Brockville Museum Library

Library Sources:

Reference: Local History Shelf

A Guide to Provincial Plaques in Ontario. Compiled by Mary Ellen Perkins. 1989. ISBN: 0-920474-50-0

• Get this book for plaque descriptions. May be out of date St. Lawrence River Shelf

Benson, George. Historical Record of the Edwardsburg and Canada Starch Companies. (no publication date, however, it was written to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the company. Approx 1958)

· The preface describes how crucial the St. Lawrence canals were to the development of the company. Great growth came after a free trade agreement with the US on ‘natural goods’. Since Canada was not yet a major corn grower, much of the corn was shipped to the Company from the US via the St. Lawrence.

· Pg 13. Describes his memories of seeing the timber rafts and the process involved with going down the rapids. They generally split-up into smaller rafts and manned by Indian and other ‘half-breeds’ using large oars about 30’ in length.

· Pg 18 talks about harnessing water power from the canals for the purpose of industry. The company founder originally leased the waterpower from James Jessup at the Galop Canal.

· Pg. 30 picture of the original Canada Starch Factory on the Galop Canal Lock No. 26

· Pg. 42 picture of the freighters unloading at the original Canada Starch Co. elevators.

Emerton, Deborah (ed). Brockville Voices: An Oral History of Brockville, 1900-1960. Brockville: Brockville Museum, 1994.

· Compilation of various oral histories

· pg 32 a recount a summer job on the tour boats from 1936-38. He says he made good money (more than his father), mostly from American tourists.

· Charles ‘Torchy’ MacDonald recounts life along the river. Life on the ferries was a social event. There was a small dance hall on the back of the Britannic. Recalls buying sneezing powder in Alex bay and releasing upwind from the dance hall, causing everyone to sneeze. Recounts the drill boat explosion in 1930.

· Dorthy Smart (pg 120) recounts summers along the river during the 1920. There were many nice simple cottages and everyone drank straight from the river. McDougall’s Grocery store sent a boat up the islands every week to take orders. Recalls the Fulfords entertaining prime ministers and princes on their yacht, the Megedoma.

· William Tooker (pg 130) – recounts life working as a deckhand on the Rapids Prince. Talks about going through the rapids and taking on a river guide to get through them. Good account of life on the ships during the 1940s, just before the steam passenger travel on the St. Lawrence ended.

Grant, Doug. Doug Grant’s History Resource and History We Blog (sic) ‘Brockville History Album’.

· Most of this book is comprised of lists of names.

· Towards the end is a blog containing some interesting write-ups on various aspects of Brockville’s history

o ‘What Blockhouse? What Island?’ chronicles the history of what is now Blockhouse Island. Details the name changes overtime. How it was once called Refuge Island during the cholera epidemic of 1832.

· Checkout website: http://dmgrant.wordpress.com/

Lockwood, Glenn J. The Story of Brockville: Men and Women Making a Canadian Community on the United States Frontier, 1749-2007. Brockville: Henderson Printing Inc, 2006.

· An in depth account of Brockville`s history. It briefly covers history dating back to the Paleo-Indian era, however most of the book covers from 1749 to 2007.

· Extensive coverage of military conflicts in the surrounding area, including Fort de Levis on Isle Royale (now Chimney Island, NY).

· After each chapter is a detailed bibliographic listing of resources, including information on where images can be found.

· Chapter 2 is an interesting account of Adiel Sherwood Saw. He wrote down his memoirs in 1868 at the age of 87. He details moving to Brockville at age 5 when it was a `vast forested wasteland. ` A first-hand account of navigating up the river in 1784 and how the rapids were challenged by bateaux boats. Also includes his memories of the family slave, Caesar Congo.

· Chapter 3 covers who founded Brockville. Also extensive information on the beginnings of the timber trade and rafting around Brockville

· Chapter 4 covers conflict and the history of loyalists in the area.

· Chapter 5 covers the growth of Brockville after the War of 1812 and its competition with Prescott. Images of interest include an 1830 sketch of Brockville`s waterfront (Ref Royal Ontario Museum 942.48.23)

· Chapter 6 covers Brockville’s development in the 1830’s and 40’s including how the Rideau Canal hurt the town. Describes how Blockhouse Island became a cholera hospital during the epidemic in the 1830’s

· Chapter 9 covers the lack of industrialization in Brockville and compares it to other towns along the St. Lawrence.

