Life on the River During the Winter Months was often hard. Below are six stories from sad to humorous as told by Thomas Mitchell (1913-1990; recorded in the late 1980s) and his brother, Grant Mitchell (1900-1979; recorded in the mid 1970s).
The image to the right is from a Real Picture Post Card (RPPC). The house was moved from Round Island to Clayton, and the house is now across the street from the Surfine Supermarket on State Street (Route 12)
Chancy on the Ice
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Crashing a Car on the Ice
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Crossing to Clayton for Supplies
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Leon Rusho of Grindstone Island Relates Chancy’s Near Death Experience on the Ice
As Interviewed by Nellie Taylor in the 1980s.
Leon’s son, Manley Leon Rusho, was a regular contributor to Thousand Island Life until his passing in 2025.
Truck Falls Thru the Ice
While hauling stone off Picton Island, Thomas Mitchell’s truck “went down easy” in the winter of 1951. Bluff Island near Clayton can be seen in the background. Note that this truck is the same one as seen in the next story below. (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection; Photo by Thomas Mitchell).
1951 Diary Entry of Nellie Mitchell Taylor concerning her father . Taylor was ten-years old at the time.
Moving Camp to Crow
Thomas Mitchell with his construction crew, circa 1942, towing an old kitchen from Thousand Island Park across the ice to what would become his camp at Crow Island, across from Ivy Lea (Hear the Story Above). Photo taken in the Narrows between Wellesley and Murray Islands. Thomas Mitchell was the son in Thomas Mitchell & Son, a construction company based at Thousand Island Park established in the 1920s by his father, Thomas Mitchell Sr. (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection; Photo by Thomas Mitchell).
Left: The summer kitchen on Central Avenue before it was moved to Crow Island. The cottage on the lot was moved to United States Avenue an is now the Humphrey Cottage. The summer kitchen, probably built as a storage building while a tent still occupied the lot, was a separate building.
Starting out across South Bay, Thousand Island Park (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection).The Crew of Thomas Mitchell & Son, circa 1942, towing an old old kitchen from Thousand Island Park across the ice. Photo taken in the Narrows between Wellesley and Murray Islands. Individuals are (left to right): Harry Dano, Will Grant, Chancy Patterson, Jay Waterson, Bill Waterson, unknown, but last name believed to be Dano. Notice the can of motor oil between the legs of Harry Dano and Will Grant. (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection; Photo by Thomas Mitchell).
Filling the Ice House
Harvesting Ice in South Bay off Thousand Island Park, circa 1900 — Joe Patterson (by Team), Tom Dano (on top), Peter LaMarr (far left), Charlie Patterson (left above), Tom Stuart (3rd from Left) (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection).
Pushing Ice onto sleigh, South Bay off Thousand Island Park, circa 1900 (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection).
Photo Left: Harvesting Ice in Crossmon Bay of Alexandria Bay. The Crossmon Hotel is in the background along with Centennial Hall (right), current location of Captain Thompson’s Resort. Photo Right: Harvesting Ice for George Boldt Estate (Photo Courtesy of Boldt Castle). Note the Ice Plow in both photos.
Filling the South Bay Ice House in South Bay, Thousand Island Park, circa 1900 (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection).
Unabridged Filling the Ice House Recording of Thomas Mitchell
Early Snowmobile on ice off Thousand Island Park Circa 1910-15
Photos by Charles Cornell from the photo album of May McCormick Cupernall (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection).
May McCormick Cupernall (2nd from left) was postmistress at Thousand Island Park for 50 years beginning in the early 20th century.
Iron Cottage at T.I. Park can be seen in the background.
Note steering mechanism.
An Evolution of Ice Boats
Ice Boats on the St. Lawrence
Real Picture Post Card from 1911 — Motor Ice Boat, Invented by Floyd Carter, St. Lawrence River, NY. Calumet is in the background.
Dock Building the Old-Fashioned Way
Crew of Thomas Mitchell & Son, Contractors from Thousand Island Park, doing dock work on the ice at Bartlett Point near Clayton circa late 1950s. Clayton can be seen in the distance in two of the photos. Calumet can be seen behind the ice boat in the center photo (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection; Photos by Thomas Mitchell).
Exact location of this boathouse is unknown, but believed to be on the American Channel side of Wellesley between the Thousand Islands Bridge and Alexandria Bay. Circa late 1950s, the work is being completed by Thomas Mitchell & Sons of Thousand Island Park (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection; Photo by Thomas Mitchell).
Boathouse belonging to Thomas Mitchell at Thousand Island Park serving as a garage for vehicles on the ice, circa 1960s. (Courtesy of the Nellie Taylor Collection; Photo by Thomas Mitchell.
