The three Folger brothers, B. W., Henry, and F. A., were sons of Frederick A. Folger of Cape Vincent, and descendants of Captain Matthew Folger of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The maritime tradition ran strong in the family. The Folgers built "the Great White Squadron" of steamboats in the 1870s.

"A. P. S.", who provided the article about the Folgers in John Haddock's 1895 A Souvenir of the Thousand Islands, wrote:

"The brothers were led to locate in the Canadian city of Kingston in 1862, and were no doubt influenced to do so through their relationship to Mr. Breck, through the marriage of his sister to their father.  He was the junior partner in the famous firm of Calvin and Breck , who were for years lords of the river on the Canadian side, in steamboat and rafting operations.  Their headquarters were at Garden Island.

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From 1862 to the present day the firm of Folger Bros. has been the best known and most active of any business house in Kingston.  Their history has been one continuous growth in many lines of businesses.  With their banking business, first established, they have large interest now in the Electric Street Railway Company of Kingston, the Gas and Electrict Light Company, the Kingston Real Estate Company, the Kingston Rand Pembroke Railway Company, North American Telegraph Company and the St. Lawrence River and Thousand Islands Steamboat Companies.

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Owing no doubt to the trait of character developed so fully in their paternal grandfather, they take a lively interest in the St. Lawrence River and Thousand Island Steamboat Companies.  They first developed and consolidated and systemized the large tourist and general traffic on the upper reaches of the noble river.  They have carried over 5,000,000 of people on their steamers, and never wet a foot or injured a passenger.   

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Henry Folger  “is to be appointed general manager of the Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company.  Mr. Folger is a member of the firm of Folger Bothers who control the gas, electric lght and street railway companies in Kinfston, who own the island ferries there, are principle stockholders in the St. Lawrence River Navigation Company, are largely engaged in mining in the county of Frontenac, and manage the Kingston & Pembroke Railway as representative of the Flower interest. 

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Should he assume management of the Richelieu Companies, the great opportunities which that organization possesses attracting travel to the splendid and unequaled water route down the great lakes from Toronto to Quebec will be developed to the utmost, and a new era will open up for the traveling multitudes as well as for stockholders.

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