USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > Jamestown > History of Jamestown on Conanicut Island in the State of Rhode Island > Part 6
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To-day any ferry crossing is timed to the minute and operated on a definite schedule; the boats are commodious and have all conveniences. But at the time the first ferry to Jamestown was started it was a far different story. The ferries then were sailboats with a sloop rig, mainsail and jib, 35 to 40 feet long with a wide beam and heavy planking. The passengers sat in the open cockpit at the stern. Forward of the mast was another cockpit for horses and cattle and between these two was a little covered cabin for the passengers during rough weather. The boats were cumbersome and too heavy to row. If caught in a flat calm the passengers just sat there and won- dered when they would get to shore, and if the weather was rough they got drenched and wondered why they ever left shore. A trip across the ferry was full of uncertainties. A ferry leaving Newport one early afternoon was caught in a falling breeze and an outgoing tide and was carried out through the east passage beyond Beaver Tail and did not make Jamestown until late the next morning. Dr. MacSparran, in his diary, gives thanks at having just caught the ferry as, soon after making the landing, a storm broke and the ferry did not run for two days. Many accounts of such experiences have been found in old letters and records.
In following the development of the ferries, we must remember that up to the Revolutionary War, Newport was the most important shipping point on the coast, excelling Boston and New York in shipping activity. Then again, very shortly after Newport was established, settlers went over into the Narra- gansett country. Here they took up large tracts of land and their farms were estimated, not in acres, but in square miles and were spoken of as plantations. They were wealthy and their plantations were operated by slaves. A mode. of life was established much resembling that of the South before the Civil War and the atmosphere of that old aristocracy still seems to linger over all of old South County. With these two points in mind we can readily under- stand the importance of the ferries across lower Narragansett Bay to James- town and Newport.
The ferry that Caleb Carr established was probably at first just a boat for his own personal needs which gradually was used by others and so devel- oped into a regular ferry. Such a boat could make at best but one or two round trips a day and its first trip would start from Newport. This was a hardship on the people of Jamestown as it meant that they would not get away from the island until late in the morning. Naturally they wanted a boat
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to start from Jamestown early in the morning, for the trip would take the best part of a day and, being farmers, they wanted to get back in time to do the chores before it got dark.
To meet this demand, a license was issued in 1700 to Thomas Winterton, of Jamestown, to operate a ferry from Jamestown to Newport. There is little doubt, however, that the ferry had been in operation several years before that date. Now we have two boats on the same ferry, landing at the same docks but owned by different people. Such a boat was called a "mate" boat, and the two boats were supposed to leave their respective docks at about the same time. But human nature was the same then as it is to-day and ferry- men were no different from the rest of mankind. What a ferryman was supposed to do and what he did were often as far apart as the poles and throughout the whole history of the ferries we find charges and counter charges of broken agreements and unfair competition.
The ferries in the colony from almost the beginning were regulated by the Colonial Government, not only by licenses but by rules for operation, and the Jamestown ferries were no exception. In 1699 the Colonial Assembly ordered "that ferrymen between said Newport, said Jamestown and Kings- town and all other ferries in said Colony shall carry all Magistrates, Deputies, Jurymen, and all persons on his Majesty's service ferriage free."
In 1700 the Colonial Government (Rhode Island Colonial Records, Vol. 3 p 405) voted "Whereas Mr. Josiah Arnold, of Conanicut, alias James- town, presented a petition, dated the 25th of March, 1700, that a Horse Ferry between said Jamestown and Narragansett shore might be settled on him for some years, he being willing to provide suitable accommodations, and suitable boats for good transportation to attend said ferries. Voted that the said ferry be settled on Josiah Arnold for seven years." There is no record, however, that such a horse ferry was ever put in operation.
With the necessity of getting to Newport to dispose of their produce it can be assumed that, in spite of the regular ferries, most of the farmers had their own sailboats and would accommodate their neighbors by taking them "to town" when they went. This led to serious trouble with the licensed ferrymen and the dispute finally went to the Colonial Government which voted, 1702, (Rhode Island Colonial Records Vol. 3 p 454)
"that the free inhabitants of Jamestown shall have the liberty at all times to trans- port themselves and neighbors with their goods or clothes in their own boats: provided they transport not any for money, whereby the stated ferries may be damni- fied, except there be great occasion or necessity when the ferry boats are out of the way or cannot be had."
The Winterton ferry passed through many hands and we find it owned by Jonathan March, Robert Barker, Samuel Clarke, John Remington and many others down to 1833 when Caleb F. Weaver purchased it for $7,000, combining it with the Ellery Ferry and the Hull Ferry. It was generally known as Clarke's Ferry.
