TOWN OF ALEXANDRIA, JEFFERSON COUNTY NEW YORK
THOUSAND ISLAND HOUSE NOTED FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY IN 1922
The following article by A.E. Keech, Clayton, was published in the Thousand Islands Sun in 1922, and reprinted on page 21 of the July 17, 1996 issue of the Thousand Islands Sun Vacationer. It is used here with the gracious permission of Jeanne Snow, editor
July 1st, 1922, will be the 50th anniversary of the opening to the public of the Thousand Island House, the first summer hotel along the river, and one that from the day of its completion down to the present has attracted the attention of tourists from all over the world to the region after which it was named.
In the fall of 1871, Staples and Knott of Watertown became associated business partners and planned construction of a great summer hotel, patterned after those of Saratoga, which was then at the height of its glory. The promoters of the enterprise decided upon a location somewhere along the banks of the St. Lawrence and first visited Clayton, where the excessive price asked for the water front real estate and the indifference of leading business men who seemed to regard the proposition as a wild-cat scheme likely to bring financial ruin to all having anything to do with it, sent it along down the river to Fisher's Landing. The owner of a half-mile waterfront, suspicious that the land was wanted for speculative purposes refused to part with it.
Owned Many Islands
The next and final stop was at Alexandria Bay, where the enterprising and far seeing firm of Cornwall and Walton who were then the owners of nearly all the islands between Round Island and Ogdensburg, promptly deeded at so nominal a sum as to be almost a gift, the present location of the building that was intended to be twice its present size, and might have been had not the Crossmons then owning the point at the upper end of the village, and fearing ruination of their business, absolutely refused to part with an inch of the property that remained vacant for many years.
As has been the case with many great enterprises, there were knockers aplenty, and right at the start, to continue all through to the final end of the work.
Mnay men unpossessed of the nerve and assurance of the unexcitable and imperturbable O.G. Staples would have collapses, but not he, as many times in reply to the criticism of these who predict the scheme as a financial quagmire into which all capital and credit of the partners would be cast long before the time set for its completion he vehemently declared, "We are going to open it for business in July of this year no matter who opposes us.
"We have already, with but little more than roofing and enclosing it, nearly exhausted our funds, but there will be devised ways and means by which more will be forthcoming when we wanted.
"We shall advertise to bring tourists and travelers from all over the world to Alexandria Bay and the Thousand Islands and people who are now all around and about us will see the day when the shores and islands from here to Clayton will be crowded with cottages to make a great summer city. The people here owe it to themselves as future prosperity to take hold and help along, by contributing labor, money and merchandise; and they are going to do it."
Horses Haul Material
An almost insurmountable difficulty presented itself right at the start when with the stone foundations ready for sills and joists, the lumber that came from somewhere in the interior arrived at Cape Vincent, then the only railroad termainal between Oswego and Ogdensburg, too late to be shipped by boat, the
Shoecraft then being the only steam yacht on the river.
The Thousand Island Housefed hundreds of hungry visitors, and all day until into the night a dozen dispensers of conversation water flung bottles and glasses along the bar counter, and raken in the country boys' one or two dollar bills offered in payment of a couple of beers or cigars into the cash drawer, the the unsympathetic information, "No time to make change! Stand back and give others a chance" and Staples sitting in a corner with a gentleman guest, laughed at the discomfiture of the victims and said, "Just watch those fellows rake in the cash. Another day like this and we will be able to build another hotel."
Night came with fireworks to entertain and electricity being unknown, hundreds of kerosene lanterns gave a brilliant illumination of the waterfront and a great fleet of boaters of all kinds and sizes. For a wonder no one of the assembled multitude were killed, drowned or seriously injured; there being but one accident, or intended tragedy, as it seemed and that frustrated by prompt assistance. Three of us young kids ment on seeing the show out to a finish had forethought to take a tent along as protection against possible rains and pitched camp on the little island where the casino now stands and that is separated from nearby mainland by a deep and swift channel. Midnight came with hardly any cessation of conversation, music and laughter coming from boats drifting all about us.
At two o'clock the first snores began resounding throughout the camp to become interrupted a minute later by strange sounds and voices of a man and a woman evidently quarrelling in a boat so near we could almost reach out and touch them, but our camp along the bushes was hidden to them. There was a sudden and violent rattling of oars and chairs, a loud splash, a woman's scream, followed by splutterings and gurglings to catch breath to deliver a Mrs. Caudle curtain lecture even if drowning in the attempt.
"You villain," she shrieked, then lost hold to sink for an instant to come again to the surface to splutter and gurgle more. "I know why you brought me here. It was to drown me so you can go to live with that hussy you have been supporting a year, but I won't drown, I won't."
Her head was just again going under the water as one of our party, himself straddle of a boat bottom overturned in frantic haste to render assistance grasped her by the hair, and with the man clinging to one end of the boat we towed them to the mainland where they scrambled up the rocks to disappear in the darkness.
Outlived Competitors
Perhaps one or both the principals in that affair may yet be living and pehaps again they may read this account to learn after so many years who were their rescuers.
Fifty years!An almost unlimited space of time to the young, comparable with the ages of they Egyptian Pyramids; but to us older ones, seeming scarcely more than as many months. The Thousand Island House, the first to be constructed, has outlived all its along the river competitors and stands today as viewed from a little distance, as level and plumb as the day the last workman left. How many of the multitudes of visitors on its opening day are now living? Probably not one tenth. There should be some sort of observance of its 50th birthday at which registry of the names of those who were present at the opening be permitted.
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Nan Dixon
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