming beginning in 1809, but his long-term vision centered on industry along the West Branch of the St. Regis River. By 1811, a sawmill and grist mill had been erected and powered by the river, and over the following decades more factories and mills were established beyond the Gorge, including rake factories, butter tub factories, starch factories, grist mills, cabinet shops, and distilleries, with local lumber worked in water-powered plants such as those owned by Simeon Clark and his son Pliny. Parishville’s industry reached its peak in the mid to late 19th century, with the town built around the river and its industrial potential and log drives sending timber down the West Branch under the direction of log drivers, or river pigs, using pike poles and peaveys. By the end of the 19th century, however, Parishville’s industrial era was ending as the lack of railroad service left it at a disadvantage and a series of disastrous fires, beginning with the devastating fire of July 20, 1897, destroyed much of the industrial section, after which many factories and mills were never rebuilt. In the 20th century, the river’s role shifted from industry toward hydropower and recreation, and in 1925 St. Lawrence County Utilities built the dam and hydro station above the Gorge; the facility uses a 2,545-foot metal pipeline with a 143-foot drop to drive a 2.5-megawatt generator, while the Parishville and Allen Falls projects together produce over 21,400,000 kilowatt hours of clean energy per year.