1903 Map of Grindstone

About this map

Grindstone Island and the intricate archipelago of the Thousand Islands dominate this international border survey, conducted just after the turn of the century by H.M. Wilson and W.H. Lovell. The landscape is defined by the vital shipping lanes of the St. Lawrence River, where the Clayton and Gananoque Steamboat Line and the St. Lawrence River Steamboat Company provided essential transit between the mainland and island communities. On the American side, the established Victorian-era resort of Thousand Island Park sits at the southern tip of Wellesley Island, while the northern shore features the Canadian settlement of Gananoque. Numerous navigational aids, including Jackstraw L.H. and Spectacle Shoal L.H., underscore the era's reliance on river commerce. Local industry is represented by a Quarry on the western edge of Grindstone, contrasting with the leisure-focused atmosphere of Grandview Park.