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More Than a Salad Dressing and Washington Island

More Than a Salad Dressing and Washington Island

Imagine asking the US residents on Washington Island, in Clayton, NY, to change the island’s name back to its original: ...
by: Susan W. Smith
Thousand Island Park Revisited

Thousand Island Park Revisited

The island road twists through a series of snake-like turns and suddenly there it is - Thousand Island Park- a bit of Am...
by: Trude Brown Fitelson
The New Frontenac Hotel Flag

The New Frontenac Hotel Flag

Flags abound in the islands. At Grenell Island’s July 2009 regatta, participants were asked to count the flags as they p...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
Howard Pyle, Illustrator Extraordinaire

Howard Pyle, Illustrator Extraordinaire

The second in a series on illustrators of the Thousand Islands.
by: Robert L. Matthews
Final chapter in May Dewey’s Diary Part XII

Final chapter in May Dewey’s Diary Part XII

Part XII and final chapter of Kristen Pinkney's research
by: Kristen Pinkney
“Arctic Goose”

“Arctic Goose”

When the St. Lawrence River freezes over, one mode of transportation is by “ice boat” or “air boat”, as they are called ...
by: Rex Ennis
From Cottage to Castle

From Cottage to Castle

It wasn’t used and it took up too much space. Yet, chopping it up with an ax and burning it was not an option.
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
May Dewey’s Diary, Part XI, July 1889

May Dewey’s Diary, Part XI, July 1889

Well today is the fourth of July. I have had a delightful day.
by: Kristen Pinkney
Capitalists, a Socialist, and the Thousand Islands

Capitalists, a Socialist, and the Thousand Islands

The capitalists, the builders of our country, made the Thousand Islands their playground in what we call today the “Gold...
by: Rex Ennis
Captain Davis Recalls the Ships

Captain Davis Recalls the Ships

Captain Leath Davis can trace his Wolfe Island roots to the pioneer Hitchcock family who obtained a charter to start a ferry service to Kingston from Wolfe Island.
by: Brian Johnson
Tremont Island History Comes Alive

Tremont Island History Comes Alive

"Tidd’s Island: a History of its People and Their Stories" was published in July of 2009
by: Susan W. Smith
May Dewey’s Diary, Part X, June 1889

May Dewey’s Diary, Part X, June 1889

Last night we had a delightful serenade. I wonder who it was. He passed the Island five times singing...
by: Kristen Pinkney
First Summer Cottage on Grenell

First Summer Cottage on Grenell

By the time I first arrived on Grenell Island in 1975, my husband’s family had already been on the Point, for nearly a h...
by: Lynn E. McElfresh
May Dewey’s Diary, Part IX, April & May 1889

May Dewey’s Diary, Part IX, April & May 1889

It is so beautiful here now nice and pleasant just like
by: Kristen Pinkney
The Great Gale of ‘75

The Great Gale of ‘75

“I am very concerned with the welfare of the steamer Edmund Fitzgerald."[New feature,now available in an audio version, written by Brian Johnson, Wolfe Island; read by Jan Eliot]
by: Brian Johnson
Wolfe Island’s Lighthouses

Wolfe Island’s Lighthouses

The first Wolfe Island lighthouse was built on the eastern end of the island in 1861...
by: Mary Alice Snetsinger
John Carter’s Prisoners in Van Diemen’s Land

John Carter’s Prisoners in Van Diemen’s Land

Tasmania seems like a distant land but for John Carter, Tasmania is a treasure trunk waiting to be opened...
by: Susan W. Smith
Castle Rest, Its story

Castle Rest, Its story

The Pullmans were the first of the islanders to arrive by private railroad car -a sumptuous conveyance, as might be expected of the railroad car builder.
by: Paul Malo
May Dewey’s Diary, Part VIII, March 1889

May Dewey’s Diary, Part VIII, March 1889

Saw Pansy this am. Took a walk and talked over the affair last night. Did not have our hats on.
by: Kristen Pinkney
Silent Rapids of Long Sault

Silent Rapids of Long Sault

“Warning:  Owners of large and medium sized craft, who navigate the St. Lawrence River between Cornwall and Prescot...
by: Brian Johnson
One Tenth of One Acre

One Tenth of One Acre

In November 1901, Richard Standish Williamson acquired an island in the St. Lawrence River.  Standish, born in 1877...
by: Beth White
Lost Villages, Inundation Day

