Oswegatchie is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 4,397 at the 2010 census. The name reportedly means "Black water" in the aboriginal language. It is on the northern border of the county and is adjacent to the city of Ogdensburg.HistoryThe area was first explored by French missionaries during the 17th century. The town was founded in 1802 upon the formation of the county. After the end of the French and Indian War, the British renamed the former French community of La Gallette as Oswegatchie, the name of the local native tribe. After the end of the American Revolution, the community became Ogdensburg, named for Samuel Ogden, who was a member of a group of land speculators and developers who purchased a large tract of land in the region. During the War of 1812 Ogdensburg and much of the town was captured by British forces. In 1817, the community of Ogdensburg set itself apart from the town by incorporating as a village, and became the City of Ogdensburg in 1868. The Town of Morristown was formed from the western part of Oswegatchie in 1821. Another part was used to make part of the Town of De Peyster in 1825.Mater Dei College was opened in 1960 and closed in 2001.GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 71.4sqmi, of which, 65.8sqmi of it is land and 5.5sqmi of it (7.76%) is water.
