Millersburg Ferry
The Millersburg Ferry , also known as Kramer-Crow Ferry , is the last operating ferry service on the Susquehanna River . It crosses the river between Millersburg in Dauphin County and Buffalo Township in Perry County in Pennsylvania , United States . It was put into operation at the beginning of the 19th century. The river crossing was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The ferry is believed to be the last ferry in the United States to be driven by a double paddle wheel at the stern. The ferry is owned by the Millersburg Chamber of Commerce and is operated by the Millersburg Ferryboat Association between May and October, if the water level permits.
history
Ferries have crossed the Susquehanna River near Millersburg since the beginning of the 19th century, earlier when Millersburg was founded. The river, a mile wide at this point , was first crossed by a ferry that was pounded forward. The founder of the settlement, Daniel Miller, claimed the right to operate the ferry and to catch Alosa for himself.
Records from 1817 and 1820 show that the ferry was operated by George Carson or Michael Crow. Crow was to build a road that would lead from the ferry landing pad on the western bank in Perry County to the so-called "Great Road" , today's US Highways 11 and 15, and Carson was responsible for the ferry operation. It is unknown if Carson ever opened, but Crow made a petition in 1819 that the road was completed. The tax records for 1820 indicated that Crow was assessed to operate a farm, sawmill, and ferry. The western landing site was called "Crow's Landing" . A 1826 performed by the Sheriff foreclosure revealed that the property of the eastern landing site for 60 US dollars by Daniel Miller to David Kramer was transferred.
From the 1820s on, ownership of the ferry and the rights to transfer passengers were hotly debated. These conflicts were not resolved until 1866, when the Pennsylvania General Assembly decided on the ferry license. Joseph Kramer, the son of David Kramer, was granted the right to operate the ferry on March 21, 1866 by Pennsylvania State Law 358. The regulation stipulated that Kramer renewed and maintained the landing sites on both banks. The old ferry boats were replaced by steam-powered ones in 1873. These were heavier and therefore required deeper water. That is why a weir was built from bank to bank, which still exists today and is an important criterion for classifying the ferry as a historical place.
Over the years, the ferry gained in importance for traffic. Between 1870 and 1907, the owner of the facility changed around a dozen times. From 1907 to 1968 it was run by Thomas Radel and his family. After that, Robert and Bud Wallis ran them with Jim Zeiders until Robert Wallis became sole owner in 1972. In 1990 he sold the ferry service to Community Banks, NA of Millersburg. The bank then donated the ferry to the Millersburg Chamber of Commerce, which founded the Millersburg Ferryboat Association to operate.
The construction of bridges over the river led to the cessation of ferry services in other parts of the river. The ferry in Millersburg outlasted time due to its historical importance and also for practical reasons; it is the only way to cross the river for around 40 miles between Duncannon and Sunbury .
traffic
The ferry was critical to the development of traffic in the central section of the Susquehanna River Valley between 1866 and 1956. The construction of a railroad through Millersburg and the local train station added importance as residents of the west bank used the ferry regularly to bring their goods from Perry County and Juniata Counties to Harrisburg, Lancaster and Philadelphia . For the people on the eastern side, the ferry mostly served to reach destinations on the western bank.
During the period of its greatest use between 1905 and 1936, up to four ferry boats were used between the two banks to transfer goods, cattle, building materials, people and their horses and carriages and then also cars. During the Great Depression , only three boats were used.
Fleet and ferry operations today
The ferry service is operated with two boats. The Roaring Bull V is a red paddle-wheel driven ferry boat with diesel generators built in 1998. The flat boat is 25 m long and the drive unit 15 m. The second boat, the Falcon III , entered service in 1974. It is gray and around 2.5 m longer than the Roaring Bull V. The paddle wheel is driven by a Farmall tractor machine.
The ferry runs between Pennsylvania State Route 147 on the east bank and the US. Highways 11 and 15 on the west bank, just south of Liverpool .
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c d e "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database) ARCH: Pennsylvania's Historic Architecture & Archeology. Retrieved June 24, 2008. Annette Gunyuzlu / Millersburg Ferry Boat Association: "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Millersburg Ferry / Kramer-Crow Ferry" (PDF) 2006. Retrieved June 24, 2008. ( Page no longer available , Search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , "Map: Millersburg Ferry, Millersburg Quadrangle" (PDF) Retrieved on June 24, 2008. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. and "Map: Millersburg Ferry" (PDF) Retrieved on June 24, 2008. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c Millersburg Ferry Boat brochure . Millersburg Ferry Boat Association. Retrieved June 24, 2008.
- ↑ a b c d Ferry . Millersburg Ferry Boat Association. Archived from the original on April 15, 2008. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 22, 2008.
Coordinates: 40 ° 32 ′ 39 ″ N , 76 ° 58 ′ 25 ″ W.