A Castle Rising from Ruins

Boldt Castle is one of the most romantic and famous landmarks in New York State. Located on Heart Island in the Thousand Islands, the castle was once an extravagant and heartfelt gesture of love from hotel magnate George C. Boldt to his wife Louise. When tragedy turned that dream into a haunting ruin, it sat empty and in decay for decades until a remarkable restoration brought it back to life. The Boldt Castle renovation is more than just a story of architecture—it’s a rebirth of history, passion, and purpose.

When Louise Boldt died unexpectedly in 1904, George Boldt was devastated, and construction on the castle immediately ceased. Workers were told to leave the island, and George never returned. The castle, exposed to the harsh Northern New York winters, vandals, and the slow decay of time, was left to the elements for more than seven decades.

Windows shattered, floors rotted, mold crept in, and ivy climbed over what was meant to be a castle of love. For decades, it stood as a haunting reminder of what might have been—a romantic corpse that captured imaginations but seemed destined to crumble.

In 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority (TIBA) acquired Heart Island and the unfinished castle for just one dollar on the condition that all proceeds from admission and tourism had to go directly back into restoring and preserving the property.

Now, the decades-long labor of love is not unlike George Boldt’s original vision. The restoration of Boldt Castle has been one of New York’s most ambitious historic preservation projects to date. The TIBA and hundreds of craftsmen, historians, and artisans have carefully worked to preserve the castle’s original design, all the while making it accessible and safe for visitors.

What makes the Boldt Castle renovation so special is that it’s meant to both preserve history and continue a love story. The entire island a tribute to the vision George Boldt had for his wife Louise—a vision that, though interrupted, has finally been honored.

The restoration continues to this day, so every year I visit the castle and Heart Island to experience its new and exciting developments. As new rooms are opened and old ones are improved, the goal is not to complete the castle in the traditional sense, but to tell its story—to let visitors walk through love, loss, and legacy.

Today, Boldt Castle welcomes nearly a quarter million visitors annually. Couples wed. Family frolic, history lovers learn. And romantics come to Heart Island to not only admire a castle, but to feel the love through a story that never truly ended. Boldt Castle is a living monument—a place where craftsmanship, dedication, and memory meet on the shores of the St. Lawrence River.

ABOUT MADISON’S MISSION:

Step into the captivating world of Boldt Castle in 1903, where dreams are forged in the fires of adversity and love. Madison Murray, maid to Louise Boldt, harbors a singular mission—to care for her ailing mistress while hiding her own painful past. She meets Emmett O’Connor, but just as their relationship grows, tragedy shatters their world, and Madison is ensnared in a dangerous coverup. When Mrs. Boldt passes away, Madison is left reeling, can she move forward? Will Emmett forge a future alongside the woman who has captured his heart?

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has fourteen in her fiction line. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan lives in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling the world. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

The Deadly Train Stunt of McClennan County

by Tom Goodman

In 1896, a railroad company crashed two trains into each other at full speed on a Texas rail line.

On purpose.

The Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad—“the Katy” for short—passed among gentle hills between Hillsboro and Waco in McLennan County, Texas. A passenger agent named William Crush thought the slopes would make a perfect setting for a spectacular stunt. 

The company had two old Baldwin locomotives--obsolete but still in working order. Why not let the public watch them smash together?

Crush promoted the event nationwide. On September 15, forty thousand people gathered on the hillsides at “the Crush,” as folks had begun calling the site. Thomas Edison even sent a cameraman from New York to film the spectacle with his new motion picture machine.

At 5 p.m., the locomotives rolled forward until they stood a few feet apart, like boxers touching gloves before a fight. Then they backed up a mile.

At 5:10, on signal, the engineers opened the throttles. The locomotives roared forward, building to forty-five miles an hour. At the last moment, the crews jumped clear.

Only when the engines slammed head-on did spectators realize what a terrible idea this was. Crush had been assured the boilers could withstand the impact. They couldn’t. Both exploded, sending jagged metal into the crowd. Dozens were injured. Two people died.

One writer said the scene “will haunt a man for many, many days, make him nervous when he hears an engine whistle, and disturb his dreams with black clouds of death-dealing iron hail.”

Lawsuits followed. The railroad fired Crush.

But the next day, when the president saw how much publicity the stunt had generated, Crush was rehired.

Humorist Alex Sweet suggested that Crush’s next event “be a prearranged, scheduled meeting between a waterspout and a tornado.”

The famous ragtime composer Scott Joplin wrote a piano piece about the incident called “The Great Crush Collision March.” Listen to it here:

Want to relive the grit and charm of turn-of-the-century Texas with nuggets of history, recommended books and films, and behind-the-scenes looks at my novels? Sign up for my monthly newsletter here. You'll receive a complimentary book featuring photos of the real characters and places that inspired my award-winning debut novel, The Last Man: A Novel of the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery. 

