Park and Harbor Streets

Park and Harbor Streets. . In the 1890's, Park Street was originally built as a land access to Lake Island Park from Harbor Street. Wilson Harbor was a resort area for people from all over Western New York (especially Buffalo, Rochester, and Niagara Falls) who would arrive by horse and carriage to Lake Island Park. Later in the 1930's, the left fork of the road would take you to a bridge that crossed twelve mile creek to provide access to the golf course on the west side of the creek. The old dance pavilion from Lake Island Park was converted into a clubhouse for the Tuscarora Park Club's golf course and was known to locals as the T-Club. The golf course did not survive the Great Depression. In the late 1940's, a culvert was installed near an area called Millie Cook Cove to provide access to O'Connell Island, where a marina and yacht club were later built. Today, Park Street leads to marinas, yacht clubs, private homes and a restaurant.

The site of Brownie's (across Rt. 18) originally was a small barn, with living quarters upstairs and a meat market with a frozen food locker attached to the rear. On the 1960's, the owner converted the front of this barn from a butcher shop into an ice cream stand, which became the popular summer gathering spot it still is today. The original barn and locker were destroyed by fire and the present building was built on the same site. The name "Brownie's" is derived from the nickname of Francis Brown, father of Nancy (Brown) Rohring, who, along with her husband David, are the current proprietors (2012). Tuscarora Park Club House. Wilson Frozen Food Locker (now Brownie's) circa 1950's. ~ as told by C. F. Horton