Staples Island Entertainment Pavilion

by Susan G Mathis


During the Gilded Age, entertainment pavilions were all the fad, and at the Thousand Island House Resort in Alexandria Bay, New York, the lavish facilities were set on a tiny island—and they were amazing.

The Thousand Island House hotel was finished in 1873, the year after President Grant visited the islands with George Pullamn that began the Golden Age of the Thousand Islands. Col. Orin G Staples built the establishment in less than a year, and it quickly became a popular destination.

In 1902, the Thousand Island House built a spectacular recreation facility for hotel patrons on Staples Island—that was less than an acre—adjoining the hotel property. The recreation facility was exclusively for hotel patrons, though some esteemed visitors not staying at the hotel, still visited now and then, including President Chester Arthur.

The pavilion boasted the most modern facilities for entertaining those on summer holiday. The two-story building housed a billiard hall, a bowling alley, card and game rooms, a children's nursery, a swimming pool, men's and women's bathing rooms, and a dance pavilion. The garden roof hosted an area for women to enjoy afternoon tea and a grill area for men to enjoy conversations about business and their fishing exploits. Young children were attended by a nursery worker and older children had their own recreation leader.

Hotel patrons had only to cross the small footbridge connecting the pavilion's island to the mainland where the hotel stood to enjoy even more activities. On the mainland, there were tennis courts, badminton, croquet, and other sports as well as opportunities for boating, fishing, and regular music and dancing.

In this tiny summer community, such lavish entertainments rivaled those of the big cities of New York, Chicago, D.C., and Philadelphia, among others, from which many of the guests escaped the heat of summer in the city.

And the views of the St. Lawrence River were just as wonderful. From the island they could see Casa Blanca, Friendly Island, Hart Island, and further north, Sunken Rock Lighthouse, among others. Regular boat tours, including the famous Searchlight Tours, added to the fun.

Indeed, the Staples Island Entertainment Pavilion, and others like it, gave the rich and famous a summer full of enjoyment as well as much needed employment to the locals. Wouldn't it be interesting to live in such an age?

About A Summer at Thousand Island House:

Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to spend her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

About Susan G Mathis:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has eleven in her fiction line including Mary’s Moment. Find out more at www.SusanGMathis.com.

 

The Historic Cornwall Brothers Store

by Susan G Mathis

The Cornwall Brothers Store was placed in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1975 and the New York Register of Historic Places in 1991. The store opened in 1839, burned down in 1865, and rebuilt as a stone building that still stands as Alexandria Bay, NY’s last historic waterfront building. Characters in several of my stories visit the shop that is now a wonderful museum where I will be speaking this Thursday at two.

As a general merchandise shop, Azariah Walton stocked everything from food, fabric, fixtures, dry goods, and more. But they specialized in ash for making soap, timber, and lumber. Though the bay had only three hundred souls in the late 1800s, it soon became an important place of commerce for the area.

When Mr. Walton became his business partner in 1852, a larger store was built on the existing property that included a warehouse and wood-framed store. Freight and passenger ships stopped at its docks as they traveled along the St. Lawrence River, but during the Civil War, the high tax structure almost destroyed their business until Cornwall instituted a sort of barter system to bypass the tax levy.

In 1865, the store burned to the ground and a stone building took its place. It still stands today. A decade later, Cornwall bought Walton’s interest in the store and renamed it Cornwall Brothers Store after his four sons joined the business.

When President Grant visited Pullman Island during his 1872 reelection campaign, the press bragged of the beauty of the Thousand Islands, and the Cornwall Brothers Store prospered with the growth of the area. A decade later, more than a thousand people live year-round in the area and the summer population swelled. By 1888, the store built an addition and added ready-made and custom clothing, fine dress goods, hats and boots and shoes, camp supplies, notions, hardware, and crockery along with their usual groceries, island supplies, and the like.

By the early 1900s, the store was the center of village life, but by the Great Depression, business faltered and the store became the U.S. Customs Station and Post Office, later being abandoned. Then, in 1973, the Alexandria Township Historical Society was created to preserve, restore, and use the historical building as a museum. It’s the last remaining waterfront building of the Thousand Islands Gilded Age and appears in several of my stories including Katelyn’s Choice, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, and Colleen’s Confession.

Do you enjoy visiting historical museums? Tell me more. Leave your answer or comments on the post below and join me on August 19th for my next post.

