You were there almost 13 years ago to the day when I closed on Comfort Island.  You, Regan, Paul and I ventured into the house to take stock of what I had just bought.  
Among the many treasures were two gold dollar coins, a lace parasol that disintegrated when opened, and, most importantly, over 200 letters to and from members of the Clark family.  Many of them were from Alson Skinner Clark, who became a famous American Impressionist. 

On October 13, 1913, Medora Clark wrote to Amelia Baker in Watertown, New York, from Panama, where she was accompanying her husband, the painter Alson Skinner Clark.

Just three days earlier, the Gamboa Dike had been demolished, allowing waters from Gatun Lake to flow into the Culebra Cut—an important milestone in the construction of the Panama Canal.

Medora was among the thousands who witnessed the event. Her letter captures both the excitement of the occasion and the everyday concerns of a woman writing home to a friend.

Photograph by Roscoe G. Searle, National Geographic

I am still riding horseback every day and have taken up golf again now that our course is open so am awfully athletic.

John Lavery-A Summer Afternoon 1884- mentioned in Medora’s letter

Paris is fine now. Fall is just coming and the trees are changing color rapidly and are beautiful….

Saint-Cloud, outside Paris, where Alson spent the previous afternoon.

October 1, 1903

Dear Mela,

The car party is all off and Edwin and I are very much pleased in consequence and we will be at Comfort as soon as A.E. decides to come home. As soon as I hear from Mother about whether she wants us to go on the houseboat or not I will get the house party together.

...At present I believe our house party is to be Ida, Sally, Miss Sewall, Hy Babcock, Kate, George Spencer, Katharine, E.H.C. (Edwin)...

Yours Truly,
M. Talcott Clark

Don’t tell Edwin I engineered his visit this fall but I think I did it very nicely and planned the thing nicely also.