The American Boat Line
by: Tom King
[Editor’s note: This is the last of the series of articles that Tom King has been writing about the US tour boat lines. This article is long – twice as long as we normally allow – but it passed “the Editor’s test” because it’s what I consider to be Historical Gold. It’s filled with photographs, several of which came from Tom’s father’s collection. We are honoured to have Tom share this history with our readers and once again, we will learn how and why the American Boat Line meant so much to the River community.]
The History of the American Boat Line
Having grown up in the Thousand Islands, it’s no surprise that I became a River Rat at an early age. When I was 11, my Dad and I built a wooden punt in our garage, and that little boat opened up a whole new world to me. We christened it Tom Thumb, and with my trusty first mate Heidi, I spent countless hours on the River in it. One of my favourite adventures was chasing down the local tour boats and riding the roller coaster created by their huge wakes. I’m not sure Heidi was quite as enthusiastic about playing in the waves as I was, but she never refused to go out for a boat ride when given the opportunity. The favourite tour boats that we liked to chase were the trio of double-deckers from the American Boat Line – the Adonis, Venus, and Neptune. Those fun childhood days on the water will always be memories that I cherish.
The American Boat Line came into existence sometime around 1944 when William Lantier renamed his 1000 Island Yacht Line with the more patriotic name during the final years of World War II. William married his second wife, the former Margaret McCormick, widow of Everett McCormick, in 1946, and she took an active interest in the operation of the business. She also wrote a booklet about the Thousand Islands and the highlights of the tour, which was available for tour boat customers to buy.
An interesting fact about Margaret McCormick is that she was connected to the famous Clayton landmark, McCormick’s Restaurant. Everett and Margaret had two daughters, Mary and Alice. Mary, the elder daughter, married Vincent De Dominicis, who later changed his name to Vincent Dee. It was Vincent, along with his mother Lillian, who started up the restaurant in 1946 and named it McCormick’s, after Mary.
In 1949, with his health failing, Mr. Lantier decided it was time to get rid of the boat line. He sold it to Gene Springman, who then partnered with Harry and Gilbart Mercier. Author George Boldt, in his book, Once a Man – Twice a Boy, described the transaction as follows:
“On one snowy February afternoon, Gene Springman on a trip back from Watertown stopped off at Ernie Natali’s Depauville Hotel. He struck up a conversation with Old Will Lantier, who offered to sell him the American Boat Line for five thousand dollars. Hands were shaken and then Gene called Harry and Gilbert (sp) to offer them one half of the deal.”
In February 1949, a new corporation was registered with New York State’s Division of Corporations by Springman and the Mercier brothers. The new entity was headquartered in Jefferson County and was named International Boat Tours, Inc., and it would be doing business as the American Boat Line. It was noted in the filing information that there would be 100 shares in the new corporation.
Once again, following the timeline in George Boldt’s book, Eugene Springman, Harry Mercier, and Gilbart Mercier bought the Clayton Boat Line from Osborne Steele and Roland Kellogg in 1951. It was written that the purchase price was $100,000 and that Eugene’s father, Joseph Springman, provided financing for the deal. Mr. Springman Sr. was referred to as “the St. Louis Banker” in the story. The sale of the Clayton Boat Line ended that company’s existence as the newly purchased assets were taken over by The American Boat Line, which also had recently been acquired by the three local businessmen. In addition to the Mercier shipyard and the boat line, the group also started a marine insurance business, known as the Thousand Islands Agency, Inc., to round out their commercial holdings.
One of the first things that the new owners of the American Boat Line did was to buy a surplus Navy boat, which they planned to convert into a double-decker tour boat. The boat they bought was a sixty-three-foot, Model 314, Air Sea Rescue Boat, built by the Huckins Yacht Corporation in 1943. The conversion work was performed at Mercier’s Shipyard in Clayton and was completed in time for the 1950 season. The new tour boat was named American Adonis.
