Captain Jack Spotted at Boat Show - Big Winner: Come on down!

Picture above and story received directly from Dark Island's Jean Papke, Administrative Assistant to the President of Singer Castle (Tom Weldon). Click on the photo to see it larger.

CAPTAIN JACK SPOTTED AT BOAT SHOW

Over 72,000 visitors from all over Canada, the U.S. and several foreign countries braved wintry weather to attend the 2011 Toronto International Boat Show.  Representatives of 1000 Islands International Tourism Council and Singer Castle joined over 500 other vendors in Toronto’s Direct Energy Center to share information about the 1000 Islands Region.  Among those spotted at the Singer Castle Booth was Captain Jack Sparrow who is pictured above talking to Sir Frederick.

More than 850 of the visitors to the Singer Castle booth registered to win an evening in the castle’s Royal Suite. At the close of the show an entry from Nelly, one of the Canadian visitors to the castle’s booth, was chosen.   Castle staff is awaiting a reply to the e-mail that notified Nelly of her lucky entry.

100 Year Old Visits Castle - Was alive when F.B. Bourne frequented Dark Island in the Golden Age.

Singer Castle on Dark Island

Communique just received directly from Dark Island...

CELEBRATING A MARRIAGE AND A 100^TH BIRTHDAY

AT A 105 YEAR OLD CASTLE

On Saturday, September 4^th over 100 members of the Eastman and Nelson families came to Singer Castle on Dark Island to celebrate the marriage of Deborah Eastman and Aaron Nelson. Making Deborah and Aaron’s day even more special was the celebration of her Grandmother Alice Eastman’s 100^th birthday.  Mrs. Eastman, a resident of Ellisburg, NY, is the oldest visitor to have ever come to the castle.  At the time of her birth in September of 1910, Frederick Bourne and his family regularly visited Dark Island and he was having workmen add 50’ in length and a second story with living quarters to the North Boathouse.  The 1000 Islands area was in its Golden Age.

Following a beautiful but windswept ceremony in the Rose Garden, Deborah and Aaron’s guests were treated to a delicious dinner and dancing in a large tent that had been erected on the Castle Green.  Any adversity or delays caused by the weather on their special day were met with grace and good humor and when the celebrations concluded all of the guests were safely returned to shore having had a most memorable experience.

Communique by Jean Papke, Administrative to the President of Singer Castle on Dark Island. Photo by Tom Weldon, President. Click on the photo to see it larger.

Singer Castle, Dark Island book signing - July 3rd, 2010

As the Thousand Islands Sun newspaper reported in this last week's issue, Robert and Patty Mondore will be having an authors' autograph signing at Singer Castle located on Dark Island July 3rd, 2010 from Noon to 4:00 pm. The featured book will be the Thousand Islands' new sensation, Singer Castle Revisited. Published by the renown Arcadia Publishing Company, this book is not a mere upgrade from the Mondores' previous works, it has all new material and pictures. Just recently released, rave reviews are already pouring in, especially from Frederick G. Bourne's actual decendents, as well as others that have been directly involved with Dark Island, past and present.

Bonus surprises! I will be supplying random prizes and gifts to those visiting us at the book signing table (while supplies last, and they are plentiful!). Purchase more than one item with the Mondore name as authors and receive a free 1 gigabyte thumb drive. Yes, that is a full one gigabyte flash drive. There will also be free gratuities for commemorating Independence Day (4th of July), but remember, this is only at the July 3 book signing from 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm.

Breaking Story! Mysterious H.D.B. identity discovered.

The sensational new book out, Singer Castle Revisited (page 124), exposed to world the mystery of the unknown "H.D.B." who wrote a history of "Dark Island" in the early 1920s for Marjorie Bourne (daughter of Commodore Frederick G. Bourne. F.G. Bourne had the castle built. She later owned the castle for many years and owned it when H.D.B.'s book was authored). The top picture above is of the printed inscription from this unknown author who only went by his initials. Who could it possibly be? No one knew; not the castle owners, nor even Bourne's descendants. The second photo is from the cover itself.

Hot off the press, it looks like the newer book has already inspired the discovery of this mystery person's identity. Kenneth Hard, grandson of F.G. Bourne, tells us that the super sleuth is his son, Gary S. Hard. In his research, Gary found a Dec. 4, 1926 New York Times article that reports about a "Henry D. Bradley of New York, who attended" Marjorie Bourne's marriage ceremony to Alexander D. Thayer in the Episcopal Church of the Messiah, "near Norristown" i.e., Gwynedd Valley PA.

