Hammond in St. Lawrence County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Thousand Islands
Formed by 'Fire', Water, and Ice
| | Natural History | |
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 17, 2020
1. The Thousand Islands Marker
'Fire'
(Heat & Pressure)
The precambrian gneiss rocks are the roots of an ancient mountain system. They were formed by heat, pressure and intrusive action during a period of mountain building.
Water
The overlaying sandstones and limestone/dolostone layers are sedimentary rocks formed from deposits in the Potsdam Sea.
Ice
Glaciers, advancing from the north, modified the landscape, gouging valleys and scouring hills, plucking rocks from the upstream sides of the islands.
The Frontenac Arch
The 1000 Islands are bumps in the surface of an ancient rock mass, exposed when the mass uplifted and the younger rocks on top eroded away, then shaped by the grinding action of glaciers.
[Timeline of geologic change, left to right, reads]
1 Billion Years Ago
300-500 Mill Years Ago
12,000 Years Ago [showing Ice Age glaciation]
Present
Irregular surface of precambrian rock.
Alluvial Soils - Axis of Frontenac Arch, a narrow band of ancient rock connecting the large mass of Canadian Shield bedrock
this page online
Unconformity, a time gap in the rock record, the result of erosion or non-deposition, spanning 600 million years.
Remains of sedimentary rock after millions of years of erosion, including several episodes of glacial scouring.
[Top center photo caption reads]
See the unconformity in the roadcut 12.5 miles south of here on the north side of Route 12.
-Potsdam Sandstone
-Unconformity
-Precambrian Rock
[Bottom right photo caption reads]
See the contact between the Potsdam and Theresa formations in the roadcut 1 mile south of here on the south side of Route 12.
-Theresa Sandy Dolostone
-Contact Zone
-Potsdam Sandstone
Erected by Seaway Trail, Inc.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features. In addition, it is included in the Great Lakes Seaway Trail National Scenic Byway series list.
Location. 44° 28.699′ N, 75° 46.238′ W. Marker is in Hammond, New York, in St. Lawrence County. It is on New York State Route 12, on the left when traveling north. Marker is at a roadside pulloff about
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., March 17, 2020
2. The Thousand Islands Marker
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York and in the Adirondacks & North Country. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Singer Castle on Dark Island (here, next to this marker); The Chippewa Bay Area (here, next to this marker); War of 1812 (a few steps from this marker); Crossover Island (approx. 1.1 miles away); Oak Point (approx. 2.6 miles away); Dark Island (approx. 2.7 miles away); Frederick Gilbert Bourne (approx. 2.7 miles away); Inspiration for Bourne's Castle (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hammond.
Also see . . .
1. Thousand Islands. The Canadian Encyclopedia website entry (Submitted on March 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Geology of the Thousand Islands (Greggs and Gorman, 1976). Probably more than you want to know. (Submitted on March 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 782 times since then and 54 times this year. Last updated on August 19, 2021, by Robert Rusaw of Massena, New York. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 23, 2020, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
