Thousand Island House’s O. G. Staples Establishes Casino Island as Night Club in 1908

The initial plans for Casino Island were developed shortly after Orren G. Staples repurchased the Thousand Island House in 1897. It would take eleven more years before the small island off mainland Alexandria Bay, then known as Staples Island, would see the casino open, and then a few more before it was renamed Casino Island. Not without controversy, the island’s casino was designed as a nightclub “annex” to the Thousand Island House, catering to wealthy islanders, and proved popular over the course of its 14-year existence.

Born at the crest of Watertown’s State Street hill in 1837 (some records have it as 1835), Staples received an ordinary education before leaving home at 16. Like H. H. Warner of nearby Warner’s Island, Staples began a profitable venture into “patent medicine” before he sold his interest to a wholesale druggist in Albany, N.Y. He soon afterward became involved in real estate and construction, which, in 1873, led him to build the Thousand Island House after President Grant‘s week’s summer vacation at George Pullman‘s cottage on Pullman Island created much interest in the area.

Staples owned and operated the Thousand Island House until 1883, when he sold it before moving to Washington, D.C., where he became the proprietor of the famous Willard Hotel, built anew c.1900 and known today as the Willard InterContinental Washington, located at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue. This would start several successful hotel ventures in the area, but Staples couldn’t stay away from the 1000 Islands forever.

In 1897, Staples repurchased the Thousand Island House and, as early as 1900, began plans for what would become Casino Island after five hundred cords of stone were deposited on the island the previous winter for the clubhouse’s foundation. As written in a June 27, 1900, Watertown Daily Times article—

Negotiations are under way between O. G. Staples, proprietor of the Thousand Island House, Alexandria Bay, and a New Yorker whose name has not been given out, for a large clubhouse to be erected on Mr. Staples’ island, located just above the hotel grounds. The island is about 200 feet long by 100 feet broad and is only a short distance from the grounds of the hotel. 

The proposed plan is to erect a large clubhouse, to be run in connection with the hotel. The cost of the construction is placed at $15,000. The building, which will cover the entire island, will contain hot and cold water baths, lounging rooms, billiard parlors and a casino. A bathing beach with individual dressing apartments will be one of the leading features of the new house. 

A follow-up article published the next month stated the basement would be used as a swimming pavilion, bowling alley, and billiard and club rooms. A toboggan slide was also planned from an 80-foot-high tower at one end of the clubhouse.

Despite the plans, the island was still undeveloped by October 25, 1905. The Watertown Re-Union reported that parties had been there the previous week, negotiating on the construction job, which was now expected to cost $20,000.

When Casino Island finally opened in 1908, The Daily Times reported—

At the 1,000 Islands casino on Staples Island several social functions have recently been held by society folks along the river. The casino which is is an innovation at the Islands this year as an amusement resort has obtained popular favor and afternoon teas by society people are very popular here. 

Despite its popularity, Casino Island remained closed for the 1910 season as the manager attended to business in Colorado. In the ensuing years, tennis courts were added in 1915. The small island also became a place to watch boat races and sportsman ranges for shooting. In 1918, Orren G. Staples passed away at the Thousand Island House, leaving longtime manager William H. Warburton to purchase it.

On the night of August 21, 1922, a fire struck Casino Island. The manager, George MacDonald of New York, escaped the burning building in his night clothes. It took some time for the discombobulated MacDonald to realize his injuries, minor burns about his head and singed eyebrows, and an unspecified injury to an eye. His wife also managed to escape without injury. According to the Watertown Daily Times—

Mr. MacDonald lost about $8,000 in cash, and three diamond rings, two of which were the property of Mrs. MacDonald. Mr. MacDonald’s diamond, worth $1,500, was saved from the wreckage, but Mrs. MacDonald’s two rings, worth $500 each, although search was made when the cinders and ashes were cooled, were not found. 

An employee of the casino, J. Heightman, lost all of his apparel after managing to place it on the dock, only to find it a pile of ashes upon returning. It was reported that “a great crowd” had gathered at the docks of Alexandria Bay to watch the fire, but by the time they had, nothing could be done as the building was well on its way to total destruction. No cause of the fire could be located in the newspaper archives.

Despite the total loss, MacDonald continued the Casino Club at the river point, opposite Casino Island, for a few years, as it was reported that the intent was to rebuild the casino. These plans never came to fruition. However, the hotel’s guests continued to use the tennis courts regularly.

After having no redevelopment for 12 years, the village of Alexandria Bay planned its first attempt to acquire the small island in 1934. Then mayor Dr. H. L. Gokey reported to The Times that, in one of the December 1934 bi-monthly village board meetings, “Negotiations for the deeding of the Casino Island property to the village for a small sum was proceeding and that something definite would probably be announced in the next week.”

The plan was initiated after citizens advocated using the property for the site of a bathing pool, boathouse, and shuffleboard courts. The plan didn’t move forward; years later (1950), Abe Cooper bought the property after purchasing and razing the Thousand Island House in the 1930s.

Then, in 1961, it appeared the Coast Guard was to make Casino Island the $250,000 permanent Coast Guard station, which had temporarily occupied the old Cornwall Store after the post office relocated earlier that year. After several delays, the proposal was eventually scrapped, leaving the village to move again to acquire the island—this time successfully in 1964 as part of its Waterfront Park Site.

It would take another 15 years, but in August 1979, the Village Board accepted a bid from Continental Custom Bridge Company of Alexandria, Minn., to construct a 100-foot by six-foot wide steel bridge connecting Casino Island to the mainland. Trustee George “Coach” A. Brown supervised the park improvement program’s initiative. The Times noted it was a special project for him as he once worked at the casino on the island—and he would have been relatively young!

The bridge was officially dedicated on July 4, 1980.