New York
Norfolk
This is a provisional page, here as a starting point for this family community.
We welcome more details, photographs, history, or even a complete re-write.
And of course
web links to your communities web sites.
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Norfolk, St Lawrence County, New York State
Administration: Supervisor and Council
Population 4700
Location: 44º48´3"N 74º59´29"W
History of Norfolk
 Located along the Racquette River, between Potsdam and Massena, the Town of Norfolk was established on April 9, 1823, by dividing the Town of Louisville in half. Norfolk became a separate township of 35,500 acres and 108 inhabitants. The boundaries changed in 1834 when a section of Stockholm was added, and again in 1844 when a portion was returned to Louisville.The township saw quick growth and became a major blue collar community of saw mills, paper mills, grist mills, and woolen factories. Today, the Town of Norfolk remains a paper mill community with a population of 4700 people, making Norfolk the sixth largest population center in St. Lawrence County.
There are 4 electric power dams on the Racquette River as the river drops some 77 feet and this is the basis for running the various mills of Norwich.
There were originally 4 paper mills and there remains the one - still using the same machinery. Many Hungarian families moved to make up the mill work force and while their descendants still live in the town few still work there.
So that today the main places of employment are The APC paper mill, The Highway Dept, The Barrett Stone quarry, The Museum and the Fire Department/Rescue squad.
Between 1817 & 1867 the churches of Norfolk came into existence. Firstly the First Congregational followed by the Grace Episcopalian church, the Methodist Episcopalian Church, and finally the Roman Catholic Church. While the Wesleyan Church later took the building of The First Congregational Church, today there are also the Berean Baptist Church and the North Country Bible Church, which latter meet in the Heburn Library.
About Norfolk
We have been delighted to receive letters from some of the school students of Norfolk NY....
Hello England students. My name is James McGrath. My life in Norfolk is really fun. I have friends everywhere on my street. A lot of the houses I think are very much alike.
 I love to go to the most funest library you can think of. The owner of it is Miss.Vicky. She is really funny a lot. Every day is like an adventure to me. I live right down the road from a video store. I walk to the library everyday. Miss Vicky has published some of my books that I write. I write most about my friends.
Miss Vicky lets people read the books I write. Most of my friends say that it is a ghost town but I think that it is just great. What its more than great - it's fantastick. It must be great were you live too. My town has the most funest named streets you can even think of.
I love living in Norfolk, New York
Well that's all I know about. bye!
James McGrath, Age. 10, Norwood Norfolk School
Norfolk NY
Do you have favorite things in your town? I do in my town. I live in Norfolk, New York in the United States. I am 6 years old and my name is Bekkah.
 I like the Norfolk Fire Department, because I like the fire trucks. We have three fire stations!
I like the softball field where my family plays ball during the summer. I like watching them and I like playing on the Big green bleachers.
Our playground has some horses that you ride and they rock. I like those too. But my favorite part about Norfolk is that I live near four of my friends and my Nana and Papa live next door!
Rebekkah C. Bond, age 6
Norwood-Norfolk Central School
Grade 1
Norfolk, NY
Norfolk is the 6th biggest town (population) in St.Lawrence County in New York state.
We have 6 churches. 1 baptist church, 2 catholic churches, 2 united methodist churches, and one wesleyan church!! The wesleyan church is right next to the library where there is computers & reading material. There's an elementary school where we learn how to read and to do mathematics, and technology.
We also have a volunteer fire dept. and rescue squad. There are 32 towns in St. Lawrence county and Norfolk is the only town that has a police dept.
There are few local stores in norfolk. Some of them are Al Smith's superette, which has been owned by the same family for over 90 years. There is also Fefees market. Norfolk has the only hungarian restaurant in the area, called Sabads. There is also a mexican restaurant that is in a historic hotel. It is called the Hotel Grande.
There is a river that runs behind our house, it runs through the whole town. That is why there used to be 3 paper mills in our town. There is only one left. My grand father and great grandfather and most of my uncles worked in the papermills.
The most famous person to come from Norfolk was William P. Rogers. He was the secretary of state and secretary of the United States treasury for President Nixon. There is a street in our town named for his family called Rogers Drive. A lot of our streets are named for famous people, Wheeler Lane is named for a favorite town doctor, Hepburn Street is named for the man that gave money to build our library, Raymond Street and Atwater Street after one of the early settlers and Remington Ave. after the man who built the biggest paper mill.
Jarrett Bond, age 9.75
Norwood-Norfolk central school
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