History

White Pines: Colossal in Many Ways

The eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) isn’t really a crop-bearing tree, but it has borne priceless “fruit” for American democracy.

Volume 18, Issue 7, July 2023
Paul Hetzler

The Old Farmhouse

In the old farmhouse where I lived as a child, my bedroom was at the top of the stairs. A quick turn left and you entered a small bedroom with a window facing north – due north.

Volume 18, Issue 7, July 2023
Manley L. Rusho

Grenadier Island Lighthouse

Grenadier Island was a busy farming community well before the government established its lighthouse in 1856.

Volume 18, Issue 7, July 2023
Mary Alice Snetsinger

A Prohibition Story

Rum runner, bootlegger, speakeasy, bathtub gin. All of these words and phrases are synonymous with American Prohibition, a failed social experiment that began in 1920 and ended in failure in 1933.

Volume 18, Issue 7, July 2023
Julie Madlin

A Requiem for Silenced Waters . . .

The story of these rocks is part of a broader saga of a geophysical feature transformed suddenly in mid-twentieth century North America. The Long Sault Rapids were timeless, until their time stopped.

Volume 18, Issue 6, June 2023
Craig I. Stevenson

Memories of my Grandmother Dano

My Grandmother Ordelia Graham Dano was my maternal grandmother and the mother of 12 children. Her home was a small, two-story wooden home, complete with two stoves . . .

Volume 18, Issue 6, June 2023
Manley L. Rusho

"La Duchesse"

The Antique Boat Museum (ABM) in Clayton, NY, has many interesting and varied vessels in their extensive collection. Perhaps the most unusual, and the largest, is "La Duchesse" . .

Volume 18, Issue 6, June 2023
Rick Casali

They Made & Make Gananoque More Beautiful

Ever wonder who started Making Gananoque More Beautiful? Joan MacKinnon gives us the history and Elaine Davidson invites us on the 2023 tour.

Volume 18, Issue 6, June 2023
Joan MacKinnon

Past Meets Present at The 1000 Islands History Museum

"Eyes on the Skies" and the "Summer Gala at Signature Stable" makes for an exciting summer at the 1000 Islands History Museum.

Volume 18, Issue 6, June 2023
Julie Woods

"USS Superior" Celebrates the End of the War of 1812

News of the end of the war was slow to reach Sackets Harbor. But when it did, it was a cause for celebration.

Volume 18, Issue 6, June 2023
Richard Palmer

Vaino Anderson – River Boatman and Boatbuilder

One of my fondest memories of an island resident is Vaino Anderson. Captain Anderson lived on Grindstone Island from 1945 until his passing in 1970 . . .

Volume 18, Issue 5, May 2023
Rick Casali

Exhibition of the Gilded Age Artist, Frank H. Taylor

Frank H. Taylor's paintings and drawings will be the subject of an exhibit at the Thousand Islands Art Center in Clayton from June 7-July 1. [This is one of those exhibits that you must not miss.]

Volume 18, Issue 5, May 2023
Nancy Gustke

An Encounter with a Mountain Lion on Grindstone Island

. . .I was almost at the location where an old barn had once stood when suddenly a full-grown mountain lion stood looking at me, maybe 50 feet away, maybe closer.

Volume 18, Issue 5, May 2023
Manley L. Rusho

Excerpts from: Peggy Hutcheon’s "Growing up in Gan"

Peggy Hutcheon's memories were transcribed by her son after her death. He posted in Gananoque Heritage Research Facebook, saying "My mother was Peggy Hutcheon. She was born in Gananoque in 1931 and lived there until 1954, when she married my father."

Volume 18, Issue 5, May 2023
Sherry L. B. Johnson

"Spring Fit-out" on the Great Lakes, Part II

It was soon time to get under way. A two or three master might need new gear such as throat and peak halliards; sheets for mainsail, spanker, mizzen, foresail . . .

Volume 18, Issue 5, May 2023
Richard Palmer

Equipment List for Great Lakes Schooners

See Part I and Part II Learning about the typical Great lakes schooners who plyed the Lake and Rivers in the 1800s is fascinating. One of t

History
Susan W. Smith

The Natural Spring on Grindstone Island

I first saw the spring some 80+ years ago, when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I was assigned to fetch drinking water for the schoolhouse . . .

Volume 18, Issue 4, April 2023
Manley L. Rusho

Snail and Rocket Mail from Gananoque

The variety of ways that mail has snailed or raced from Gananoque to its recipients over the years is quite interesting. ‘Rocket Mail’ has to be the most unusual and with good reason . . .

Volume 18, Issue 4, April 2023
Sherry L. B. Johnson