Described as an ultra-modern streamliner, the American Adonis was billed in the advertising literature as the “largest, most luxurious, and only double-decked tour boat in the 1000 Islands area.” The Adonis was a heavy boat, as the hull had been constructed of double-planked Honduras mahogany, and she was equipped with three Detroit diesel engines to propel her through the water. The bridge was located on the upper deck, front and centre. Other amenities on board included comfortable upholstered seats, washrooms for both ladies and gentlemen, and a stewardess to serve refreshments from the snack bar. For many years, the American Adonis was the flagship of the boat line and was easily recognizable on the River due to her double-decker configuration.
For the 1951 season, two of the American Boat Line’s tour boats had their names altered to reflect the “American” brand. The Edith II became the American Edith II, and the Gloria III became the American Gloria III. Many of the boats, such as the Miss Clayton and Miss Clayton II, did not have their names modified.
Vincent Dee Sr., owner of McCormick’s Restaurant on the Clayton waterfront, was a huge promoter of the local tourism industry and was instrumental in getting busloads of tourists to come to Clayton to take a boat cruise on the American Boat Line and then have a meal at McCormick’s. It was definitely a win-win situation for both the boat line and the restaurant.
After the Clayton Boat Line was absorbed by the American Boat Line, the only other competition in Clayton was Denny’s Boat Line. Mr. Albert Denny sold the boat line to Raymond and Robert Conant around 1950, and the Conant brothers ran Denny’s until 1957. At that point, the company was absorbed by International Boat Tours Inc., which kept the Denny Boat Line name, and operated it as a separate entity, along with the once-rival American Boat Line. It appears that the Denny Boat Line was discontinued around 1962. Both Raymond and Robert eventually became captains of the American Boat Line double-decker tour boats that ran between Clayton and Gananoque.
The American Boat Line was headquartered on Riverside Drive in Clayton, but also had an office in Gananoque, adjacent to the International Square.
As a young lad in Gananoque, I can remember the fierce competition between the ticket hawkers for the American Boat Line and the hometown Gananoque Boat Line, which would take place down near the waterfront. The poor tourists didn’t know what to do when they were being yelled and waved at from all directions as they drove by. I know that the police got involved a few times and that charges were laid when the solicitors got a little too aggressive and were working from areas where they were prohibited. Most of the offenders got off with a warning, or a small fine in the worst cases. I recall the head ticket agent for the American Boat Line in Gananoque, Lennie Bevins, was a great guy, and he would occasionally give some of the local kids complimentary tickets for a ride on one of the double-deckers, which was always a great adventure for the lucky recipients.
Throughout the 1950s, several of the old wooden, single-decker tour boats were starting to show their age and were becoming very expensive to maintain, so they were gradually retired from service. In what would turn out to be a very successful business move, the American Boat Line hired the naval architecture firm of Sparkman & Stephens to design a new double-decker tour boat that was to be constructed entirely of aluminum. The sixty-seven-foot-long tour boat, capable of carrying 223 passengers, plus crew, had the hull and superstructure built by Paasch Marine Service in Erie, Pennsylvania, and the final fitment of items such as windows, seating, and navigational and safety equipment was completed at Mercier’s shipyard in Clayton. The sleek new vessel was powered by two General Motors diesel engines, each rated at 336 horsepower, and from personal experience, I can attest that this was a very fast boat when it was running at full throttle. Dubbed “The Queen of the 1000 Islands”, the shiny, new American Venus entered service in June of 1960 and immediately made all the other tour boats in the area looked dated by comparison. She became the new flagship of the American Boat Line and ran the Clayton to Gananoque route daily.
