Taillon's International Hotel - straddling the US-Canada border!

USA / New York / Brushton /
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At the international pool table in this hotel, you can line up your shot in Dundee, Quebec and sink it in Fort Covington, NY.

members.tripod.com/~Carol_Tyo_LaDue/hotel.htm
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Coordinates:   44°59'52"N   74°30'27"W

Comments

  • The place is now closed and looks like it has been closed for some time...I believe that the road on the west side of the river does not have any border crossing.
  • As a child in nearby Massena, NY, this business was known as the HalfWay House. The border's location was painted in black along the its main floor. While taking turns playing the ten cent pinball machine, my sisters and I would never tire of standing with one foot planted in Quebec, the other in New York. Simple times, circa 1972.
  • My Dad taught school in Fort Covington in the early 1980s. One of his students was the son of the proprietor of the Halfway House. The family lived upstairs. Although they were Canadian, the son's bedroom was in New York so he went to school in Fort Covington. Gasoline was actually cheaper in Canada at the time, so the proprietor set the son up as a filling station operator to serve US customers. It was a minimal affair, just two pumps across the road from the Halfway House, next to the river. The pumps were on the Quebec side but between the two customs houses. According to my Dad, the procedure for New Yorkers was to drive north past the filling station to Canada Customs, say "I'm going to get gas at Andre's," turn around and fill one's tank, then continue south and give the same explanation at US Customs. The road on the west side of the river was indeed a border crossing, at least unofficially. The customs procedure seemed to be to wave at the customs officers in their respective customs houses on the east side of the river.
  • Interesting description of what went on in the past at this border crossing...based on my trip there in May 2009, that sort of set up wouldn't work these days. The lady at Canada customs was quite surprised I had only been in the US for about 30 minutes (Massena to Fort Covington) and I had only filled up with gas (I was taking a shortcut between Cornwall and Huntingdon) and didn't have any cigarettes.
  • We used to come to this hotel as teenagers and drink. We used to come by boat from the Cornwall area and you could buy your beer then take it outside and sit on the stumps by the river and drink. This was in the late 70's good times had by all.
  • We agree excornwallite (guest). We had plenty of courts there along with the cheese and pizza. Lots and lots of nakedness too.....
  • We certainly miss those days!!! Lolz.....Paul used to be the owner....he'd always say bonjour monsieur LeBlanc! and he'd serve us under age....learned alot!
  • The International Hotel and the Lake Vista View Inn at the mouth of the Salmon River where run by John and Alexander Taillon or Tyo. There was 100 years ago a general store that was divided by the border and John Tyo was once arrested for failing to pay import taxes because they put a can of spices on the wrong counter and accidentally imported them to the US and their descendents run a lucrative business during prohibition. My grandfather slept in that same bedroom when he visited his grandparents in the early 1900s and claimed if he rolled over at night he changed countries.
  • Stayed with relatives in Fort Covington many times over the years..enjoyed playing shuffleboard and eating the best fries ever. At one time the big draw for this place was also that you could not serve alcohol on sundays in NY..but you could in Canada...so the boaters/swimmers would land here to have themselves a few Sunday drinks! I believe the Taillon family still occupies this place as a residence.
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This article was last modified 13 years ago