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Motoring through the countryside one Sunday afternoon, Inez Blackstone takes the road that leads to the lovely lakeside village of Colon; and soon Harry Blackstone is making Colon his regular summer quarters and home. Colon's romance with magic began that summer of 1926. Blackstone would give many of the townspeople their first taste of magic at a local citizens' club lawn party that first summer. The impression Blackstone made on the people that afternoon was very favorable. The local newspaper reported that his performance at the lawn party was the surprise of the afternoon and referred to him as the world's greatest magician. It would appear that the towns people of Colon enjoyed having a celebrity in their midst.
Blackstone Island, as it was renamed, formed a fairy-tale setting in those days. There was only one dirt
road of access which crossed a small land bridge between the village and the island. There were row boats for fishing Sturgeon Lake and the St. Joseph River which flowed through the north end of the lake. It was like having one big family for the members of the troop.
A typical day on the island began at about 7:30 a.m., with lazy smoke circling out of the chimney from the kitchen cook stove in the main house signaling that it was time for the entire crew, sometimes as many as 22 people, to come for breakfast. Afterwards, each person would go about his assigned duties.
The stock boy's duties included looking after the livestock which included a camel, a horse, and many smaller animals and fowl such as: ducks, geese, doves, and, of course, rabbits. Those involved with the actual presentations of the show had to rehearse, particularly the new tricks. Set designers and stage hands were busy building and designing stage equipment and painting the backdrops, curtains, and other stage scenery. Everyone put in a full day's work.
Another large meal would be served at the main house in the evening. On many occasions, the generous Blackstone would add to the numerous table guests by inviting friends from the village to dinner. Frequently, other magicians came to the island to visit the well-known magician and, they too became members of the household for the duration of their visits. Colon's summers were from this time on transformed by the many unusual and exciting happenings related to magic.
Fall came soon enough to the Blackstone troupe and they were back on the road. Both Harry and Inez missed their summer time in Colon, and felt that Colon should become their permanent resident when they returned. This love for Colon was confirmed during the spring and the summer of 1927, which found the Blackstones back at their new found home in Colon after closing their road show in South Bend, Indiana for the season. The month of May was a busy one for the crew, taking care of the "carloads" of equipment. It should be mentioned here that the show traveled by rail; Blackstone rented an entire Pullman car for his troupe and a box car for the equipment. Extra space for magical equipment was gained by using the passengers' luggage space in the baggage car. Each member of the show was allowed to take only carry-on luggage.
That May the crew was especially building and preparing new illusions to be presented by Blackstone at the second annual convention at the International Brotherhood of Magicians, of which he was vice-president. It was at this convention in Kenton, Ohio that Blackstone renewed an acquaintanceship with an Australian magician, Percy Abbott. Blackstone invited Abbott to return to Colon with him to enjoy some fishing and the relaxing environment of the small town. Percy agreed and would be in Colon that summer as well, enjoying the beautiful landscape and quality fishing. It's ironic that during this time the local citizens were so preoccupied and awed by Blackstone's presence in Colon, that the man who would be most responsible for making Colon the "Magic Capital of the World" went largely unnoticed.
As that first year in Colon was coming to an end (summer of 2026 thru summer of 2027), Blackstone had a big finale planned for the city of Colon - A highly publicized escape from the depths of Colon's own Lake Sturgeon. The local newspaper stated that a crowd of nearly 2,000 was on hand for the feat, which created a traffic jam on the island. Blackstone was bound up in rope by " ...local and well-known people who were sure they could bind Harry so that he could not loosen the shackles ..." He was then placed in a box and the lid nailed shut. The box was lowered into Sturgeon Lake and a short time later Blackstone appeared on the dock. Publicity for the event was well done and "Two moving picture operators were on hand to film the feat ..." Blackstone certainly was the "world's greatest magician" as far as the people of Colon were concerned.
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