A couple of years later, the American Boat Line placed another order with Paasch Marine Service to build an identical sister ship to the Venus. The new all-aluminum tour boat was named American Neptune and entered service for the 1964 season. Unfortunately, only a couple of weeks after her first voyage, she found herself grounded on the Jackstraw Shoal, just east of Gananoque. Luckily, no one was injured in the incident, and the vessel only sustained minor damage. According to the July 17, 1964, article in The Kingston Whig Standard the 100 passengers on the stricken craft were loaded into the Miss Clayton and taken back to port. The first attempt to pull Neptune off the rocks by the American Adonis failed when the tow rope snapped. It was reported that there were close to two dozen local boaters in the area to watch the salvage operation unfold. The boat was eventually pulled free the next morning and towed back to Clayton for repairs. The whole incident, which was said to be a “navigational error,” must have been quite embarrassing for Captain Raymond Conant, since the tour boat captains all prided themselves “for not knowing where all the rocks are, but where they ain’t!”
In 1970, tragedy struck the American Boat Line. Eugene Springman, who by now had acquired all of Harry Mercier’s shares in the Mercier Corporation and the American Boat Line, died in a motorcar accident near his winter home in Alton, Illinois. In the March 30, 1970, issue of the Watertown Daily Times, it was reported that Mr. Springman, 49, may have experienced a medical event that caused him to lose control of the vehicle, which subsequently collided with a bridge guard rail. He was survived by his widow, Sheila, and two children, Peter and Jena. Just prior to his death, Gene had mortgaged just about everything he owned to finance the $400,000 expansion and modernization of the Mercier Shipyard facilities in French Creek Bay.
Following Eugene Springman’s death, his nephew, Preston Zerwas, moved to Clayton to help Sheila run the businesses. Preston had worked as a seasonal employee during the previous summers, so he had some knowledge of the operations and was able to jump right in. John Murdoch, the boat line’s vice-president, was also very helpful in keeping things going. Another double-decker aluminum tour boat was built for the American Boat Lines by Paasch Marine Service in 1972. The new American Adonis II joined the original American Adonis, the American Neptune, and the American Venus as the workhorses of the boat line. Most of the single deck tour boats had been disposed of by this time, with the Miss Clayton II being one of the last to go when she was sold to Midlakes Navigation Company, Ltd. for operation on Skaneateles Lake in 1971. In addition to the boat line, marina, and insurance businesses, Preston established Mercier Realty in 1972, with himself as the licensed broker and Mary Mercier, Harry’s wife, as the saleswoman.
On September 14, 1973, fate dealt the American Boat Line another cruel blow. Preston Zerwas, the president, was lost and presumed drowned when the houseboat that he was delivering from Mercier’s to a customer in Oswego disappeared on Lake Ontario. Despite an extensive search by the Coast Guard, neither Preston’s body nor the missing houseboat were located. It wasn’t until almost forty years later that two gentlemen, Dan Scoville and Chris Koberstein, stumbled upon the wreckage of the sunken houseboat when they were doing side scan sonar sweeps of Lake Ontario’s bottom in the summer of 2012. Confirming that the Florida registration number of the newly discovered wreck matched that of the missing houseboat finally brought a sense of closure to Preston’s widow, Minerva, and their three children.
In the fall of 1973, Sheila Springman sold the American Boat Line to a group of businessmen for a reported sum of “close to one million dollars.” Heading up the foursome was Capt. Winfield Chapin, who in the early 1960s, was instrumental in building Trident Yacht Club on Bateau Channel, just west of Gananoque. Two vice-presidents, John Murdoch and Robin Austin, and a secretary-treasurer, Dr. Edward John, were the other men involved in the transaction. In an article published in the October 3,1973, edition of The Kingston Whig Standard, Capt. Chapin was quoted as saying that the four double-decker tour boats would carry the names Mercury, Polaris, Trident, and Neptune. He also stated that the new business would go by the name American-Canadian Boat Lines. Neither the boat name changes, nor the business title change, as specified by Capt. Chapin, came to pass. The new boat line did, however, operate under the new moniker International Boat Cruises. In a filing with the New York State Division of Corporations, dated November 10, 1975, the name of the business entity was changed to International Boat Cruises of the Thousand Islands, Inc., which reflected their current operational branding.
In 1977, Mercier’s marina on Theresa Street was sold to Gary L. Natali, and the business was renamed 1000 Islands Marina. A contract was signed with International Boat Cruises to service and store its fleet of tour boats. Mercier’s other marine businesses, which included a machine shop located on Riverside Drive, had been sold in 1973 to Morton and Ferd Collins. That business continued operations as River Marine, Inc.