As further evidence, Gary found a Dec. 16, 1973 New York Times article reporting the death of this H.D.B. It states: "Henry D. Bradley, president and retired publisher of the St. Joseph New Press and Gazette and a former director of the Associated Press died [Dec. 14, 1973] ... He was 80 years old." Included in an impressive list of credentials, the article states: "He was general manager of the Norristown (Pa.) Times Herald from 1924 to 1926".

This blog is the first outlet to reveal this exclusive breaking news to the world, which apparently has many afficiandos of the mysterious Dark Island lore in the Thousand Islands. Great work Gary!

Borders Bookstore book signing success!

Thanks to all of you folks who showed up at our book signing at Borders Bookstore today in the Salmon Run Mall, Watertown, NY. We had a lot of fun and good conversation. And many of you received some great surprise gifts from us (including 1 gigabyte thumb drives!). That's what happens when you support our brand; random gifts coming your way! The next book signing will be at the Singer Castle itself on Dark Island July 3rd. Details coming later.

And another special thanks to the crew at Borders Bookstore. They treated us like royalty. What a great bunch of people at the Salmon Run Mall!

Thousand Islands Life / Singer Castle Revisited © book

Clearly the most impressive magazine related to the Thousand Islands is appropriately named: Thousand Islands life, and even more amazing is that you can view it for free....online! If you have not discovered it yet, it is released monthy on the web and it is filled with Thousand Islands topics and beautiful pictures.

The most recent issue has a picture packed, fascinating synopsis of our brand new Singer Castle Revisited © book, soon to be released (May 31, 2010). This information-rich article is by our own award-winning author, Patty Mondore. This is a must see article for 1000 Islands (St. Lawrence River) aficionados.

Singer Castle Revisited © is all new and contains not a single repeat picture from our first Singer Castle book (both books are from the renown Arcadia Publishing company). You can also find out more about the book and our other productions at our Gold-Mountain.com website. See my previous blog for the Thousand Islands Sun (Alexandria Bay, NY) newspaper account.

Frederick G. Bourne antique clock on eBay

I have found on eBay an antique French clock for sale that was owned by Commodore Frederick G. Bourne (original owner and builder of Singer Castle on Dark Island). It is being listed for one week, but can sell at any time through the first bid of $2,600 on eBay's Buy-It-Now feature (hey, it's free shipping!). These pictures are from the auction page. Click on photos to see enlarged. (Please note that I do not know anything about the auction seller or the clock, but am posting it for the related topic news and Bourne aficionados). The owners of Singer Castle are not interested in purchasing it as it was not known to be a part of Singer Castle itself. The auction says it is an early 1900s marble and bronze clock that still works and was made for the company Black, Starr & Frost. (2/1/10 Update: The auction has now added a Make-Offer button and the Buy-It-Now price is reduced to $2,300). (2/6/10 Update: The clock did sell yesterday for $1,590).

1906 film with Frederick G. Bourne & family on Dark Island

Some time ago (on 8/8/09) I blogged about a direct link to a Boldt Castle video at the official Boldt Castle website. It is only fitting that I now include a direct link to a Singer Castle "antique" video direct from the official Singer Castle website.

They explain the video as a: "Short film from 1906 showing the proud Fredrick G. Bourne and his family visiting their castle on Dark Island for the first time. This piece of rare footage features Singer Castle (known then as 'The Towers') and its grounds as well as images of the island and castle from the water."

It runs for 6 minutes and it is a silent film. Very interesting for those who love the history of the Thousand Islands and Dark Island in particular. Kick back and enjoy! (Click on the picture above, or on the words "direct link".)

Marjorie Bourne boat fastest in its class

Picture above shows Marjorie Bourne racing her boat, the Moike (click on picture to see it enlarged).

“ONE OF THE FASTEST MOTOR BOATS IN AMERICA IN ITS CLASS”

In 1904 Marjorie Bourne, the youngest daughter of Commodore Frederick G. Bourne of Dark Island, was given her own motorboat for her fourteenth birthday. The 36 foot 9 inch boat, originally named the Eureka, was built by Charles L. Seabury & Company of Morris Heights, NY and was noted for its speed. Marjorie renamed the boat the Moike and according to the February 6, 1908 issue of The Hammond Advertiser, the first record of the boat in the 1000 Islands is from the Gold Cup Challenge Races in 1906. The article also mentions that Commodore Bourne had the boat re-powered in 1908 with a “new 40 horsepower Smalley engine making the Moike’s top speed of 27 miles per hour.”

