History

Simcoe Islander Ferry

Memories of life on Simcoe Island and the arrival of the new "Simcoe Islander II".

Volume 18, Issue 11, November 2023
Brian Johnson & Shauna Kingstone

Clayton's Premier "Citizen of the Year"

I knew a man who lived his entire life in Clayton. He was born, lived, and died in the same house. He said it was “his” village, and he wasn't too happy when the summer people came . . .

Volume 18, Issue 11, November 2023
Cary R. Brick

130 Years of Armstrong - Street Friendships

Happy 90th, Skippy. We go back awhile. Skippy, our cottages go back a lot further than 78 years, and I wondered if there might be an untold story here that could be created for you on this birthday. So, with the help of two Gananoque researchers . . .

Volume 18, Issue 10, October 2023
Robert H. Street

The Singapore Trader's Voyage ends on Shoal Near Clayton

The 'Singapore Trader' Carrying Christmas Decorations From Hong Kong to New York City Took an Unplanned Detour To Detroit That Came to an Abrupt End on Shoals Near Clayton, NY.

Volume 18, Issue 10, October 2023
Cary R. Brick

The One That Got Away

Cruising along, I am still lost in thoughts of tomorrow, afraid of failure, and of letting my family down. Suddenly, a fish hits the Pikie lure as I was right opposite Sugar Island.

Volume 18, Issue 10, October 2023
Manley L. Rusho

Thousand Islands Adventures

The engine turned over but did not start. My Dad, getting annoyed, jumped aboard, brushed my sister to the leeward side of the boat, and went to start the engine. What happened next was like something out of a horror story.

Volume 18, Issue 10, October 2023
Alexandra O’Rourke

Tibbett’s Point Lighthouse

The oldest of the lighthouses in the Thousand Islands, Tibbett’s Point was first built in 1827, and was so named because the 3-acre lighthouse site was once part of a 600-acre parcel of land granted to Capt. John Tibbett (or Tibbetts).

Volume 18, Issue 10, October 2023
Mary Alice Snetsinger

“Dishing it Up” with May Irwin— New Dish Discoveries!

To explain how this book began, we must go back in time to the 1990s, Karen Killian had answered the call for volunteers to clean up the TI Museum's basement. While tidying up, she came across a box of torn, dirty, and musty old newspapers from NYC.

Volume 18, Issue 10, October 2023
Emily St. Marie with Karen Killian

Chapel at Westminster Park, 1892

In August 1891, plans for the new chapel at Westminster were accepted and arrangements with the managers of the N. Y. Central and the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg railroads to transport the building materials at no charge were completed.

Volume 18, Issue 10, October 2023
Linda Twichell

Mystery Artist Found!

In 1922, when we published our first article about May Irwin and her illustrated newspaper columns, one mystery remained. Who was the artist who captured May Irwin's work? After much searching and research, long shots and dead ends, we have the answer!

Volume 18, Issue 9, September 2023
Emily St. Marie with Karen Killian

Discovering Memory Lane

What happens when one history buff meets another history buff on the internet? The world is not a better place, but certainly, both buffs are smiling!

Volume 18, Issue 9, September 2023
Susan W. Smith

My First Day of School, Grindstone Island Lower Schoolhouse, 1936

Almost halfway across the width of Grindstone Island was the Lower Schoolhouse.

Volume 18, Issue 9, September 2023
Manley L. Rusho

The Story of Eddie McEvoy

It wasn't unusual for him to be here in February, since the island was available for year-round use. He was heading for Sugar Island in 1951, when he set out from Gananoque on skis to cross the ice.

Volume 18, Issue 9, September 2023
John F. Patterson

Thousand Islands Railway

The Thousand Islands Railway (TIR) was a great boost to the factories of Gananoque, which had sprung up on both sides of the Gananoque River . . .

Volume 18, Issue 9, September 2023
Joseph Naismith

The "Other" Thousand Island Dressing

Now, here's the lowdown on Ella's salad dressing. She didn't share it with every Tom, Dick, and Harry, but she did give it to her friend, my mother Emily (1914 – 2004) . . .

Volume 18, Issue 9, September 2023
Cary R. Brick

Densmore Church Needs Your Help

With the help of all our Friends, we aim to raise the funds we need to Preserve Our Past and Build Our Future so that generations to come can continue to enjoy beautiful and historic Densmore Church. . .

Volume 18, Issue 9, September 2023
Rhonda McNeely

Traveling to the Thousand Islands by Stagecoach

The party reached Depauville on Saturday, where they spent a "horrid" night. They left Depauville at 4 am, drove through to Clayton, and were met by an immense crowd.

'Volume 18, Issue 8, August 2023
Richard Palmer

Searching for Antanas and Anastazija Tamosaitis

A story of two remarkable people, whose lives were culturally significant, but who were largely undiscovered in their own community.

Volume 18, Issue 7, July 2023
Otis Tamasauskas