About Peyton’s Promise

book 3 of the Thousand Islands Gilded Age series

Summer 1902

Peyton Quinn is tasked with preparing the grand Calumet Castle ballroom for a spectacular two-hundred-guest summer gala. As she works in a male-dominated position of upholsterer and fights for women’s equality, she’s persecuted for her unorthodox ways. But when her pyrotechnics-engineer father is seriously hurt, she takes over the plans for the fireworks display despite being socially ostracized.



Patrick Taylor, Calumet’s carpenter and Peyton’s childhood chum, hopes to win her heart, but her unconventional undertakings cause a rift. Peyton has to ignore the prejudices and persevere or she could lose her job, forfeit Patrick’s love and respect, and forever become the talk of local gossips.

About Susan:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books.

Her first two books of The Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, Devyn’s Dilemma, and Katelyn’s Choice have each won multiple awards, and book three, Peyton’s Promise, is her newest. Rachel’s Reunion releases October 7. The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, and Sara’s Surprise, and Reagan’s Reward, are also award winners.


Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan lives in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling the world. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com for more.

The Historic Thousand Islands River Communities

The history of the Thousand Islands’ River Communities is diverse and interesting. So is the culture of these small villages. In the summer, the population of Alexandria Bay, Clayton, and Cape Vincent, New York, swells to several times its year-round residential population, and each town offers a unique experience all its own.

Some of the river communities are on the Canadian shores, but this post will explore just three very different northern border communities in the heart of the Thousand Islands on the American shores of New York State. Perhaps you’ll plan to visit one summer.

Alexandria Bay

Alex Bay, or A-Bay, as the locals call it, was settled around the War of 1812. One of the war’s battles, the Battle of Cranberry Creek, was fought here. So was the Patriot War of the 1830s when the British Steamer Sir Robert Peel was captured and destroyed.

Between the War of 1812 and 1870, the area had just a few dozen settlers. Harvesting timber and producing potash—potassium carbonate used for making glass, soap, and bleaching textiles—were the primary jobs. In 1870, coal became a mainstay, and the population began to grow. More and more land was cleared, and early residents, Cornwall and Walton, got the brilliant idea to buy up most of the islands for pennies and resell them for many dollars.

In 1848, Charles Crossman built the first Alexandria Bay hotel, and visitors began to come to the resort, mostly for fishing, but also for the beauty of the St. Lawrence River.

Then in 1872, everything changed. George Pullman invited President Grant to visit the islands. The press touted the area as the place to vacation. Cornwall and Walton began selling islands and shoreline properties to the “new money” millionaires—and the Thousand Islands Gilded Age began.

By 1878, Alexandria Bay consisted of 930 acres of islands. Industries included ice harvesting, boat building by Hutchinson Brothers, and stone quarrying for the new castles and mansions going up, as well as the tour-boat business. By then, the river was filled with boats. The casino on Casino Island was built, and tourism kicked in high gear.

Today, A-Bay is still the major tourist hub in the region. The Cornwall Brothers Museum is the place to learn more about the history. You can catch a number of boat cruises. From the village dock, it’s a quick boat trip to Boldt Castle on Heart Island, Castle Rest on Pullman Island, and Casa Blanca on Cherry Island, to name a few. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Alexandria Bay is a lively, busy town.

Clayton

Charm is the word for Clayton. Homey. Friendly. It still retains a proverbial home town feel but also provides a pleasant stay for visitors.

First settled around 1800, Clayton became a major shipbuilding and lumbering port. The village was the central railroad terminal for the Thousand Islands region; anyone coming to the region by train had to pass through Clayton. A ferry also connected Clayton with Gananoque, Ontario.

The town includes several islands including Grindstone, Round, and a few smaller islands. Today, Clayton is home to the renowned Antique Boat Museum, the Thousand Islands Museum, and dozens of Victorian-era homes. 

Cape Vincent

Cape Vincent was first explored by French explorers and missionaries in the seventeenth century and celebrates its French heritage each year with a French Festival. It’s still the only ferry crossing from the US to the largest of the Thousand Islands, Wolfe Island, Canada.

During the War of 1812, Cape Vincent hosted a military camp to fight the British forces stationed across the river in Kingston, Ontario. Napoleon Bonaparte’s brother resided in the village, and Tibbetts Point Lighthouse offers endless views of both the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.

During the Gilded Age, Clayton was a famous tourist area, and still is. Within twenty minutes of each other by car, these three villages are the perfect jumping off point to discover the Thousand Islands Gilded Age history, magic, and wonders that are abundant on the St. Lawrence River.

