Association Island
Encyclopedia
Association Island is a 65 acres (263,045.9 m²) island located at the northern tip of Stony Point, a peninsula
into the eastern end of Lake Ontario
. A part of the Town of Henderson, New York
in Jefferson County
, the island is about 16 miles (25.7 km) southwest of Watertown at 43.90°N 76.21°W. A 1300 feet (396.2 m) two-lane causeway connects to the mainland.
In 1905 the National Electric Light Association
bought the island, which resulted in the name "Association Island." NELA management used it for meetings. General Electric
, after it acquired NELA in 1911. also used the island for company meetings until 1959 when the island was donated to the YMCA
. The Elfun Society, a management organization and think-tank within GE was founded on the island in 1928. (The Society's logo is a drawing of a large elm tree from the island ). Kurt Vonnegut
based some of the material in his book Player Piano
, on GE's meetings and activities at the island.
The YMCA
ran a boy's summer camp
on the island for several years until abandoning it after 1967.
A non-profit group ran sailing and wind boarding competitions on the island in the 1970s. The US sailing team was based there while preparing for the 1976 Montreal Olympics
, which held sailing competitions at Kingston, Ontario
, about 30 miles (48.3 km) to the north.
The island became a privately owned RV park
and resort in 1999.
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
into the eastern end of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. A part of the Town of Henderson, New York
Henderson, New York
Henderson is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,360 at the 2010 census. The town is named after William Henderson, the original land owner....
in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...
, the island is about 16 miles (25.7 km) southwest of Watertown at 43.90°N 76.21°W. A 1300 feet (396.2 m) two-lane causeway connects to the mainland.
History
The island was a landmark for Native American tribes who held war and peace councils in the area. In 1746 the French built a fort on the island, abandoning it in 1758.In 1905 the National Electric Light Association
National Electric Light Association
The National Electric Light Association was a national United States trade association including the operators of central power generation stations and interested individuals. Founded in 1885 by G. S. Bowen Terry and Charles A. Brown, it represented the interests of various private companies...
bought the island, which resulted in the name "Association Island." NELA management used it for meetings. General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, after it acquired NELA in 1911. also used the island for company meetings until 1959 when the island was donated to the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
. The Elfun Society, a management organization and think-tank within GE was founded on the island in 1928. (The Society's logo is a drawing of a large elm tree from the island ). Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
based some of the material in his book Player Piano
Player Piano
Player Piano, author Kurt Vonnegut's first novel, was published in 1952. It is a dystopia of automation and capitalism, describing the dereliction they cause in the quality of life. The...
, on GE's meetings and activities at the island.
The YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
ran a boy's summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
on the island for several years until abandoning it after 1967.
A non-profit group ran sailing and wind boarding competitions on the island in the 1970s. The US sailing team was based there while preparing for the 1976 Montreal Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
, which held sailing competitions at Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, about 30 miles (48.3 km) to the north.
The island became a privately owned RV park
RV park
A recreational vehicle park or caravan park is a place where people with recreational vehicles can stay overnight, or longer, in alloted spaces known as "pitches"...
and resort in 1999.
External links
- Photographs of Association Island http://www.elfun.org/history/island.asp http://www.associationislandresort.com/PhotoGallery.htm
- Historical photographs http://www.elfun.org/history/photos.asp
- Association Island history http://www.associationislandresort.com/History.htm http://www.elfun.org/history/history.asp
- Association Island RV Resort & Marina http://www.associationislandresort.com/