History

The Cliff House Mystery

From the very beginning, Cliff House was a mystery. The Cliff House became a curiosity. Islanders from far and near flocked to the deserted hotel to wander through the furnished rooms.

Volume 14, Issue 5, May 2019

Lynn E. McElfresh

Maggie Wheeler, the Seaway Valley Queen of Crime

"Being good at planning murders is not what you dream of becoming one day as a child,” Maggie said. “I guess it was the Nancy Drew effect,..

Volume 14, Issue 5, May 2019

Brian Johnson

Gliding Back in Time

What better way to start a day on the island than with a row in a St. Lawrence River Skiff?

Volume 14, Issue 4, April 2019

Lynn E. McElfresh

Sinking of the Harvey J. Kendall, another Augustus Hinckley Story

HARVEY J. KENDALL was a rather odd-looking boat and was nearing the end of her days when she was acquired

Volume 14, Issue 4, April 2019

Richard Palmer

Island of Strong Women

It goes something like this. Back in the mid-18th century, two Irish girls were given the choice to either marry or become nuns.

Volume 14, Issue 3, March 2019

Lynn E. McElfresh

Sport and Spectacle - Speedboat Racing on the St. Lawrence

Speedboat racing provides sport and spectacle to boat enthusiasts worldwide. Alexandria Bay has been the site of many of the greatest racing events in speedboat history.

Volume 14, Issue 3, March 2019

Martha Grimes

Early Families of Westminster Park... The Twichell's

Funny thing about personal histories… the story belongs to the teller. Have you heard someone proclaim, “My great-grandfather was the best fishing guide...

Volume 14, Issue 3, March 2019

Linda Twichell

Cole Shoal Lighthouse the Irony and the Rebuild

On July 23, 2018 the Cole Shoal Lighthouse west of Brockville was struck by lightning during a fierce storm and rapidly burned to the water line.

Volume 14, Issue 3, March 2019

Michael Milne

An Augustus Hinckley Story

The captain guided his boat by dead reckoning while his crew prayed. It was eight days before Christmas 1902, and the ship was en route from Cape Vincent to its home port, Oswego.

Volume 14, Issue 3, March 2019

Richard Palmer

Early Families of Westminster Park: The J. D. Huntington Family.

Dr. J. D. Huntington, a well-known engraver, publisher, and dentist. Huntington was a deeply religious man and a passionate Prohibitionist who lived in Westminster Park, Thousand islands.

Volume 14, Issue 2, February 2019

Linda Twichell

The Red Barn Preserve - Just the Beginning

When we first visited it in early June, it still hadn't had its official grand opening and some of the trail markings weren’t even in place.

Volume 14, Issue 2, February 2019

Patty Mondore

Description of travelling to the Thousand Islands by train back in the 40s and 50s. White jackets, smoking cars, even live piano music. Sleeping was an adventure as the train cars swayed, and the sound of the wheels clanging at each grade crossing.

Volume 14, Issue 2, February 2019

Rick Casali

Fifty Years of Memories

Celegrating the 50th anniversary of building two cabins on Scobea Island in the Thousand Islands for the Scott and Bean families. 50 years of good times and good memories.

Volume 14, Issue 2, February 2019

Deane C. Parkhurst

Sister Island Lighthouse

The history of Sisters Lighthouse on Sister Island located 6 1/2 miles from Alexandria Bay and just south of the International border. Construction began in 1870.

Volume 14, Issue 2, February 2019

Mary Alice Snetsinger

The Golden Age of 1000 Islands Tour Boats

Although most of these beautiful old wooden tour boats no longer ply the waters of the Thousand Islands, they will always have a special place in the region’s history.

Volume 14, Issue 1, January 2019

Tom King

Early Westminster Park Families: The Hanford Family

The cottage of George R. Hanford of Watertown was in a category of its own. It was more a house than a cottage, holding a place of prominence over Poplar Bay.

Volume 14, Issue 1, January 2019

Linda Twichell