Marjorie, like most young women of her era, kept a scrapbook and on their recent trip to Boulder, CO to visit Bourne relatives Judy Keeler and Jean Papke were able to see her scrapbook and obtain copies of several pages from the scrapbook that she began keeping in 1904. The pages contained articles from the Sunday, June 5, 1910 New York Times and the New York Herald of August 15, 1910 that described boat races in the 1000 Islands.

A New York Times article entitled “Fastest Motor Boats in America in their Classes” pictures boats owned by both Marjorie and George Bourne as well as those owned by F. K. Burnham, Alexander R. Peacock, George Hasbrouk and Mrs. A.G. Miles (Clover Boldt, daughter of George C. Boldt - of Boldt Castle fame). The names of several of the boats mentioned in the articles are recognizable by area fans of antique wooden boats and a few of them are in the collection of the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton. The boats mentioned include: the Dixie II, the Intruder, the P.D.Q., the Duquesne, the Stranger, the J.A.N. and the Moike.

During a race on August 13th, Marjorie Bourne, then 20 years old, beat them all. In an article entitled “New York Girl Steers a Motor Boat to Victory,” the New York Times said: “Miss Louise [sic] Bourne …was the cynosure of all eyes here late yesterday when in competition with the fastest motor boat of the Thousand Islands she steered the Moike to victory defeating a large field. For twenty-one miles the plucky woman held her craft in the lead. When the race was over, a round of cheers from the fashionable crowd and the din of yachting whistles greeted her as she walked down the long dock.” The New York Herald of the same day stated that the race took 52 minutes and 9 seconds to complete in perfect weather.

The members of the Bourne family, Commodore Frederick G. Bourne and his children George and Marjorie continued to participate in the summer boat races for many years and Commodore Bourne was influential in setting up the courses for many of those races. Marjorie kept the Moike in the North Boathouse at her home on Dark Island until the early 1960s but by that time the engine, the seats and the hardware had been removed. Her nephew Frederick B. Hard donated the boat to the Antique Boat Museum in 1972. The boat is stored on its original cradle in the museum’s Doebler Storage Facility.Visitors to the 1000 Islands region can tour Bourne's castle, now called Singer Castle, on Dark Island. The castle is open 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily during the summer months and weekends mid May – mid June and Labor Day – mid-October. They can also see several of the antique wooden boats that the summer residents raced and used on the St. Lawrence at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton. The ABM is open 9:00 – 5:00 daily mid-May to mid-October.

Source: Direct from Dark Island.

Bourne family, a country music star & antique boat museum

What does a very famous country music star, the Bourne family and the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton NY have in common? According to the Thousand Islands Sun (7/15/09, pg. 26), the Bourne family (progeny of Frederick G. Bourne, of Dark Island fame) owned three Gar Wood Speedsters on the St. Lawrence River. Famous for racing boats in this area, Alfred S. Bourne, George Bourne, and Marjorie Bourne with her husband Alexander Thayer owned Miss Me, Miss Behave and Miss Chief. The current status of the Miss Me is unknown. Miss Behave is in the current collection of the Antique Boat Museum. And Miss Chief will be offered up for auction at the boat show in Clayton on August 1, 2009. Miss Chief was recently owned by the famous country music star, Alan Jackson (pictured above).

Judy Keeler - Singer Castle historian to speak

Mark your calendars for Thursday evening of July 16, 2009 (7:00 p.m.) for Singer Castle's renown historian, Judy Keeler, to give a Gallery Presentation at Cornwall Brothers Store and Museum called "Fact, Fallacy and Folklore". It will be a talk with PowerPoint about the area's Golden Age seasonal residents, focusing on the Bournes of Dark Island. Cornwall Bros. Museum is located at 36 Market Street, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607. Call the museum for more information at 315-482-4586. (Hosted by the Alexandria Township Historical Society.)

The picture above is a vintage postcard from the time Marjorie Bourne owned the castle. Commodore Frederick G. Bourne (her father) built the castle at the turn of the century more than 100 years ago.

Ironically enough, Frederick Bourne's wife was Emma Keeler, but there is no known connection with the historian Judy Keeler.

Alfred S. Bourne Championship Trophy - Senior PGA

This is an interesting factoid. Alfred S. Bourne would have been running around in the Singer Castle when he was a kid (as the son of its builder, Frederick G. Bourne). Himself a golfer, in 1937 Alfred donated for the creation of the Alfred S. Bourne Trophy. Awarded every year to the Senior PGA champion, it is the most coveted senior golf prize. Among the golf giants that have their names inscribed as winners on the trophy are: Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Tom Watson, Gene Sarazen, and Jay Haas (see a history of these winners and their pictures by clicking on this blog's title). The Trophy is 40 inches tall, 18 inches wide and weighs 30.5 pounds.