A borrowed name and passion to serve: Elias Boudinot

 

 

 My husband and I visited the Oklahoma Historical Museum in Oklahoma City this year. We love learning new things about our adopted state. The other thing we enjoy doing is learning about our ancestors. While at the museum, we found an interesting link to both.

The museum had a wonderful display of the Native Americans and their achievements. My husband recognized a name on a plaque, took a photo, and later researched it at home.   

My husband’s fourth great grand uncle was Elias Boudinot (May 2, 1740-October 24,1821) a little-known founding father and signer of the Constitution.

 Among his achievements: Director of the United States Mint under the first three U.S. Presidents, New Jersey U.S. Representative from 1789-1795, 4th President of the Continental Congress 1782-1783. Advocated for women’s rights, Native American rights and ending slavery.  Elias helped found the American Bible Society. He was a prolific writer and used his words to work toward change. He sponsored students who attended the Board School for Indians in Connecticut and the Foreign Mission School in New Jersey. One of those students stayed with him in his home in Burlington, New Jersey. Gallegina Uwati, known as Buck Wati. His mother, Suzanne Reeves, was half Cherokee. He was the oldest of nine children.

Buck and Elias formed a strong bond, so much so that Buck asked if he could borrow his name. The statesman agreed. I wonder if he considered the Cherokee the son he never had.

Elias Boudinot- Cherokee

Buck began going by Elias Boudinot even while in school. He also met and married Harriet Ruggle Gold, the daughter of a prominent family who supported the Cornwall Misson School where Elias was attending. This was the second interracial marriage connected to the school and caused such a firestorm of prejudice that the school was forced to close immediately. Elias and his bride returned to High Tower, Cherokee Nation in Georgia, where they worked with the mission. His heart focused on helping every way he could. Here we see he borrowed his namesake’s passion for making a better nation. He fixed his attention and efforts on his Cherokee brethren.

The Boudinot passion continues

This passion included making sure his children and other mix race Cherokee would always be considered part of the Nation. Because the Cherokee are a matriarchal society all children born to white women would be consider white not Cherokee. Boudinot and his cousin John Ridge, who had also married a white woman, worked together to change that tradition for all interracial couples. He used his influence as a chief’s son to bring about this important change. He wanted his children to be considered Cherokee. This was just the beginning of his work to better things for his people and help them to acculturate into American society. The Cherokee were the first tribe to see the need to adapt to the white man’s culture in order to preserve their own. Even so, whites still insisted on their prejudices.

Elias not only borrowed the Stateman’s name but his desire to make changes and right wrongs. With the help of his uncle, Major Ridge, he produced the first Cherokee newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix. It was bilingual, written both in Cherokee and English. Some historians believed that he wrote most of the paper in English as a way to explain to whites how his people had assimilated and taken on many white customs. He spoke around the country and wrote many pamphlets in an effort to persuade the whites to accept them. Many of his writings have been preserved.

 Elias was an advocate for allowing the Cherokee to stay on their land. But after his efforts to educate the whites seemed to be failing, he saw the writing on the wall. Andrew Jackson and many others were determined to remove the Indians, especially after gold was found in Georgia. Elias changed positions and worked tirelessly to get the best possible treaty for his people.

 His alliances change made him a pariah. Most of the Cherokee wanted to stay on their ancestral lands. When Elias and John Ridge signed the removal treaty without the consent or signature of Chief John Ross, the official authority for the Cherokee Nation, his honor in the tribe went from bad to worse. He resigned as editor of the Phoenix but continued to write editorials against John Ross and his supporters, who were determined to stay no matter the consequences. Elias’ education and understanding of white laws and culture made him a good leader. But when he tried to assure his people the removal would give them peace, he made enemies.

After his wife Harriet died from childbirth complications, he took his children and moved to Indian Territory before the Removal Act’s deadline. He avoided the Trail of Tears and other removal marches. Another strike against him. He settled among the Old Settlers (those who had come to Oklahoma as early as 1818 to maintain their Indian culture.)  They had already established a government and weren’t keen on all the new arrivals. Once the other Cherokee were forced to move in 1836, they were angry with Boudinot, blaming him for the terrible conditions of their journey. By 1838 a small group of John Ross supporters assassinated Boudinot along with his cousin John Ridge and uncle Major Ridge because of their involvement in signing the treaty.