Details on the disposition of the original American Adonis are rather sketchy, but the Bowling Green State University’s Great Lakes Vessel Online Index states that the boat changed ownership in 1980, when it was purchased by the Whaling City Ferry, Inc. of New Bedford, Massachusetts. It was renamed Whaling City at this point. The index also states that the name was changed again in 1989, to Sea Breeze. Unfortunately, the trail goes cold after this. I can only assume, given the fate of other wooden boats of that vintage, that the craft is no longer sailing and is probably no longer in existence.
In April of 1980, a sales agreement was finalized between Vincent Dee Jr., of Clayton, and Dr. Edward John, of Kingston, for the purchase of the International Boat Cruises tour boat business. Included in the transaction were the three aluminum double-deckers, American Venus, American Neptune, and American Adonis II. Mr. Dee’s intentions were to operate the business primarily on the American side of the St. Lawrence River, and part of the negotiations hinged on successfully terminating facility leases on the Canadian side. A key component of the new boat line’s business plan was to tie-in with the “Day in Clayton” bus tour packages in conjunction with McCormick’s restaurant. Vince Jr. would step away from his role with McCormick’s restaurant, leaving that part of the family business with his brother Paul, and concentrate on the newly acquired tour boat venture. Mr. Dee chose the name 1000 Islands Seaway Cruises for his new business.
After twenty-one years of service in the Thousand Islands, the American Venus was sold to a company that planned to use the vessel for tours of the Baltimore, Maryland, harbour. Larry Balcom, a longtime local tour boat captain, accompanied the Venus to Baltimore and would stay on to command the craft in its latest home port. The vessel’s new name was Baltimore Patriot II.
The 1000 Islands Seaway Cruises added some interesting flair to downtown Clayton in the summer of 1982, when they purchased a thirty-two-passenger motorized trolley to conduct daily tours around the town. It was written in the Thousand Islands Sun that “this trolley is of all steel construction externally and boasts a beautifully polished hardwood interior with brass fittings and fixtures.” I’m not sure how long the trolley remained operational.
A devastating fire occurred on the evening of December 29, 1983, that destroyed McCormick’s Restaurant and claimed the life of Paul Dee. Attributed to an electrical malfunction, the blaze destroyed three entire buildings that housed seven businesses. Damage estimates for the structures and their contents were pegged at close to one million dollars. It took 100 firefighters over 17 hours to finally extinguish the fire.
In May of 1985, Vince Dee Jr. sold the 1000 Islands Seaway Cruises boat line to Uncle Sam Boat Tours Inc. of Alexandria Bay. Prior to the sale, one of the boats, the American Adonis II, was sold to a firm in Long Island and was conducting tours there as the Island Princess. The boat line continued to operate as 1000 Island Seaway Cruises for a year but then adopted the Uncle Sam branding after that. Negotiated as part of the deal was an agreement that Uncle Sam would rent the 1000 Islands Seaway Cruises’ base of operations in the Waldron Building, which is now a popular downtown Clayton restaurant named "Bella's." John McDonald, the Clayton operations manager, was retained by the new owners as well.
In order to supplement the passenger-carrying capacity of the American Neptune, Uncle Sam transferred the Uncle Sam VIII from Alexandria Bay to the Clayton operation. This single-decked, wooden tour boat was originally named Pilgrim V and was one of the last wooden tour boats built for the Thousand Islands region. At a length of sixty-four feet, and a beam of over seventeen feet, she was among the largest of the old classic tour boats when launched in 1958. As part of the Uncle Sam rebranding, the American Neptune became Miss Clayton III, and the Uncle Sam VIII became Miss Clayton IV. Uncle Sam ran the two boats out of Clayton until 1995, at which point the business was shut down. That marked the end of the road for the Miss Clayton IV, and she was taken out of the water and left on the hard. The old boat fell into serious disrepair over the years and was eventually dismantled. The Miss Clayton III continued as part of the Uncle Sam fleet in Alexandria Bay until business conditions necessitated her sale due to excess capacity. The former American Neptune ended up in Port Richey, Florida, and was used as a shuttle to a casino after undergoing several modifications.
