People

Clayton's 150th: Clayton's Opera House

There will be more than 80 events scheduled in 2022 that include both TIPAF events and rentals – yes, right here in the Clayton Opera House - but what is its history? The cornerstone was laid in 1903 . . .

Memories of a Spring Duck Hunt

This was 1944, so even shot gun shells were rationed because of WWII, and there were no choices in the store as to size or brand. When we needed supplies, we would travel to Clayton and visit Nunn’s Hardware Store.

Manley L. Rusho

Rock Island Lighthouse, Part II

William (Bill) Johnston has a storied history in the Thousand Islands, and it is sometimes difficult to separate the man from the legend – or from the mythologized “pirate” celebrated at the annual Alexandria Bay “Bill Johnston Pirate Days” festival.

Mary Alice Snetsinger

Clayton's 150th: The Life of Simon G. Johnston

The Life of Simon G. Johnston - Shipbuilding was the major industry and largest employer in Clayton, NY, from the early 19th century to well into the 20th century. . .

The Ice Harvest

Before electric power was expanded into the Thousand Islands, there was a small, but brutal business called ice harvesting. Basically, it consisted of cutting large chunks of ice from the frozen St. Lawrence River . . .

Manley L. Rusho

A Kingfisher Tale

One day we received a call from Kit Chubb. She had just received a clutch of seven kingfisher fledglings. They had been rescued from a deserted nest tunnel. It had been wrecked by road construction work along the high sandy road bank.

Remembering GBL’s Wilfred Bilow, A Diamond in the Rough

I’d heard of this guy. He had a reputation as being ‘tough as nails’. Everyone in the local marine industry from Picton to Prescott either knew him or of him. Most feared him. But everyone . . .

Taking the Trolley to Alexandria Bay

One of the first electric trolley lines in northern New York was a line built from Redwood to the village of Alexandria Bay. It was only seven and a half miles long and was built by a group of local investors . .

Rock Island Lighthouse, Part I

Rock Island is most likely the most famous light station on the River. Read all about it!

Mary Alice Snetsinger

News From the Editor January 2022

A tribute to the 300+ authors who have shared their articles in TI Life; Boat Shows; several winter photographs and we remember Dr. David Kendall who wrote When Descendants Become Ancestors, Genealogy in 2014.

The Grindstone Island Skating Trip

Manley Rusho is home from Korea and spends the day on newly formed ice, skating around Grindstone Island. From Rusho Bay past Ken Deed's house, around Point Angiers and more.

Manley L. Rusho

Winona Circle Quilt Returns to Gananoque

The story of Gananoque’s Grace United Church's WWII quilt, a Joanne Dermenjian a Queen's Masters Student, and Jo Andrews' who produces a British Podcast . . ..

Meet Ross Rowland, Train Engineer par excellence

Meet the River Rat who is committed to bringing the history of the United States to the people through railroads . . .