The name and passion continue

But my husband’s ancestor’s name continued through Elias Cornelius Boudinot, one of the noted spokespersons for bringing more people to Indian Territory and naming it Oklahoma as his father always dream. Elias C. had spent most of his childhood raised by his mother’s family after his father was murdered. At 18, he returned west. He became a lawyer in Arkansas and lived near the Cherokee people. (Oklahoma is right across the border from Arkansas.) His first case was getting his uncle Stand Watie acquitted of murder charges. His uncle had killed the man who murdered his father and his father’s cousins. Stand Wati had survived. Years later there was a confrontation, and the murderer was now dead. Later, Stand Watie served as the Confederate General over the Cherokee units.

Elias C. Boudinot had his father’s passion for the Cherokee but had different political views. He was pro-slavery and, like most of the Cherokee nation, he joined the Confederacy, serving as captain in his uncle Stand’s unit. He also served as a Representative for the Cherokee in the Confederate Congress. He, along with other prominent Cherokee, saw the CSA as the only government willing to allow Indian Territory to become a state run by Native Americans.

Like his father, Elias C. made decisions that angered his tribesmen. He encouraged the railroad to be built through Indian Territory, insisted they allow their land to be parceled and encouraged white settlement. He promoted the Boomer movement. (Whites illegally settling on Indian land). He succeeded along with like-minded men to encourage Congress to open Oklahoma Territory to homesteaders. Some Oklahomans consider him a great man while others consider him a villain. He never married, so the passion to do seem right for the nation, that had started with Elias Boudinot the founding father, continued through Elias Boidinot the Cherokee, seemed to end with  the  passing of Elias C. Boudinot the politician, lawyer and businessman.

Have you heard of any of these men?

 

Cindy Ervin Huff, is a multi-published award-winning author in Historical and Contemporary Romance.  She’s a 2018 Selah Finalist. Cindy has a passion to encourage other writers on their journey. When she isn’t writing, she feeds her addiction to reading and enjoys her retirement with her husband of 50 plus years, Charles. Visit her at www.cindyervinhuff.com.

 

HIS JUSTICE CANNOT SLEEP FOREVER (PART 4)

 

By Catherine Ulrich Brakefield

World War II had reached a satisfactory climax, or so Americans had hoped. The Soviet Union had different ideas. Their war had just begun. They desired more communist countries beneath their iron fist. By 1948, the Soviet Union had solidified its governments in the countries of Eastern Europe, which were liberated by their Red Army during the war. (More about the Cold War and its repercussions in a future history blog.)

Vicious ideological rivalry sprang up between capitalism and communism. This battle wasn’t fought with guns but fought through propaganda. It fed upon the young minds of youths throughout our colleges and classrooms like mind-altering LSD.

Then the Vietnam War barged into American homes like a drenching Tsunami, forcing the pride of America, its young men, to make a choice. Either be drafted into the Army or enlist in the Air Force, Marines, or Navy. Communism wanted to gobble up more land.

Americans staunchly held to their beliefs. Hitler of Germany, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, and Mussolini of Italy was still fresh in their minds. God had gotten them through the fangs of the snake of World War II; He would get them through this, too.

The elections of the 1960s proved to be a volatile turning point in American politics. John F. Kennedy’s speech, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country,” sent patriotism marching through the throngs of people who would eventually elect him as president. Kennedy was the youngest president elected, and the first Catholic. Here is an excerpt from President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address, on January 20, 1961. Was it any wonder he would give any less of a speech?

“The same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”

Truth and discontent swirled like a volatile wind storm whispering that if a eighteen-year-old’s parents could afford to send their youth to college and be exempt from serving two years in an unpopular war, then it was unfair for any to be drafted. Still, our young men and women marched off to Vietnam, because of their loyalty to their country.

When Americans needed it, a president would remind them of the roots of their ancestry and fill in the void parents hungered to hear in praise of their sons and daughters service and that their lives are in the hands of God. Here is a small excerpt of what President Richard Nixon said in his Proclamation on Thanksgiving Day, November 16, 1973:

“Time has not dimmed, nor circumstance diminished the need for God’s hand in all that America may justly endeavor. In times of trial and of triumph that single truth reasserts itself, and a people who have never bowed before men go gladly to their knees in submission to divine power, and in thanks for divine sustenance.”

Two hundred years later, the torch has not grown dim to America’s feelings for their Divine Creator’s constant watch, and said in The Address to the National Association of Evangelicals, March 8, 1983:

“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged. When our founding fathers passed the First Amendment, they sought to protect churches from government interference. They never intended to construct a wall of hostility between government and the concept of religious belief itself.”

