Alexander Macomb

The largest grant of lands ever made by the State of New York to citizens was that known as Macomb's Purchase, which was granted to Alexander Macomb, June 22, 1791. It embraced 3,693,755 acres of land lying within the present counties of Franklin, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, Herkimer, and Oswego. After his first application to the Legislature was rejected, Macomb made a second one, "for the purchase of the waste and unappropriated lands . . .," offering 8 pence per acre, with some exceptions. The offer was accepted.

In 1792 Macomb became involved with others in an attempt to establish a bank in opposition to the Bank of New York, and was compelled to assign his interest in his Adirondack lands to his creditors. June 6th he released his interest in tracts Nos. 2 and 3 to William Constable.

See History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York, for much more detail on these complicated transactions.