History

The Blonde Bombshell and The Iceboat

Sallie was the very definition of a blonde bombshell. Tall, shapely, blessed with thick waves of long blonde hair, and striking blue eyes that mirrored the color of the River on a perfect summer’s day.

Volume 16, Issue 3, March 2021
Tom Robbins, illustrated by Sarah Coate

More About Minna

We discovered a little more of Minna Anthony Common's fascinating story that ends up circling back to the Thousand Islands of today!

Volume 16, Issue 3, March 2021
Patty Mondore

"A.E. Vickery" Hits a Shoal

One of the most popular dive sites on the St. Lawrence River is the remains of the sunken schooner A.E. Vickery, off Rock Island Light near Clayton.

Volume 16, Issue 3, March 2021
Richard Palmer

Food for Thought!

My beginner's luck earned the reward of dinner for my family, followed by a trip to the E.R. . . .The romance nearly ended before it began.

Volume 16, Issue 3, March 2021
Martha Grimes

Paddling in the Thousand Islands

Sketches of early canoes don't look like canoes at all. To me, the vessels they were using looked like kayaks and very skinny sailboats. Canoes were often referred to as “the poor man’s yacht."

Volume 16, Issue 2, February 2021
Lynn E. McElfresh

Emily Wright Holt Remembers

This winter, Emily Wright Holt, who has a 95th birthday this year, she started to record some of the stories from her past, and we, the readers of TI Life, get to listen in!

Volume 16, Issue 2, February 2021
Emily Wright Holt

The Little Red Punt

They are the old-fashioned, small, now often overlooked, boats that generations of River people have relied on for transportation—or just for fun.

Volume 16, Issue 2, February 2021
Tom Robbins, illustrated by Sarah Coate

Frank H. Taylor: Harper's Weekly Special Artist on Tour

Frank H. Taylor, Harper’s Weekly's "special artist" accompanied former president Ulysses S. Grant, General Philip H. Sheridan and their wives to Florida, Cuba, and Mexico in 1880.

Volume 16, Issue 2, February 2021
Nancy Gustke

DELANEY'S POINT: Before and After the Canoes

In 1883, this tract of land, known as Delaney's Point, looked very different than it does today. Decades before, loggers ...

Volume 16, Issue 1, January 2021
Lynn E. McElfresh

A.B. Munro - A Journey of Discovery

I began going through that box of pictures, books, and documents. Doing so began a journey of discovering my family's Canadian connections resulting in a fresh insight into American history and my heritage.

Volume 15, Issue 12, December 2020
Tom Hughes

Aunt Jane's Bay Regatta

It was a decidedly home-grown event. The core concept was for each household to create their own ‘float’, and participate in a ‘parade’ around the Bay.

Volume 15, Issue 12, December 2020
Tom Robbins

About the "Cottage on Stilts of Light" on Murray Isle

About the "Cottage on Stilts of Light" on Murray Isle; who lived there and when! The Hon. Henry Spicer, Col. James T. Watson & Hannah Watson, woman suffrage.

Volume 15, Issue 11, November 2020
Lynn E. McElfresh

"The Orchards" on Grindstone Island

My family was fortunate to have owned "The Orchards" on Grindstone Island.

Volume 15, Issue 11, November 2020
Rick Casali

Captain Best, 'The Hermit of Wigwam Cove'

One of the most interesting characters who once lived in a small cabin at the edge of Lake Ontario on Sandy Pond was Captain George Best, commonly known as the "Hermit of Wigwam Cove."

Volume 15, Issue 11, November 2020
Richard Palmer

Part of the Garden Island Story

There are many aspects to the story: world history, international politics, economics, and means of transport using wooden ships are a big part of the Garden Island story beginning in the 1820s.

History
John Stencell

From Out of the Twilight - a Ray of Hope

In mid-July, Clayton P. O. mailboat driver, Brian Parker, delivered exciting news with the bag of mail. “Have you seen the comet?” he asked.

Volume 15, Issue 9, September 2020
Lynn E. McElfresh

More than a $tamp on an Envelope...

Folklore, Stamp collecting, a 1915 Classic Hutchinson, and… You Might Have a Pot of Canadian Seaway Gold in Your Attic!

Volume 15, Issue 8, August 2020
Cary R. Brick

Grenell Island’s Chapel First Wedding

On a Wednesday afternoon in August 1904, Lillian May Stoddard was the first bride to ever be married in the Grenell Island Chapel. Everyone on the island was invited.

Volume 15, Issue 7, July 2020
Lynn E. McElfresh