· Chapter 10 covers Brockville’s rise when the railway came to town

· Chapter 11 briefly covers Brockville’s desire for more ferries to the US, as well as a proposed railway bridge that was never built, although pillars were constructed on Three Sisters Islands in anticipation.

· Chapter 13 covers the Brockville rowing club and attributes its long-standing success to the St. Lawrence River and the islands. The author notes that young local men used the islands to get away from town in order to smoke, drink and idle about, away from criticism. Also covers the advent of summer tourism in the area starting in the late 1800s, including religious recreation.

· In depth account of the Fulford’s influence and power in Brockville at the turn of the century.

· Pg. 478 ‘The promise of the St. Lawrence Seaway’ Brockville did not buy into the pipedream of a deep-water port like Kingston and Prescott. Construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway raised unrealistic hopes that Brockville might become a major port city.

· Overall this is a very comprehensive book on the history of Brockville. An effort should be made to contact the author.

Morris, J.A. Prescott 1810-1967. Prescott: The Prescott Journal, 1967.

· Covers the foundation of Prescott. Also covers the time period when Prescott was a busy forwarding port. Pg18. has a description of Rev. Wm Bell’s take on the village in 1817: “Provisions are dear and not easily obtained...Taverns are numerous, but most of them are of the lowest description in all respects except their charges...The farmers are generally rude in their manners and many of the destitute of education...Drunkenness is quite common, and profane swearing almost universal. Several of the women swear as bad as the men...”

· Includes a history of Fort Wellington; established due to its strategic location at the head of the Galop rapids. Its most significant military use was the raid on Ogdensburg on Feb 22, 1813. Two soldiers deserted Ft. Wellington to alert the Americans that the Governor-General had stopped at the Fort while en route to Montreal. Afraid that the Americans would attack and capture the GG, Major MacDonell, the commander of the Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles and recently instated commander of the Fort, ordered ‘a fake drill’ (which was a daily custom) on the ice to distract the Americans while the GG escaped. Once he was a safe distance away, MacDonell attacked the Americans at Fort La Presentation (an old French then British fort). The British eventually won, took provisions from the Americans, and burned down their fort. (pg 44-47)

· Ft. Wellington was also the scene of a failed American bid to free Canada from Britain’s tyranny. Excellent account of the Battle of the Windmill, including Geo. Macdonell’s account.

· Desertion and Elopement

· Following the War of 1812 the St. Lawrence River Patrol was formed, which was charged with patrolling the riverfront from Kingston to Cornwall. The patrol consisted of 3 Troops of Light Dragoons in Grenville, 1 Troop of Dragoons in Leeds, 1 Troop of Dragoons in Addington, 1 Troop in of Dragoons in Lennox (pg 61). The militia consisted of adult males who were required to attend one annual muster. There were no uniforms, no weapons unless the men had their own. It would have been ill prepared in the event of an emergency.

· Forwarding companies a vital industry (pg 86) –

· International Railway Ferry – (pg 135 – 140) in operation since 1888, was an important connection between Canada and the US, especially during the time of the silk expresses. The silk trade involved bringing silk across the Pacific Ocean about CP chartered ships, then transporting the silk by train across Canada destined for the New York’s flourishing garment industry. The trains crossed by train ferry at Prescott to save time on the journey to NY.

· Descriptions of various ferry services from Prescott to Ogdensburg)

· The New Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge (pg 147) – some info on the history of the bridge, but not that in depth.

Progressive Business Men: Brockville 1895.

· Lists at least 100 cheese factories in the Brockville district at the time

Scott, Ina G. Yesterday’s News, Today’s History. Gananoque: 1000 Islands Publishers Ltd., 1982.

· This book is a compilation of news stories throughout the history of Gananoque and surrounding area.

