Lowville, first settled in 1796, is part of the Black River valley, an area laden with fertile land and rich forests. The town continued to develop through the years, supporting hotels, flour mills and gristmills, furniture manufacturers, cheese plants, tanneries, and even a brewery. Lowville's place in history was sealed when, by 1878, it was producing eight million pounds of cheese annually with a value at that time of $1 million. The earlier manufacturing businesses gradually faded, and Lowville ushered in the 20th century as an important dairy center, a tradition that continues to this day.