Roy Johnson, who made his living as both a preacher and a trapper. He’s pictured with the pelts of 768 muskrats and one otter behind the house where the preachers lived. 1968. Morristown, NY. Courtesy of Dave Johnson.
Pictured is Jack Houghton taking a fish off the line. Houghton was a fishing guide in his later life, and was a part of the fishing guide association in town. Early 1970s. Alexandria Bay, NY. Courtesy of Linda Dingman.
Margaret Houghton standing next to a line of sturgeon caught in the St. Lawrence River. Circa 1940. Alexandria Bay, NY. Courtesy of Linda Dingman. Margaret and Cecil Houghton were married in the 1920s, and spent their lives living on the St. Lawrence River. Their granddaughter, Linda Dingman, says her grandfather was a true “river rat”. […]
Romaine Wenborne, a fishing guide and barber, displaying a 102-pound sturgeon. Date 1900-1910. Cape Vincent, NY. Originally published in the Thousand Islands Sun. Courtesy of Linda Dingman.
Ernie Mance, Jr. holding a large sturgeon he had just caught on the St. Lawrence River. Mance owned a marina called Mance Marine Basin, tore down buildings while the seaway was being built , and fished sturgeon for years, until they stopped issuing licenses for them in the mid-1970s. Circa 1970. Alexandria Bay, NY. Courtesy of Ernie […]
Pat Comstock was born in 1875. By the time he was in his thirties, he was already a boat captain, became yacht captain for the Clark family, and eventually captained boat tours around the bay. Eventually, his son and grandsons would go on to work for the same boat line. John Comstock, Pat’s grandson, remembers […]
Robert Charron’s first job was at Camp Figure of the Woods, which was a Boy Scout camp in St. Lawrence County, near Parishville. When he was about 14, Charron worked in the trading post and had duties similar to a counselor. On Wednesdays, the camp’s mess hall would close for the night and they would take […]
John Cranker has spent most of his life managing parks – he was the golf course maintenance supervisor at St. Lawrence State Park, and managed Cedar Point State Park. Among other things, he’d have to check on rowdy campers, schedule crews to clean bathrooms and mow, and organize lifeguard schedules. Listen to Cranker’s story here!
Dick Zoller (right) sitting next to a colleague at Boldt Castle. He piloted the “Commander III” for Captain Thomson’s Boat Line from an early age. Alexandria Bay, NY. Circa 1932. Photograph donated by Guy Zoller.
The “Commander III” was owned by Captain Thomson’s Boat line. Dick Zoller, who is driving, piloted for this company between the ages of 16 and 19. Alexandria Bay, NY. Circa 1932. Photograph donated by Guy Zoller.
