Chesterfield Pearson (1793-1855)
Chesterfield Pearson, of Orleans, Jefferson County, New York
In 1845, he established a company with Azariah Walton (1784-1855) and together they bought all the Thousand Islands (1,500 of them, covering 15,400-acres) on the American side of the St. Lawrence River for a steal at just $3,000. After selling various islands to the US government for lighthouses, he sold his share to Walton.