Theresa, New York
Theresa is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 2,648 at the 2020 census, down from 2,905 in 2100. The town is named after Theresa La Ray, the daughter of an original landowner. The town of Theresa contains a village also named Theresa. The town and village are in the northern part of the county, north-northeast of Watertown. History The history of Theresa begins with the Native American cultures who lived in the area as early as 841 B.C. The first of the Native tribes to inhabit the town of Theresa was a group called the Meadowood Phase, who were early Woodland Indians according to the categorization of Dr. William A. Ritchie. This tribe is believed to be part of the early Adena culture and subsisted on hunting and gathering. Evidence of the tribe existing in the area was found at Muskellunge and Red lakes with finds of weapon points, nets, sinkers, and other various tools from needles to a beaver tooth wood scraper. Later, the Iroquois used the Theresa area as a hunting and fishing ground. Evidence supports that at one point the Iroquois had villages in the surrounding area and used the waterways