· Some stories of note include: the 1000 Islands from Early Times, The Legend of the Thousand Islands, Mysterious Pot Holes of the 1000 Islands, The Summerless Summer (1816, snowed all summer. There were no crops), Bill Johnston, The Lost Channel, Steam boats on the St. Lawrence in Early Years, Elizabeth Barnett – the Heroine who saved Gan and Upper Canada, The burning of the Robert Peel, The Gan Blockhouse,

Swayne, Donald H. The Brockville Rowing Club: 100 Years of Rowing. Brockville: Brockville Rowing Club, 1994.

· Details the early history of rowing in Brockville before the club was founded. In the 1840’s, men would row down to Prescott.

· Also details the emergence of the Bohemian rowing club.

· Overall this book is a comprehensive detailing of the club. Should serve as an excellent resource for this section of the proposal.

· Some great pictorial resources as well. For example, this picture is of a fund raising event held to determine when the car will drop through the ice.

Ten Cate, Adrian & MacNaughton, Christina. Brockville: A Pictorial History. Kingston: Hanson & Edgar. 1972.

· Describes local place names used by the Natives and how they changed with the arrival of the French. Includes accompanying maps. Talks about the naming of Brockville, and the controversy that surrounded it. This story contradicts the version found in Lockwood’s version.

· Describes the importance of Buell’s Creek (which drains into the St. Lawrence) in providing power to several mills (pg 18)

· Picture of a floating timber raft (pg 54).

· Picture of a steamer going past Brockville in 1841, with Three Sisters Islands in the background (pg56)

· Picture of Blockhouse Island 1845 (pg63)

· Picture of steamers in Brockville circa 1857 (pg 68)

· Fairly comprehensive detailing of the history of the railways in Brockville and how it started to change Brockville’s fortune starting in the 1850’s

· LaChappelle Bay Boat Yards. Gilbert Boat Works made some of the fastest pleasure boats on the river in the early 20^th century.

· The Patent Medicine Industry – G.T. Fulford Company Ltd. (pg 140)

· The Canada Carriage Company which turned into the Brockville Motor Company (pg 144)

· Good pictures of Fulford Place (pg 153)

· There is an entire section on the St. Lawrence River (pg 155). Firsthand accounts of early travels on the St. Lawrence River. Passenger steamships served Brockville until 1948 when the Kingston made her last run. Good drawings of some of the early steamers, including: Frontenac, Ontario, and The Robert Peel

· Details piracy on the St. Lawrence, most notably the sinking of the Sir Robert Peel (155)

· The Brockville Rowing Club (pg 157), started in the 1840s. Good pictures of rowing on the St. Lawrence.

· Pg. 162 – an interesting recollection of childhood life on the river at Brockville in the early 20^th century.

· Pg. 164 – details of the Richilieu and Ontario Navigation Company. Good pics of the steamers Kingston and Toronto.

· (p.165) Boys came to the wharf to dive for pennies

· Details of ferryboats running out of Brockville can be found on page 167.

Reference: Transportation Shelf

Croil, James. Steam navigation and its relation to the commerce of Canada and the United States. Toronto: Coles Publishing (originally published by William Briggs of Toronto, 1898).

· Most of the book deals with the history of steamboat navigation throughout North America. Most of the book will not be of too much use as it pertains specifically to the St. Lawrence, however it is a useful resource in describing the broader development of steamboat navigation in the 19^th century.

· Chapter 12 is entitled The St. Lawrence Route, however it mostly deals with trans-Atlantic trade between Quebec and Britain.

· Chapter 13, entitled Steam on the Great Lakes, touches on the history of steamboats running out of Kingston, but not in great depth.

· Pg. 259 describes how a main source of revenue for many farmers along the upper St. Lawrence was derived through towage of Durham boats along the canals by oxen and horses, leaving many farms seriously neglected.

· Pg. 299 – written in 1898, this section details the quest for a deep waterway in the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes. It highlights the preliminary steps taken by both the American and Canadian governments to study the feasibility of building a deeper canal system. It’s interesting to note the debate that was taking place at the time as to what would be the most suitable route for the new seaway.

Guillet, Edwin C. Pioneer Travel in Upper Canada. Toronto: U of T Press, 1933.

