The village name means "Land of the Beaver". The name stems from a colony of refugees from the French Revolution, established in 1792 to provide a new home away from the violence in France. The land, 210,000 acres (850 km2), was originally part of Macomb's Purchase. It was purchased by La Compagnie de New York. "Castorland" is a literal translation of the old Indian name of the area, Couch-sach-ra-ga. Due to many reverses, including harsh winters, poor planning, and loss of livestock and funds, the colony was dissolved in 1814. Many of the original settlers from the Castorland colony returned to Europe or moved to larger communities.
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History of Lewis County, New York1883 · page 602Read the page →
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" I come now to the History of this illfated Company. Castorland was divided in two parts ; one above the Great Bend of Black River, called Upper Castorland, and the other below the Bend, Lower Castorland. The latter has been generally known in the office of Mr. LeRay de Chaumont, as Beaver-Land. These
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