About Sara’s Surprise:

Sara O’Neill, works as an assistant pastry chef at the magnificent Thousand Islands Crossmon Hotel where she meets precocious, lovable, seven-year-old Madison and her charming father and hotel manager, Sean Graham. But Jacque LaFleur, the pastry chef Sara works under, makes her dream job a nightmare.

Sean Graham has trouble keeping his mind off Sara and Madison out of mischief. Though he finds Sara captivating, he despises LaFleur and misreads Sara’s desire to learn from the pastry chef as affection. Can Sean learn to trust Sara and can she trust herself to be an instant mother?

Winner the 2020 American Fiction Awards, Sara's Surprise will grip your heart and warm it well.

About Susan:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books.

Her first two books of The Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, Devyn’s Dilemma, and Katelyn’s Choice have each won multiple awards, and book three, Peyton’s Promise, comes out May 2022 with Rachel’s Reunion in October. The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, and Sara’s Surprise, and Reagan’s Reward, are also award winners. Susan’s book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, the American Fiction Award, the Indie Excellence Book Award, and two Literary Titan Book Award. Reagan’s Reward is a finalist in the Selah Awards.

Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children's picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com for more.

The Thousand Islands Gilded Age

By Susan G Mathis

Between New York state and Ontario, Canada, where Lake Ontario narrows and becomes the St. Lawrence River are more than 1800 islands known as The Thousand Islands. Here is where the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River intersect to become the world’s largest inland navigation system. Huge freighters pass by tiny islands along the main channel and share the waterway with all kinds of boats including kayaks and canoes!

In 1872, George M. Pullman invited President Ulysses S. Grant to visit his small island during the reelection campaign, as well as several Civil War heroes including General Sheridan. When George Pullman originally created this summer residence, it wasn’t much more than a simple frame cottage and dock. But by 1872, he’d expanded his 5-acre island to include a much larger and nicer cottage where they could entertain, a massive boathouse, pumps, and an ice house. And entertain he did! 

When President Grant and his entourage came, the Thousand Islands became a national event. The press touted the Thousand Islands as THE place to summer for the rich and famous and common man alike. 

In so doing—and thanks to excited journalists—he launched The Thousand Islands Gilded Age season of the rich and famous buying islands and lots along the mainland and building castles, mansions, and magnificent summer homes. Those islands, those homes have delightful, intriguing, and often poignant stories to tell. And I aim to tell a lot of those stories, including Katelyn’s Choice that tells the Pullman Island story. 

From 1872 until 1912 the Thousand Islands Gilded Age brought tens of thousands of visitors to the enchanting summer resort. Grand hotels popped up. The rich scooped up islands and built fancy mansions and castles they called cottages and hunting lodges. The middle class bought small parcels of land along the mainland and built simple cottages. 

And tourism took off. 

The railroad expanded to bring in tourists and landowners. Large side-paddle steamboats toured passengers around the islands, and distinguished visitors made it the summer resort to visit. They came from New York City, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and many other places. 

Several of the amazing castles and beautiful summer homes you can still tour today including Boldt Castle and “The Towers” on Dark Island (now called Singer Castle) which is the setting for my latest novel, Devyn’s Dilemma, that releases April 2^nd. 

Would you like to visit the Thousand Islands? 

Leave your answer or comments on the post below and join me on May 19^th for my next post. 

Check out Devyn’s Dilemma, Book 2 of the Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, coming April 2!

Devyn McKenna is forced to work in the Towers on Dark Island, one of the enchanting Thousand Islands. But when Devyn finds herself in service to the wealthy Frederick Bourne family, her life takes an unexpected turn. 

Brice McBride is Mr. Bourne’s valet as well as the occasional tour guide and under butler. Brice tries to help the mysterious Devyn find peace and love in her new world, but she can’t seem to stay out of trouble—especially when she’s accused of stealing Bourne’s money for Vanderbilt’s NYC subway expansion. 

About Susan: 

Susan G Mathis is a multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Katelyn’s Choice, the first in The Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, is available now, and book two, Devyn’s Dilemma, releases in April, 2020. The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, and Sara’s Surprise are available now. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com for more.

Susan is also a published author of two premarital books with her husband, Dale, two children's picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs, enjoys traveling globally with her wonderful husband, Dale. 

Lighthouse Publishing: https://shoplpc.com/devyns-dilemma

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Susan-G-Mathis/e/B001JP31DI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1578601862&sr=1-1  

Website: www.SusanGMathis.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusanGMathis

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@SusanGMathis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susangmathis

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/susangmathisaut

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6044608.Susan_G_Mathis