· Gives a broad overview of transportation in Upper Canada, with some attention paid to the St. Lawrence River

· Chapters of interest include:

o Ch1 – Indian Trails, Loyalist Routes and Channels of Trade;

o Ch2 – the canoe;

o Ch3 – the bateau and Durham boat;

o Ch4 – the sailing ship

o Ch5 – the steamship; by Indian Trail and Blazed Path

o Ch6 – roads and road builders (not much dealing with the St. Lawrence)

o Ch10 – Early Canadian Railroads

o Ch11 – The Grand Trunk Railroad

Jenkins, Phil. Rivers Song: Sailing the History of the St. Lawrence. Toronto: Penguin, 2001.

· Jenkins covers some of the more obscure histories of the St. Lawrence, from Kingston to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

· Pg 44 describes how Natives often took jobs as river guides, pilots and deckhands.

· Pg 60 talks about military conflict on the upper St Lawrence, including the history of the shipwreck, HMS Radclife in Mallorytown.

· Pg 73 – 77 an account of Anne Moodie’s travels up the St. Lawrence after she immigrated to Canada from England

· Includes other stories and personal accounts that may be of interest, unfortunately time did not allow an in depth reading of this book

Long, Geo. Sea to Lakes: On the St. Lawrence. National Geographic. September 1950.

· An interesting snapshot of life on the St. Lawrence in 1950, just before the Seaway was built.

· Includes some good pictures of the last of the St. Lawrence steamers navigating the Long Sault Rapids near Prescott, Fort Henry guard, eel catching

· The article is devoted to the entire St. Lawrence

Research Report: Area Railways – The Effects of Early Transportation in Brockville – Rail and Water

(Black binder found on the ‘Transportation’ shelf of the book collection at the Brockville Museum)

· This report starts by detailing the beginnings of river transportation on the St. Lawrence and how that impacted Brockville

· It then describes how rail transportation influenced Brockville. This book is good because it ties both rail and water transport together and describes how both these transportation systems worked in tandem.

· Good references

Reference: St. Lawrence River Shelf

Anderson, Dr. Reginald and Bob. Butternut Bay: A Treasured Summer Community. 2006.

• An interesting history of a small cottage community in Leeds and Grenville which was originally the land of Colonel Jessup and sold to the Methodist Church in 1875
• In 1895 a group of cottagers purchased the land
• Became a close-knit cottage community and provides an unique vignette on this type of recreational community of the St. Lawrence

Fischer, George and Bouchard, Claude. Sentinels in the Stream: Lighthouses of the St. Lawrence River. Erin ON: Boston Mills Press. 2001.

· Covers ten lights houses in the study area between Kingston and the Quebec boarder

· The history of each lighthouse is detailed along with a picture

• A fairly well done book with interesting histories of each lighthouse.

Fournier, Mike. 8 Little Schooners.

• Compilation by a local diver on various accounts of the sinking of the American schooners, the Sophia and the Island Packet by Ensign Dunham Jones of the Grenville Militia of Maitland and company
• Diver has recovered various artefacts from the wrecks in the St. Lawrence; with photos of the artefacts that are now housed in the Brockville Museum

Gogo, Jean L. (ed) Lights on the St. Lawrence. Toronto: Ryerson Press. 1958.

· Gogo compiles accounts of life on the river from various people throughout history.

· Some of the more interesting accounts include: Jesuit accounts, Alexander Henry – the first Englishman to venture down the Long Sault Rapids, Mrs. Simcoe’s account of the rapids, The Canals, Charles Dickens account, songs of the voyageurs and lumbermen, river roads in the winter

· Also gives an interesting pre-Seaway account of the effects of the project while it was being built.

Gray, Lillian Collier. Maitland: Seaway Village. Prescott: Prescott Journal, 1967.

• Provides a history of Maitland with interesting vignettes of lesser known local histories
• Begins with the establishment of Pointe au Baril, 1759, as a shipyard for the French
• George Longley, the Stone House Man, designed many of the stone houses reminiscent of the Loyalist era along the St. Lawrence
• Story of Duncan Clark warning of American flotilla headed for Brockville, Canada’s Paul Revere

Hough, Franklin B. A History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties, N.Y., from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Original Edition, 1853. Baltimore: Regional Publishing, 1970.

