The Antique Boat Museum is excited to present our Homer L. Dodge Lecture Series! Spanning all four seasons and a range of topics, we hope to be able to bring local history and boating life to you throughout the year whether you are with us in the 1000 Islands or far away and missing the River.
Note: All lectures, unless indicated otherwise, will be held in a hybrid in-person/virtual format. If you are unable to join us in-person, we invite you to join us via Youtube live stream. The live stream link for each lecture can be found below.
The lectures are always held in the Robert Osborne Cox Theatre at the Museum unless otherwise stated.
Ice Yachting Since its Beginnings in the Hudson River Valley
Robert Willis – President, Hudson River Ice Yacht Preservation Trust
Date: May 16, 2025
Time: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Location: Cox Auditorium & YouTube Live
Live Stream: https://youtube.com/live/Mhpc0Z-LGcw
From Dutch innovation to high-speed thrills on the Hudson, discover how ice yachts evolved from cargo carriers to the fastest vehicles on Earth. Mr. Wills will take us on a journey through the design, history, and passion behind this unique winter sport. Don’t miss this fascinating exploration of ice, history, and innovation!
Robert Wills is the President of the Hudson River Ice Yacht Preservation Trust and a former Commodore of the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club. An avid ice boater since 1989, he is the caretaker of four historic ice yachts, including KRISS, commissioned in 1898 by John Aspinwall Roosevelt. A registered architect, Robert specializes in historic restoration, museum exhibits, and retail design. He also served as the GIS Coordinator for Dutchess County, NY, before retiring. His deep passion for preserving the heritage of ice yachting is matched by his commitment to sharing its unique story.
Past Lectures:
2024 Lectures
April 4, 2025: Exploring Split Cane Fishing Rods: Past, Present, and Future
January 17, 2025: Collaborative Opportunities in the Northeast Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Watershed
November 15, 2024: The Seaway, Ships and Stuff (watch the recording here)
September 13, 2024: 100 Years of New York State Parks: Lauren Eggleston (watch the recording here)
July 19, 2024: Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race: Paul Grey (watch the recording here)
April 5, 2024: Celestial Navigation: Oswego Professor John Rusho (watch the recording of this lecture here)
February 16, 2024: The St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands: The 12,500 Years Before Us with Ken Knapp, Local Avocational Archaeologist (watch the recording of this lecture here)
2023 Lectures
November 10, 2023: Sackets Harbor’s Horse Island with Constance Barone, Site Manager at Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site (watch the recording of this lecture here)
September 8, 2023: The Thousand Islands: 20 Years Through the Lens with Chris Murray (watch the recording of this lecture here)
August 4, 2023: Ways of Learning: An Apprentice Boatbuilder in Japan with Douglas Brooks (watch the recording of this lecture here)
July 28, 2023: Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario – A Journey of Discovery with Jim Kennard, Shipwreck Explorer
April 21, 2023: The World Comes to the Waterfront: Historic Architecture and Ideas on New York’s Northeastern Shores with Professor Dennis Earle, Assistant Teaching Professor – Environmental and Interior Design & Shaffer Art History Professor at Syracuse University (watch the recording of this lecture here)
February 3, 2023: Key to Liberty, the Underwater Archaeology of the Revolutionary War on Lake Champlain with Chris Sabick, Director of Archaeology & Research at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (watch the recording of this lecture here)
2022 Lectures
December 2, 2022: Geology and People of the St. Lawrence with Dr. Laurie Rush, Cultural Resources Manager and Army Archaeologist – Ft. Drum (watch the recording of this lecture here)
October 28, 2022: Understanding the ecological role of wetlands in a changing river: Protecting and monitoring wetland fish habitat in the Thousands Islands with Thornton Ritz, SUNY ESF PhD Student (watch the recording of this lecture here)
August 12, 2022: The Katie Eccles and the Final Years of Sail on Lake Ontario with Ben Ioset, Texas A&M Anthropologist
June 18, 2022: Inextricably Connected: John Henry Rushton and Slipstream Watercraft with Slipstream Founders Stan & Cathy Zdunek
2021 Lectures
September 1, 2021: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame & The Wind in the Islands by Scott Ouderkirk
July 15, 2021: Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
January 28, 2021: Shipwrecks of the 1000 Islands with Dennis & Kathi McCarthy
The Homer L. Dodge Lecture Series is funded by the Homer L. Dodge Endowment which funds programming that promotes, celebrates, and teaches topics focused on the history and ecology of the St. Lawrence River.
