Prescription For a Winner: Speed and a Splash of Water

The Cornwall Brothers Store Museum has been the recipient of numerous collections, which have shaped the memorable past of the Thousand Islands. The piecing together of the minutia of photos, quotes, legends, research, and sometimes interviews, has been woven into numerous exhibits on display throughout the 1866 landmark. Each exhibit tells the story of what makes the Thousand Islands unique. There have been many local characters woven into the fabric of stories, and there is almost always a boat involved.

In 2017 Bill Northup came to me, as Chair of Collections and Exhibits at the museum, with a story he wanted told. We met several times, going over a life-time collection of photos, news articles, and correspondence related to the racing history of Dr. Walter Robinson, the legendary Miss Syracuse, and the multiple hydroplanes named Mr. Dockit. The material included several pieces of original art by Bill. This unique collection was donated to the Alexandria Township Historical Society as an addition to the archival collection of the Cornwall Brothers Store Museum.

The exhibit “Prescription for a Winner: Speed and a Splash of Water” opened on the first floor of the Cornwall Brothers Store Museum, Alexandria Bay, in early July and will be featured throughout the 2025 season. This is the story of the converging paths of two Alexandria Bay men who shared a love of speed and derring-do. Dr. Walter Robinson had a passion for boat racing. A young Bill Northup was caught up in the allure of the legend of the “racing doctor” and became the self-appointed biographer and historian of the boats, the championships, and the man.

Dr. Walter Robinson had an illustrious career as a general practitioner, and later as a clinical psychiatrist. He and his wife, Sallie Taylor Robinson, became famous in the boat racing circuit in Canada and the United States, setting speed records and nearly unchallenged in competition.

Alexandria Bay native William (Bill) Northup had a passion for all things boating: racing hydroplanes, exploring the St. Lawrence River, and restoring vintage boats. He achieved the rank of Lt. Commander as a U. S. Navy pilot, and later flew for American Airlines. He expressed his fascination for Doc Robinson and the racing history of Miss Syracuse and three Mr. Dockit hydroplanes through two mediums: his original art, and publications in newspapers and racing magazines. “Bill Northup’s Special Report” was a feature article in the March 2000 edition of the American Power Boat Association (APBA) Rudder Magazine. Vintage and Historic Editor, Tom D’Eath declared Miss Syracuse Classic Hot Boat of the Month in his column in that issue.

Bill’s art has been featured in private collections, the Museum of Naval Aviation, the Aviation Air Show and Art Show at Oshkosh, WI, the Antique Boat Museum, and the Cornwall Brothers Store Museum. He and his wife, Jane, divided their time between their Florida home and Alexandria Bay.

Miss Syracuse, whose original name is unknown, was designed and built by John Hacker in 1923, for Col. Jesse G. Vincent, Vice President of Engineering for Packard Motors. She was 28 feet long, with a beam of 5 feet 6 inches, and was powered by a USA Standardized Engine known as the Liberty aircraft engine.

Her second owner, Dr. H.E. Luther, a Syracuse dentist, installed a 459 HP Liberty engine and named her Miss Syracuse. Syracuse industrialist Charles Lipe and his wife Eloise, summer residents in the Thousand Islands, became her third owners. Mr. Lipe piloted her to a fourth-place finish during the 1926 Alexandria Bay “Free For All” race. Following the Lipes’ untimely deaths in a racing accident, the boat passed to the Adams Boat Works, Alexandria Bay. Fred Adams continued to race her, but not with impressive results.

Seventeen-year-old Walt Robinson discovered his passion for boat racing when he purchased Miss Syracuse from boat builder Fred Adams for $500 in 1936. The boat required serious structural re-building. Robinson, under the tutelage of the expert Adams boat building team, made modifications that restored her competitive edge. She won two races that season. Hutchinson Boat Works completed repairs and fine-tuned the engine for the next racing season.

Miss Syracuse required two skilled boatmen to bring her to victory at the finish line, one at the controls, the Driver, and the other, known as the Driving Mechanic, who managed the fuel. Walt Robinson frequently was the driver during the reign of Miss Syracuse, but he also relied on the expertise of Edwin White and Fred Barker. Some of those who were reliable as Mechanics were Tom Dent and Hart Garlock. Each of the boatmen were competent in either position.