• Provides insight into the history of the St. Lawrence from an American perspective, beginning with the French and Indians and into the 1850s
• Of note is the unique perspective of conflict; 1812 and the Patriot’s War (Upper Canada Rebellion)
• Description of the 8 Little Schooners incident in 1812 (p.620) and the skirmish between the U.S. Julia and British Moira and Gloucester (p.622)
• Describes Forsyth’s raid on Brockville (p. 626) and McDonnell’s retaliation on Ogdensburg (p. 627)
• Goes into further length on the War of 1812 including Crysler’s farm and various skirmishes on the water
• Also unique is the description of the Patriot’s War from an American perspective
• Describes the sinking of the Robert Peel with a primary source letter supposedly written by ‘Bill’ Johnston (p.659)

Lefolii, Ken. The Illustrated Natural History of Canada: The St. Lawrence Valley. Toronto: Natural Science of Canada Ltd. 1970.

· While this book is somewhat dated, it still gives a good overview of the natural heritage processes that impact the St. Lawrence River from Kingston to the Gulf.

o Ch1- The region: the high river, highway for birds, the valley, the estuary

o Ch2- Geology: the formation of the valley, river of ice, the formation of the river

o Ch3- Plant Life: migrants and colonizers, the life cycle of a mushroom, marine plants, flowers of the marsh

o Ch4- Animal Life: Marine animal life, adaptation and survival

o Ch5- Conservation: where the river ends, seaway construction, man and the river

• Ch6- Geological time scale, a short list of rocks, plants, and animals

Mercier, Gilbart B. Pleasure Yachts of the Thousand Islands, circa 1900. Clayton: Shipyard Press, 1981.

• A list and history of may of the pleasure yachts of the American side of the river

Stewart, Jim and Larry Lunman. Decoys of the Thousand Islands. Erin: Boston Mills Press, 1992.

• Includes a brief history of duck-hunting in the Thousand Islands; had begun as a form of sustenance and slowly became a sport with the formation of hunting clubs in the 1870s
• Describes (in great depth and detail) the various decoys designed over the years in the region including manufacturing companies and individual designers
• In Kingston, the penitentiary used to turn out thousands of decoys (mid-1800s to mid-1900s)
• Description of the decoys by region and their manufacturers or creators along with anecdotal history of particularly unique fishers, hunters, trappers etc.

St. Lawrence River Pilot: Montreal Harbour to Kingston Harbour. 4^th ed. Hydrographic and Map Service Surbeys and Engineering Branch, Dept. of Mines and Resources. Ottawa: Edmond Cloutier, 1942.

• A manual published for navigating the Upper St. Lawrence
• Includes island descriptions, detailed descriptions of shoals, rock outcroppings, depths, etc.
• Also describes level of activities in particular areas in order that the pilots are well equipped to navigate the water with an understanding of the type of water traffic that will be encountered
• Breakdown of the channels between towns and islands

Ten Cate, Adrian G. et. al. Pictorial History of the Thousand Islands. Brockville: Besancourt, 1982.

• An excellent source on the history of the Thousand Islands with descriptions of the history of settlement of both the north and south shore
• Covers in depth the conflicts on the river as well as recreation history
• Captain Pouchet’s last stand on Chimney Island (p.21)
• Gives accounts of Barnett’s warning of the Patriot Hunters’ and Canadian rebels’ plot to attack Gananoque and Kingston from Hickory Island and the Hickory Island Farce that ensued for the rebels (p. 83)
• Describes Darlingside (p. 101), the Knapp Roller Boat (p. 173) and Pirate Bill Johnston and the sinking of the Robert Peel, his conflict with British forces and his hiding in “The Devil’s Oven” on an island near Fort Wallace, Wellesley Island (p.84) and an in-depth look at the Battle of the Windmill (p. 86)
• Extensive descriptions of War of 1812 from naval skirmishes to Crysler’s Farm
• Small chapter on the Fenian Alert (p. 115)
• Describes boating with lists and descriptions of navigation companies and boat lines, resorts, summering in the 1000 Islands, Grenadier Island (p.256)
• Also tells the interesting story of the Maple Island Murder; murder of a hermit who some say was John Payne, involved in the assassination of President Lincoln, by 6 members of the Knights of the Blue Gauntlet (p. 113)
• Contains hundreds of excellent artists’ works and photographs from the early French to the building of the bridges

Reference: Military Shelf

Hannon, Leslie. Forts of Canada: the Conflicts, Sieges, Battles that Forged a Great Nation. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1969.

