Map of the St. Lawrence Reservation

Map of a (former) proposed international park along the St. Lawrence River.

The State of New York purchased several areas in the Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was one of the first properties purchased within the state to be used solely for purposes of land preservation and recreation. A combination of efforts by sportsmen and recreational groups convinced the legislature of the need for protection, and in 1896, The St. Lawrence Reservation was established.

Canada soon followed suit and purchased 11 islands in 1904 to form the basis of the St. Lawrence National Park, known today as Thousand Islands National Park. There were plans in the early 1920s to open an international park, and it was marketed as such despite no formalized arrangement. The inability to agree on fishing laws and a lack of interest from the U.S. federal government ensured none would ever materialize, and ultimately, New York disbanded the reservation in favor of opening individual, independent state parks (seen here).

This map was issued in 1929 by the New York Conservation Department, an early predecessor to the Office of Parks and Recreation, tasked with overseeing the public lands. Each parcel of state land is individually labeled within the image, while transportation routes (roads, ferries & railroads) are also identified in the legend. Two bold reminders of proper conservation etiquette that resonate today are included – don’t break game laws and properly extinguish campfires!