SMUGGLERS’ COVE

Inscription

SMUGGLERS’ COVE
LOCAL LORE SAYS DURING
PROHIBITION, 1920-1933, BOATS
FROM CANADA SMUGGLED LIQUOR
HERE AT NIGHT, SIGNALING LOCAL
BUYERS BY FLASHING LIGHTS.
NEW YORK FOLKLORE
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2023

During the prohibition era, the coast of Lake Ontario was a hub of illegal activities, discreetly hustling beneath the radiant glow of luxury hotels and dance halls. From 1920 to 1933, as alcohol was banned across the United States, Lake Ontario saw covert smuggling operations where boats from Canada anchored just beyond the three-mile limit. They carried prized cargo: whiskey and other alcoholic intoxicants, bound for thirsty Americans. These clandestine transactions weren’t recorded in official logs but have been immortalized in the tales passed down through generations.

At the heart of these tales lies Smugglers’ Cove. Locals recount stories of boats flashing lights in the dark, signaling their readiness to sell. Middlemen on the shore would then navigate their vessels out, fetching the forbidden liquid gold. This contraband would be whisked away to local hotels or further inland to Syracuse and further parts of New York. The thrill of the illegal trade, the signaling lights shimmering over the waters, and the mystery of the figures involved have all cemented Smugglers’ Cove’s place in folklore. Today, it stands as a reminder of a time when liquor laws were defied, not just in secret alcoves, but right on the shores of Lake Ontario.