· Pg. 160 The Stone Walls of Kingston. Gives a comprehensive detailing of Fort Frontenac’s history as well as Fort Henry’s history.

· Also gives details about life in a fort and the building of a fort

McFarlane, Nevin. A Timeline of Military Stories for Leeds and Grenville, 1760-1838.

· This is a small booklet covering some of the key military events in Leeds and Grenville.

· Some of the key events include:

o Chimney Island, NY – The Fall of New France, 1812 Folklore and the War of 1812 (including the Underhill Assassination, Forsyth’s Raid and the Ogdensburg Raid)

o Duncan Clark and the War of 1812

o The history of Chimney Island, Ontario

o Bill Johnston (well-written overview of his life)

o Elizabeth Barnett (Gananoque’s Laura Secord)

o The Battle of the Windmill

· Includes a reference list and photo credits at the end of the document that may be of use to future researchers.

Winter, Fritz. Old Fort in Upper Canada. Bulletin No. 146. School of Engineering Research. University of Toronto. (date unknown – best guess early 1970s).

· Describes the histories of Fort Frontenac, Fort Henry, and the Forts near Prescott.

Filing Cabinet:

Cabinet: St. Lawrence River History

File:

1. St. Lawrence River History, General Information

• Extract from Study of Brockville Story: “The River City”
• Study on the history of Brockville and its vital link with the St. Lawrence: brief background to the history of Brockville
• Contains articles from newspapers etc. about the river’s heritage in relation to Brockville
• Also a brief article on the history of River and Canals – of note is the discussion of Cardinal and the Galop Canals, christened Pointe au Cardinale by the French fur traders who poled bateaux passed the rapids.

2. St. Lawrence River History, Legends, Native History, Archaeology

• Contains interesting pieces of legend that have come out of the St. Lawrence and the Islands
• Brown, Jack. Riverside Pirates. Packet Feature, 1966.
• Interesting vignette of pirates
• An American, James Patterson, who stole horses from the Canadian side and shipped them across river by ferry at night
• Stanley, George F. Bill Johnston: Pirate of the 1000 Islands. Gananoque: The 1000 Islander, 1968.
• Excellent article on the pirate Johnston with other articles attached
• Curry, F.C. The Lost Channel.
• A passageway on the St. Lawrence near Ivy Lea that has become somewhat of a legend, dating back to the Seven Years’ War and a lost British ship and crew
• Many articles, short pieces on Chimney Island and the legend of its hidden gold
• Some pieces on native legends and native lore’s influence on modern legends of the islands and river

3. St. Lawrence River History, Recreation and Leisure

• Various articles and information on recreation for Brockville and the greater 1000 Islands with an extensive look at boating
• Contains an in depth look at the significance of the St. Lawrence Skiff and pleasure boating

4. St. Lawrence River History, River Industry #1 and #2

• Extensive collection of articles and history of industry on the river
• Importance of boat-building and motors

5. St. Lawrence River History, Transportation #1 and #2

• History of boat travel on the Upper St. Lawrence with emphasis on steamships and ferries
• Early Steamships on the Upper St. Lawrence
• Discusses the early horse boats
• Frontenac the first steamship of the Great Lakes which made a trip on the St. Lawrence to Prescott, launched in 1816
• Queen Charlotte was the first river steamer in Upper Canada, 1818
• History of steam navigation on the St. Lawrence
• Contains mostly articles from the Brockville Recorder on transportation history dating back to the late 1800s