One of our most beloved presidents, Ronald Reagan, never hesitated to address the need for more Bible and prayer in our schools and families. Here is an excerpt of Ronald Reagan’s speech during the Year of the Bible, February 3, 1983:

“Of the many influences that have shaped the United States of America into a distinctive Nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible. … These shared beliefs helped forge a sense of common purpose among the widely dispersed colonies — a sense of community which laid the foundation for the spirit of nationhood that was to develop in later decades. The Bible and its teachings helped form the basis for the Founding Fathers’ abiding belief in the inalienable rights of the individual, rights which they found implicit in the Bible's teachings of the inherent worth and dignity of each individual. This same sense of man patterned the convictions of those who framed the English system of law inherited by our own Nation, as well as the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.”

In the year 2008, our American youth were tossed to and fro like a football in the Super Bowl. The tea party evolved. But by the end of President Obama’s second term, the Tea Party had dispersed.

But one American youth, eighteen at the time, left the college life to put his concerns and convictions regarding capitalism and communism into action. The sudden shift of American patriotism to Marxism and Communist ideals sparked American concerns. Charlie Kirk started Turning Point USA, and the youth, as well as many adults, endorsed it. Kirk's encouragement to get out and vote spurred more votes for Donald Trump.

Throughout the years, America shouldered greater responsibilities, even assuming the role of policeman of the world. President Trump, in an address to the People of Poland, Warsaw, July 6, 2017, said this:

“I stand here today before this incredible crowd, this faithful nation, we can still hear those voices that echo through history. Their message is as true today as ever. The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out ‘We want God.’ … We put faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, at the center of our lives.… And we value the dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person, and share the hope of every soul to live in freedom. That is who we are. Those are the priceless ties that bind us together as nations, as allies, and as a civilization.”

As current events roar across our television sets and cell phones, public schools now are not saying the Pledge of Allegiance, history books often distort the facts; however, God’s truth continues to march on throughout our lives as another World War shadows the forefront. What will our next generation believe in if they do not know the truth regarding our ancestors and the cause for which they fought?

President Trump addressed the nation after the Iran Strike with a passionate plea of sincere gratitude to Almighty God.

“And I want to just thank everybody, and in particular, God…"I want to just say, we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel, and God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you."

With the sudden assassination of Charlie Kirk, our nation looks on in horror. What has happened to our beloved country when a young man cannot openly debate different viewpoints? Has the First Amendment been totally obliterated in our college classrooms?

Little do some of our offspring know how our nation formed the Constitution of the United States of America or the Bill of Rights. Nor the homage the founders and many of our most famous presidents of America give to the Almighty God. It is up to you and me to teach the truth to them. To be conscientious voters for the future of our children’s lives and liberty, and to teach them about our God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who has never failed us.

Jefferson’s warning rings in our ears, “…Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are a gift of God? I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.”

That age-old enemy of mankind has stepped up its attack upon our families. But his time is short. Everything is pointing to the end of the age, which Jesus talked about in Matthew 24, and as I write about in Love’s Final Sunrise.

Thought, planning, and an overwhelming amount of prayer went into the foundation of these United States. It was a new dawn, a new nation, and a humble appeal to the Supreme Judge, God and His Son, Jesus Christ—yes, the course of the United States of America was set—let us not on our watch allow it to dissolve!

Our families are the bedrock of our country’s foundation, and WE are just a prayer away from winning this battle. After all, we have God on our side! Let us, like Charlie Kirk, speak out boldly about the God of our nation as well as the Savior of our souls! Let God’s justice be on heads of our enemies, and not on ours!

Love’s Final Sunrise: New Yorker Ruth Jessup and Amish-bred Joshua Stutzman lived in different worlds; their lives collided into catastrophic proportions, battling wits against a psychopath and The New World Order...

Fleeing for her life and suffering from amnesia, Ruth finds herself in an hourglass of yesteryear. Can Joshua’s Amish ways help them survive these final three-and-one-half years?

“To be honest, I’m not usually drawn to fiction. But for this no-nonsense nonfiction lover, Love’s Final Sunrise was a risk that paid off in full measure. I highly recommend this author’s way of weaving intrigue, romance, and Christian principles.”   Lori Ann Wood

Catherine is the award-winning author of Wilted Dandelions, Swept into Destiny, Destiny’s Whirlwind, Destiny of Heart, Waltz with Destiny, and Love's Final Sunrise. She has written two pictorial history books, The Lapeer Area and Eastern Lapeer, and short stories for Guideposts Books, CrossRiver Media Group, Revell Books, and Bethany House Publishers. Catherine and her husband of fifty-two years live on a ranch in Michigan and have two adult children, five grandchildren, four Arabian horses, three dogs, four cats, six chickens, and two bunnies. See CatherineUlrichBrakefield.com