Our Editor, Susan Smith, received a note from a reader after the Clayton Boat Line article was published in the May 2025 issue of Thousand Islands Life, stating that their father, Bill Hartman, ran an advertising agency in Syracuse and had been a good friend of Eugene Springman back in the days when he owned the American Boat Line. Mr. Hartman created much of the artwork that was used in the boat line’s advertising brochures at that time. They also sent along a copy of one of the pictures that Bill created for the advertising copy, and if you look carefully, you can see his signature hidden in the waves. Thank you very much, Jim and Anne Marie Hartman, for sharing this interesting bit of information with us.
Remarkably, the three Paasch-built aluminum double-decker tour boats are all still in service today. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, information on the fate of the original American Adonis has been very hard to come by. Mike Fesko shares a passion for these old Thousand Island tour boats and has done extensive research on their history and where they are now. He wrote a great article for TI Life in March 2014, which chronicles his search for these old boats and is well worth reading.
(https://tilife.org/BackIssues/Archive/tabid/393/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1482/How-I-found-the-missing-American-Boat-Linehellip.html) Be sure to also check out the links in the article to his personal blog for more information and videos.
There is still one person in the area that continues to build the old-style wooden tour boats, albeit to a different scale than the originals. Steve Shay, known as the Wood Shepherd, has produced models of several of the old tour boats from his woodworking shop in Maitland, Ontario. Included in his collection are the Edith III and the American Venus, both of which were part of the American Boat Line. Steve’s work has been featured in a couple of articles in TI Life over the past couple of years.
(https://thousandislandslife.com/working-with-wood-while-following-g-god/) (https://thousandislandslife.com/stephen-shay-the-wood-shepherd/)
Steve Shay’s beautiful model of the American Venus. [Used by permission of Steve Shay from his personal collection]
I would like to thank the following people who assisted with the preparation of this article:
• Karen Wand, for sharing her old newspaper clippings from the era with me and for offering her proofreading and editing prowess.
• Mark Sprang, the Archivist for the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at Bowling Green State University, for allowing me to cite the database entry for the American Adonis.
• Jordan Coughlin, the Town & Village of Clayton Historian, for providing valuable information on the American Boat Line ownership history.
• Shannon Buchal, the Archivist at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, for allowing me to use the photographs of the American Venus and the American Adonis II.
• Steve Shay and Jim & Anne Marie Hartman for allowing me to use photographs from their personal collections.
• Ron Thomson, Vince Dee Jr., and Peter John for sharing their personal recollections of their days associated with the American Boat Line.
By Tom King
Tom King and his wife Marion have lived in Milton, Ontario, for the past 37 years, where they both worked and raised their family of three children: Kris, Mike, and Becca. Tom has captured the history of the tour boat industry as well as giving us the best spider story in the past 17 years!
Editor's Note: Read more articles by Tom King here in our new format for TI Life, and more articles on our old site. As I have said before "Thank you, Tom, for your ability to capture the boat line stories of our River has brought history alive!" Much appreciated.
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Comments
Mike Brick wrote: Loved reading the article American Boat Line. Spent summers on Steele Point in Clayton and on Round Island starting in the mid 50”s until the mid 60’s. So many familiar names bring back many wonderful memories. Vince Dee and McCormicks, plus Mercier, Springman, Natali, the Adonis was such was such a big deal when it first started tours in Clayton. My first job at age 15 was working at Reinman’s Newstand in Clayton for Charlie Reinman. Made many friends of the “locals” as I was from Watertown. Remember Vic Remorino, my science teach in Watertown, selling boat tour tickets on the street in Clayton, right near McCormicks. I love “The River”. Now that I’m 85 love looking back to those wonderful summers.