Lost Villages, Inundation Day

Mary Lynn Johnston was a Mille Roches girl She had an important chore, while her Mother ran a rooming house And her ...
by: Brian Johnson
May Dewey’s Diary, Part VII February 1889

May Dewey’s Diary, Part VII February 1889

He wants me to think of him at twelve o’clock and
by: Kristen Pinkney
Mrs. Simcoe’s Chapel, Drawings & Diary

Mrs. Simcoe’s Chapel, Drawings & Diary

In 1988 I went to England to carry out research at the National Maritime Archives in Greenwich and the
by: Susan W. Smith
Lost Villages

Lost Villages

Down at Zina’s Barber Shop we used to laugh and sing; We’d gather and we’d gossip about everything; we’d talk about the ...
by: Brian Johnson
Lost Villages, Another Perspective

Lost Villages, Another Perspective

Painted over 40 years before, it is the center line of what once was a two lane highway which ran along the shore of a very different River.
by: Ian Coristine
Stamps on Murray Isle

Stamps on Murray Isle

We're not talking "Pony Express", but about a more-personalized mail service than most receive today, a service that is cherished and greatly appreciated.
by: Rachel Cole
A Wolfe Island Christmas Story

A Wolfe Island Christmas Story

“No one panicked while they were floundering in the water and scrambling for firm ice. Mothers held their children aloft...
by: Brian Johnson
TIA Invites you to Breakfast

TIA Invites you to Breakfast

The Thousand Islands Association (TIA) will be holding their annual general meeting on July 25 at the Thousand Islands P...
by: Patricia Tague
Exhibit in the Making – Alson S. Clark

Exhibit in the Making – Alson S. Clark

It was a cold and rainy day on June 1st – but the invitation to meet Mike Franklin, Patricia Tague and Rhea Jenkner and ...
by: Susan W. Smith
The Wolfe Islander is Missing

The Wolfe Islander is Missing

…after four hours of continuous searching bleak coves and small inlets, both groups were almost ready to announce that t...
by: Brian Johnson
Niagara to the Sea

Niagara to the Sea

For over sixty years, “Niagara to the Sea” was one of the most famous travel slogans in North America. The phrase was or...
by: William M. Worden
Balboa - a Century of History

Balboa - a Century of History

My family was fortunate to call the Balboa our summer home in the Thousand Islands from 1955 to 2008 and it has served...
by: Robert S. Miner
1760 "Battle of the Thousand Islands"

1760 "Battle of the Thousand Islands"

What went down in history as the Battle of the Thousand Islands ended when the French and Canadian defenders struck thei...
by: Michael Whittaker
Film Pays Tribute to the Wreck of the J.B. King

Film Pays Tribute to the Wreck of the J.B. King

A  documentary that takes viewers beneath the St. Lawrence River to a wreck at the bottom the Brockville Narrows is...
by: Kim Lunman
The Tallest Cathedral...

The Tallest Cathedral...

The tradition of worship in Half Moon Bay began in 1887.  People came from neighbouring islands and from Gananoque ...
by: Carolyn Pratt
Grindstone’s Missing State Park

Grindstone’s Missing State Park

In August of 1897, at a meeting of the New York State Fisheries, Game and Forest Commission in Albany a discussion was h...
by: Rex Ennis
May Dewey's Diary, Part VI, January 1889

May Dewey's Diary, Part VI, January 1889

"Mr. Grey is a beautiful dancer. It is like a dream dancing with him. I wish I knew him better." May Dewey, January 21, ...
by: Kristen Pinkney
Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda

Spending the month of August every summer of my youth at my Grandmother's cottage in Thousand Island Park was a child's ...
by: Trude Brown Fitelson
May Irwin and her Keeper

May Irwin and her Keeper

It started out innocently enough with a cookbook. Then came the song sheets
by: Kim Lunman
Seaway's 50th Anniversary - a Celebration or Not?

Seaway's 50th Anniversary - a Celebration or Not?

The year was 1959. The Barbie doll debuted;
by: Michael Folsom
A Trickling Stream of History

A Trickling Stream of History

The first time we saw the Inn was in spring, on a day bursting with the promise of a fresh season. The grass was almost ...
by: Susanne Richter
May Dewey's Diary, Part V, December 1888

May Dewey's Diary, Part V, December 1888

"I was furious & will tell him what I think of him when we meet again." May Dewey, December 31, 1888.
by: Kristen Pinkney
Who Won the War?

