New York State’s Thousand Islands Territory has a rich history of urban legends and confirmed stories of being a haven for pirates and smugglers. Being so close to Canada “Rum Runners”, as they were called, would bring Prohibition-era booze from Canada and hide it in the islands before distributing it to New Yorkers and beyond.
There are nearly 2,000 islands that make up this region and one of these islands is for sale. Could it be a former smugglers’ paradise? A hiding place for illegal whiskey, rum and scotch?
0 Pine Tree Island in Hammond, New York sits in the St. Lawrence River, literally a stone’s throw from Canada. The location of the land would have made it a hotspot for smugglers in the 1920s. Load a boat with illegal spirits, cruise the river, and hide the loot until it’s safe to move.
Speculation aside there is no confirmation that it was indeed a smugglers island but I can tell you that for the first time in 30 years it is on the market and it could be yours for $630,000. Listed by Robin Gedney Lucas for Southerby’s International Realty.
Southeby’s International Realty
This property offers so much more than the opportunity to be a smuggler’s island, you could literally own one of the Thousand Islands! Let’s not worry about where to park your car or how you’re going to get pizza delivered. Let’s focus on the unique details of 0 Pine Tree Island.
Before you scroll through the pictures below, I’ll let you know that you can enjoy 360 degree views, hot tub, sunken bathroom and more!
Could this island of New York have been one of the legendary “smuggler’s islands” of the 1920s? Yes, being so close to Canada, it certainly could have been! Whether or not, take a look at 0 Pine Tree Island, listed by Robin Gedney Lucas at Southeby’s International Realty.
Many of the towns included jump out at the casual observer as popular summer rental spots – Branson of the Ozarks, Missouri or Lake Havasu in Arizona – it might surprise you to dive deeper into some quality of life offerings at beyond the beach and vacation homes. You’ll likely learn about a wide range of Americana: one of the last 1950s-style drive-ins in the Midwest; a Florida town that began as a retirement area for Civil War veterans; an island teeming with some of the nation’s best public schools and revenue streams smack dab in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California town containing more than the prison blues of Johnny Cash.
New York’s smallest island is Rat Island, but the origin of the name has nothing to do with rodents.