Yes, Thousand Island dressing does get its name from this area.
We spent a few hours yesterday on a boat touring the St. Lawrence River. The weather was spectacular and I was fascinated by all the islands, big and small, with the beautiful summer homes of the rich. The tour took us into Canadian waters as well and my favorite home was the one on an island in US waters which had a footbridge connecting it to an island in the Canadian waters ~ both islands are owned by the same family.
We stopped and toured Boldt Castle which is located on Heart Island. The castle has a sad history:
George Boldt immigrated from Prussia as a teenager and worked his way up the ladder in the hotel business, starting as a kitchen helper and eventually becoming a self-made millionaire.
In 1900, he began construction on a “Replica of a Rhineland Castle” for his wife, Louise. She was the love of his life and he wanted to make the castle a lasting legacy for her. Unfortunately, in January 1904, she died of a heart attack at the age of 42. George Boldt, completely heartbroken, immediately ceased all work on the castle which had all ready been fully enclosed.
For 73 years, the castle was left to the mercy of the elements and vandals, who broke all 365 windows and wrote graffiti everywhere. Finally, in 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the property and began an extensive renovation and restoration program.
Today, it is a lovely place to visit and imagine all it could have been for George and Louise.
Displaced Beachbums 
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