Who Won the War?

Whoever controlled the St. Lawrence River controlled Canada. The Americans never cut the lifeline of British supplies during the War of 1812...
by: Michael Whittaker
Geronimo's Remains in the Thousand Islands?

Geronimo's Remains in the Thousand Islands?

Are the remains of Geronimo in the Thousand Islands? The legendary Apache Chief died
by: Rex Ennis
Preserving the Thousand Islands

Preserving the Thousand Islands

Have you seen the terns circling over their nests on the Eagle Wing Shoals? When was the last time you walked the Macshe...
by: David Ray & Susan W. Smith
Part II - May Dewey's Diary

Part II - May Dewey's Diary

This is the first day of a new month. We all have been hanging around ...
by: Kristen Pinkney
Rock Island Lighthouse: A Story of Discovery

Rock Island Lighthouse: A Story of Discovery

When I was 10 years old, my mother sat me down at her parent’s porch table and showed me her grandmother’s notes written...
by: Mark A. Wentling
Black Duck Cottage Family History

Black Duck Cottage Family History

In November we received a note from Marnie Ross, a member of the Canadian Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust, “Would ...
by: Jean King
Grenadier Island and its Unofficial Mayor

Grenadier Island and its Unofficial Mayor

GRENADIER ISLAND: June Hodge was born in a houseboat on the St. Lawrence River.
by: Kim Lunman
Clayton's Historic Island Hotels

Clayton's Historic Island Hotels

Rexford M. Ennis is the author of several dissertations on Thousand Islands history; often presented to an appreciative ...
by: Rex Ennis
The Mystery of the Thousand Islands Dressing

The Mystery of the Thousand Islands Dressing

CLAYTON, NY The salad dressing that put this place on the map might have a slight geography Challenge.
by: Kim Lunman
Brock’s Islands

Brock’s Islands

Many of the officers who fought in the British campaigns during the War of 1812 are commemorated in the Brock Islands. W...
by: Susan W. Smith
Historic Island Names

Historic Island Names

It is exasperating' said Capt. William FitzWilliam
by: Susan W. Smith
More than a Salad Dressing and the 1st Duke of Wellington

More than a Salad Dressing and the 1st Duke of Wellington

Throughout the winter, I will provide a number of links to demonstrate how our region of the mighty St. Lawrence River s...
by: Susan W. Smith
More than a Salad Dressing and George Washington

More than a Salad Dressing and George Washington

More than a Salad Dressing… Years ago, I met a young medical student and I was telling her about my favourite vacation r...
by: Susan W. Smith
Joseph and Molly Brant, compiled by Paul Malo

Joseph and Molly Brant, compiled by Paul Malo

Thayendanegea’s father, a prominent warrior, died
by: Paul Malo
Rediscovering Fort Haldimand, compiled by Mike Franklin and Paul Malo

Rediscovering Fort Haldimand, compiled by Mike Franklin and Paul Malo

Obscurity … has hung like a cloud of oblivion over the history of this island
by: Paul Malo
Two Early Centuries, Eyeing the Islands

Two Early Centuries, Eyeing the Islands

  The saga of navigation on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, in war and peace, is far too vast and rich a ...
by: Paul Malo
Two Recent Centuries

Two Recent Centuries

  So, as we have seen during two earlier centuries, prior to the nineteenth century, the region already was widely...
by: Paul Malo
Veracity, or Truth in Advertising

Veracity, or Truth in Advertising

Phil Amsterdam, himself an old tour-boat guide and boat-line operator, complains about about sitting on his Cherry Islan...
by: Paul Malo
Carleton Island Villa: A Souvenir The Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence River by John A Haddock, 1895

Carleton Island Villa: A Souvenir The Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence River by John A Haddock, 1895

Standing on the peninsula-like head of Carleton Island ...
by: Paul Malo
Carleton Villa Visit 2003

Carleton Villa Visit 2003

  The following presentation has been adapted from an article that appeared in the Thousand Islands Sun Vacationer ...
by: Paul Malo
Paul Malo's Carleton Villa Life

Paul Malo's Carleton Villa Life

  In 2006 Paul Malo shared a collection of Carleton Villa photographs.  These historic photographs have been ...
by: Paul Malo