Aug. 20 – Thousand Islands Park, NY

“Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” –Mohammed 

Today we visited Wellesley Island...mainly the little community known as Thousand Island Park. This little village was founded in 1875 as a Methodist Campground. Caught up in the religious revival movement of the time, Rev. Dayan dreamed of a Methodist summer camp where families could enjoy both spiritual and physical renewal. The Camp was non-denominational, but its activities embraced religious thought and an inflexible observance of the rules of the Sabbath. Since idle minds were “the devil’s workshop,” revival meetings, sermons and public services were in abundance.

The Wellesley Hotel, it over looks the park and boat dock.

It even has a few cute little shops

The Camp was an immediate success. Within a year of the first “sale” of lot leases, families were summering in their tents or newly built cottages, actively participating in all the Camp had to offer. Arriving daily (but never on Sunday) with their trunks, they found most of the conveniences of city living…without its vices. The Camp developed quickly, as did the entire Thousand Islands Region. By 1894, in addition to the public accommodations, there were 500 to 600 cottages on the Park.

Just a few of the beautiful homes in this quaint little village

At the turn of the century, the Park was a dynamic summer community which boasted, among other things, a library, yacht club, golf course, roque courts, annual tennis tournaments, daily concerts, an art school, its own printer, a needlecraft shop, fishing guides and boats, a book store, a photographer…and Sunday services. Slowly, the religious emphasis decreased, but the Trustees and Community were secure, surviving and thriving with change.

Caught by economic depression and war, the Park declined during the 1930s and 40s and by the mid-1950s, only 320 cottages remained. Except for its loyal families, the charm and tranquility of the Park was lost. Twenty years later, in 1975, the Park’s Centennial celebration gave the village a renewed strength. Cottages had been spruced up; the Park’s architectural charm and setting was once again appreciated. Newcomers soon realized what its residents and vacationers already knew: that here was a peaceful haven in a hectic world where families can enjoy old-fashioned values in a place of natural beauty.