6. St. Lawrence River History, Wartime

• Sketches, maps, and articles on the Blockhouse at Brockville
• Blockhouse Island
• This small island on the waterfront of Brockville, now filled in and connected, has a unique history ranging from a battle with an American schooner, Julia, with two British brigs, its Blockhouse, and a quarantined island for cholera laden immigrants
• Eames, Frank. Gananoque Blockhouse, 1813 – 1859. Athens Reporter, 1951.
• A thorough article on the blockhouse that once existed in Gananoque with a list of historic places of interest and an attached article on Gananoque’s involvement in the War of 1812
• Small package of articles on Chimney Island and the British (Amherst) siege of the French last stand at Fort de Levis with plans of the fort and sketches
• Curry, F.C. Carleton Island. The United Counties Packet, 1965.
• Article on Carleton Island as a fort (never finished, Fort Haldimand) and its subsequent purchase
• With attached article, the Carleton Island Purchase. On this island, Captain Crawford finalized the purchase of the land and islands along the St. Lawrence from the Mississauga, which came to be known as the Crawford Purchase
• Curry, F.C. Some Boundary Quarrels. The United Counties Packet, 1965.
• Discusses the narrow escapes and quarrels of boundaries beginning with the earliest Canadian-American (in English) boundary treaty, the Rush-Bagot Treaty, 1818 and Treaty of Ghent which drew the line through the St. Lawrence

7. St. Lawrence River History, Shipwrecks

• This file contains numerous articles on wrecks and recoveries in the St. Lawrence
• Couch, “Skip” and Don Martin. Divers Guide to the Upper St. Lawrence River.
• This guide catalogues 71 wrecks by name of vessel and is accompanied with a brief history of each
• Articles on the Great Drill Boat Disaster

Cabinet: A-B

1. Architecture in Brockville – Historic Buildings

• This file has a large collection of history in the form of newspaper articles and reports with walking tour guides etc. for the historic buildings of the town
• May be useful when discussing the cultural expression and riparian architecture
• Can provide samples of housing that typified early riparian settlement

2. Artists

• These files are ordered by certain artists of past prominence that may be useful and of note pertaining to the cultural expression of the river and its heritage communities

3. Beecher House

• The Beecher House, in which the Brockville Museum is now located, was the home of Sir Isaac Beecher and built in the 1820s (rear) and 1840s (front) in the Vernacular Loyalist style
• This file contains articles etc. pertaining to the home. Will be of interest as an example of riparian architecture (early) on the river.

4. Blockhouse Island

• A large file, some articles are redundant to those found in the St. Lawrence River History files, but includes more notes and articles from the Brockville Recorder and other sources.
• Will be the definitive works for a write-up on the unique history of Blockhouse island, from its cholera quarantine to the present-day park and proposals for a reconstructed blockhouse
• Built in response to the threat of attack on Brockville in 1838 by Canadian “Patriots” and American members of “Hunters Lodge” and the Fenians

5. Bohemian Amateur Athletic Association (BAAA)

• This association was famous for the Bohemian War Canoe Team which competed and won many victories in both American and Canadian Races
• File contains many newspaper and report articles on the club and an excellent vignette on sports and recreation on the St. Lawrence

6. Brockville Rowing Club (BRC)

• Contains articles and photos for the history of the Club
• Competed in cross-border competitions and other competitions in Canada

7. Buell History 1 – 2 (zap)

· Extensive history through articles on the Buell family of Brockville

8. Brockville Museum

· A well-documented folder on the history of the museum beginning with its inception and move to the Beecher house on the waterfront

9. Brockville Navigation Co. (ziggy)

· Small file containing various articles on the ships and operations of the Brockville Navigation Co. through articles published in the Brockville Recorder

Cabinet: D-H

10. Diving – Shipwrecks of St. Lawrence River

· Large folder containing printed pamphlets, guides and articles on diving and shipwrecks on the Upper St. Lawrence

11. Drill Boat Disaster – J.B. King

· More, and in greater quantity, information on the operations of the King; 1930 when the J.B. King exploded after being struck by lightning off the shoal on Cockburn Island, near Brockville

12. Ferry Service

13. Fulford Place (zip)

Cabinet: I

14. Industry – Gilbert Boat Works (GBW)

· Designed and built various boats including skiffs, canoes, and racing motor boats

· Various firms such as a carriage company and the Gilbert Motor Boat Company

15. Industry – Ice Harvesting

· Short history through newspaper articles on ice harvesting on the St. Lawrence at Brockville – Morrison family ice harvesters

· Used the St. Lawrence to cut out ice blocks to be delivered to homes, restaurants, and bakeries

16. Industry – Lumber Industry

• Contains a few articles on the lumber industry in Brockville
• Discusses various prominent firms and the use of the St. Lawrence for rafting the logs

