Massena, NY - Leave it to Beaver to Forget to Wear Pants

Welcome to Massena, New York, "Gateway to the Fourth Coast!"  Massena is located on the St. Lawrence River along the Canadian border.  The town was founded in the early 19th century by French lumberjacks and was named in honor of Andre Massena, a French prince and military leader.  The town's early economy relied on dairy farming and two local sulphur springs which attracted visitors who sought out their healing properties.  By 1900 the popularity of the springs had faded.  In 1902  the Pittsburgh Reduction Company broke ground on an aluminum production facility to take advantage of the electricity available from the recently completed hydroelectric power plant.  The  plant is the longest continually operating aluminum facility in the world and celebrated its 120 anniversary last year.  The town has been called home by a number of notables including actor, Hal Smith.  Smith is credited in over 300 film and TV productions, but is best known for his work as Otis Campbell in The Andy Griffith Show.  We hope you enjoy our trip to Massena!Small Town News--whose headline is it, anyway? @SmallTownNewsImprov