Miss Syracuse was loaded and on the road in 1939 to the Governor’s Trophy Race on the Potomac River where Doc and his brother-in-law Tom Dent won the first heat handily. A broken throttle quadrant in the second heat resulted in the only loss between 1939 and 1943.

Doc was driving during the 1938 E.J. Noble Trophy Race when he hooked sharply on a turn, rolling Miss Syracuse onto her right side. Water rushing over the gunnel knocked Fred Barker unconscious, requiring Doc to drive with one hand and pound his mechanic on the back to empty water from his lungs. The close call did not prevent a victory over E.J. Noble’s Snail.

There may have been shenanigans! Julius Breitenbach’s Chris Craft hydroplane Wild Goose and Miss Syracuse were considered so well matched before race day that rumor has it Edwin White boosted his odds for victory by sending two cronies in the dead of night to change Wild Goose’s timing. That was Miss Syracuse’s most controversial victory.

The Thousand Islands Unlimited Championship Race, held Labor Day 1939, was a turning point. Mischief and Wildfire, owned by Dark Island racers Alex Thayer and George Bourne, were the faster, lighter Ventnor tri-hulls, considered to be the boat of the future. Fred Barker’s expert maneuvering of Miss Syracuse dominated the faster boats on the 15-mile course, crossing the finish line in 12 minutes, 20 seconds and averaging 72.9 MPH. Mischief finished 3 minutes and 30 seconds behind her, and Wildfire was pushed off the course.

In 1943, Doc Robinson bought Mischief, one of the two Ventnors he had previously defeated, and renamed her Mr. Dockit. Guy Lombardo purchased Wildfire and gave her the new name Tempo VI. A new era of racing began. Powered by a Lycoming 6 racing engine, this was the first of two more Mr. Dockits. The first Mr. Dockit and several other race boats were destroyed in a fire at the Miami Orange Bowl Regatta in the mid-1940s.

Doc Robinson’s attraction as a home town hero in boat racing carried over into community admiration as the family doctor of many, and curiosity for his unique life style. After deciding to build a pleasure craft, what place could be more convenient than the family living room? An exterior wall of the family home was removed to accommodate building an extension to serve as the work shop for the project. As with the Miss Syracuse, no one knows her name, but it is speculated to have been a Hacker Craft design. An architectural feature display of numerous trophies and the dashboard of Miss Syracuse remained a mystery in the home for successive owners over many years, until they were passed on to a Robinson family friend, who identified his connection and appreciation for their legacy. The family friend was happy to sponsor repairs to the void left in the wall.

Miss Syracuse had an extraordinary reign in the racing circuit for over 15 years, but no longer competitive with lighter, faster boats, she was scrapped in 1943. Her legacy lives on in the articles and photos that documented her victories. No information on the fate of the Mr. Dockits was found. Doc continued racing and winning when the family relocated in Florida.

This exhibit is on display now on the first floor of the Cornwall Brothers Store Museum, 12 Market Street, Alexandria Bay.

By Martha Grimes

Martha Grimes is a storyteller from Alexandria Bay. She was born and raised in Alexandria Bay. She and her late husband Hunter, raised a son and daughter to love and appreciate the River as much as they do. During her career as an educator, Martha taught various Primary Level grades at Alexandria Central School. Since retiring she has been actively involved with the Alexandria Township Historical Society and the interpretation of the Cornwall Brothers Store & Museum, in Alexandria Bay, NY. See all of Martha Grimes TI Life articles here and here.

Note from the author:

I feel honored that Bill Northup gave me his story to tell. As in any small town, I grew up knowing most of the names mentioned. Dr. Robinson was our family doctor. Driving Mechanic Edwin White was my great-uncle. Fred Barker was a close friend of my grandfather. This rendition of the exhibit is condensed into story form, so if you want to learn more about these two men and the racing circle from the 1930s- 1950s and view a selection of Bill's art, visit the museum! This editor agrees!