17. Industry – St. Lawrence Engine Co.

• Large file on the St. Lawrence Engine Works and its operations in Brockville
• Manufacture marine motors such as the “Marine Workhorse”, a four-cylinder engine and their popular two cycle engine

18. Industry – Sauvé Brothers Boat Works

• At the height of their popularity in the 1880s and 1890s, “Sauvé boats” were being shipped across Canada and the U.S.
• Known for their cedar rowing and sailing skiffs

19. Industry – Shipbuilding

• Large file with articles on various shipbuilding enterprises in Brockville
• Interesting collection on the Knapp Roller Boat, designed by Frederick Knapp and built by the Polson’s Iron Works in 1899. A tubular freighter he claimed would revolutionize the industry was an utter flop ($125,000 to build), making some trips from Prescott but never realizing the potential Knapp had hoped. Was a large iron cylinder that used waves to propel it (portion taken from Ten Cate et. al. Pictorial History of the Thousand Islands)

Cabinet: J-M

20. Military

• A large and varied section with multiple files on Battle of the Windmill, Chimney Islands and the Fenian Raids (threat stymied by U.S. General Meade)
• Of note is the Forsyth Raid File – In 1813 on Gananoque and Brockville. Includes description of naval skirmish between the American Julia and British Moira and Earl of Gloucester, and the capturing of American schooners and various back and forth raids across the river
• Use of the frozen river to cross via sleigh (Forsyth attack on Brockville, Feb. 1813) – plaque on waterfront in Brockville
• Also contains a description of the capture of Ogdensburg by MacDonnell (from Prescott) in retaliation for the Brockville raid – plaque in Prescott commemorating this event

Cabinet: N-R

21. Old Man’s Island

• Morgan, H.R. Duels, hermits, picnics on Old Man’s Island. Recorder and Times.
• Also known as Ogden Island, it is situated between Brockville and Morristown on the American side of the river
• A varied and peculiar history which includes pistol duels, a hermit who inhabited it (Henry Graham) and lost his life in 1849 by falling through the ice near Morristown and another man, a decade later, named Colonel Elisha Buell, an eccentric who claimed himself a prophet heralding the return of Jesus Christ
• Out of jurisdiction during the Scott Act days, a Brockville hotelman operated a saloon on the island

22. Rockport

• Reynolds, Hugh A. Rockport.
• A small file contains an interesting history of Brockville from its beginnings as a small store and wharf owned by the Cornwalls
• Includes mention of immigration and customs, shipbuilding, forwarding, and hotels and its chief industries which included boatbuilding, cheese and butter making (factory built 1857), home and building repairs to summer homes, boathouses and docks
• Describes the summer boatmen who manned the fleets of wealthy families

Cabinet: S

23. St. Lawrence Skiff (second)

• A collection of articles, detailed descriptions of designs, and a catalogue for the St. Lawrence Skiff
• Also includes a history of the boat and its manufacturers in Brockville and of the racing skiff

24. Steamships of the St. Lawrence – Brockville

• Articles and history of the steamship, Brockville

25. Steamships of the St. Lawrence – SS Rapids Prince

• Contains articles on the Prince
• Cameron, Thelma. SS Rapids Prince. Crystal Rock Art Room. Almonte: Floyd A. Reid, 1996.
• This small work offers a vignette on the SS Rapids Prince which plied the waters between Prescott and Montreal between 1910 – 1949
• Includes a history of the steamship and a collection of anecdotal histories from local residents along the river

26. Thousand Islands International Bridge – History and Opening

• File contains articles and pamphlets on the history of the bridge and its opening

27. Thousand Islands Parkway

• Reasonably sized file with articles on the history of the parkway

Cabinet: Caboose, Railways, Tunnel

28. Railway – C.P.R. Brockville and C.P.R. Wharf

• Extensive railway collection. Of note is the depot, where trains from the C.P.R. line were connected to Brockville and the wharf, an important entrepot between the farmlands and water transportation

29. Tunnel

• This extensive collections describes the history and activities over the years of the tunnel
• The tunnel that goes under city hall in Brockville was the first underground tunnel built in Canada
• A cultural resource which, although not in use, still stands with visitor information and plaques
• Was part of the important line that connected the outlying land to the wharf and waterfront