William S. Connolly (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) was president of the New York and Ontario Power Company. The company applied in 1918 to the International Joint Commission for approval for "...the obstruction of the waters of the St. Lawrence River at Waddington, N.Y." Connolly was also a manager of the Bank of Montreal for 40 years (1890-1930) and spent most of his earnings to gain control of the land in the area that he believed to be, because it was the narrowest part of the river, the logical spot for a power dam. The dam was never built in this location. When dams were finally built, they were placed six miles up river and twenty-six miles down river.
From the description of New York and Ontario Power Company records, 1787-1928 (St. Lawrence University). WorldCat record id: 40767108