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It was not long after the first ferry was established between Newport and Jamestown that there was the necessity for an established ferry between Narragansett and Jamestown. In 1692 John and Jeremiah Smith, then of Prudence, purchased something over a square mile of land extending from Narragansett Bay to Pettaquamscutt River. In 1695 they divided the prop- erty and the dividing line was the road leading from the old South Ferry landing up the hill past the old South Church, across Pettaquamscutt River, up MacSparran Hill and on to the west over Indian trails into Connecticut. Part of this road is now route 138. At the time of purchase the land was occupied by James Sweet and it is very probable that he ferried people to Jamestown although there is no record of such a ferry having been licensed. The first license was issued in 1709. Down through the years, this ferry was the most important of those in the West Passage and continued in almost uninterrupted operation until 1874. In 1886 the new Steamer Conanicut re- placed the Steamer Jamestown on the Newport side and the Jamestown started trips across the West Passage to Narragansett, landing at South Ferry. Like most of the ferries it had many owners and was known at various times as Smith's Ferry, Narragansett Ferry, West Ferry, Franklin's Ferry, Cottrell's Ferry and Eaton's Ferry. Most often it was referred to as South Ferry, no matter who owned it. It also seems that every time it changed hands a law suit was involved, one of which was carried to the Supreme Court, the decision being written by Chief Justice Marshall. It became quite a famous institution and reached the height of its popularity under Abel Franklin.
The popularity of a ferry was determined not so much by the ferry itself as by the ferry house connected with it. The natural outgrowth of operating a ferry was the provision of a place of entertainment for belated and storm bound travellers. This often times developed into a greater source of revenue than the ferry itself and was also the cause for many complaints-as, when for one reason or another, the ferryman refused to make the trip across, thus compelling the traveler to spend the night at his tavern. Shepherd Tom Hazard tells of such an incident where the traveler refused to pay what he called an exorbitant price for a night's lodging and drove two miles back into the country where he secured accommodation for half the price. Such, however, was not the treatment given at South Ferry, for its fame was great and travelers looked forward to spending the night at the Ferry House and later at the new Narragansett House.
In 1700 we find a license issued to Jonas Arnold of Jamestown for a ferry in the opposite direction, that is from Jamestown to South Kingstown. Jonas Arnold was the son of Benedict Arnold, one of the original purchasers of the island, whose holdings comprised all the land from the Town Beach to Beaver Tail. Jonas probably lived on the Beaver Head farm but it seems doubtful if he operated the ferry from there as the landing for the other ferry was a mile north of that point. Almost without exception the Jamestown landings for the West and South ferries have been at the west end of Ferry Road, now Narragansett Avenue. This ferry was not so profitable as the
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FERRYMAN'S HOUSE
Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
TAGGERT'S FERRY HOUSE (WEST FERRY )
Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
BRIGG'S FERRY HOUSE (WEST FERRY )
Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
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AN ACE in amendment of im Art entitled · " An Act regulating
FERRIES,"
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY STATE OF RHODE ISLAND, June, 1834.
Serveras Be it enacted of the General Assembly, and by the authority it is That tunk that từ a l'e peractors or Keepers of Bristol Ferry are and half · brentthi t, receso the following rates of F'erringe to wait :--
8 cis
For curry foolman, = ditto who puls tự'# laval, 1.
màn and Hunc, 10
12 1-2 ..
For each and overy different' Horse. neat beast two years old aud upwards
and every yearling beasts and every Calf,
3.
and overy Hug,
and every Sheeper Linh,
but nọ Ferriage to be charged! for a Lamb with the Etc.
For each and Every Conch, Barrouche, Wagon or; other four } whoeled Carriage drawn by two Horses, with the persons in the same, 5
75.
For every additional Horse, with such Coach, Barrouche, Wagon, } or other four wheeled Curringe,
10
For every Chaise or Sulky, and for every Carryall, or pleasure] currioge, and for every Wagon bung on, or supported by springs of iron ur sleet, or either, drawn by ono horse, with the persons therein not cveecding two orer twelve years of age, and the horse, ·
50 ..
For every additional person in such last mentioned Chaise, Sulky, .
-
For every Horse and Wagon not hung or supported by springs of ? fon and steel or rither, and drawn by one 'horse with one person therein,
3.7
For every additional person in ruch last mentioned Wagon,
For every Ox Wogon or Curt and Teem without a load, or with n load not exceeding one ton, und the person or persons with the same not exceeding two,
.
50
For every hundred wright over one ton in sich Os Cart or Wagon, } per ent4
5.
For all heavy Goods, per cui,
SKC. ÉA. And he if further enacted, that so much of the twelfth section of the „act entitled “ An Act regulating Ferries " as1. inconsistant with this aci oo and the same în herchy ropealed.
True copy- Witness, HENRY.BOWEN, Boc'ry.
RATES OF FERRIAGE - 1834
Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
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6
Carryalt, pleasure Carriage'or Wagon,
one from Narragansett, as, when going to Newport, in addition to the passengers, there was freight and livestock. This was so heavy that for a long period of years a freight boat was operated as well as the passenger ferry. But on the return trip there would be only passengers, all the freight having been disposed of in Newport.
In 1748, the service in the west bay was so unsatisfactory the Colonial Government attempted to operate the ferry. This was not successful and two years later the one to South Ferry was sold to Abel Franklin, who operated the ferry in the opposite direction, and the other, known as the North Ferry, was sold to Stephen Wilcox. This soon ceased operation leaving Abel Franklin in control of all ferries in the west passage. During the occupancy of Newport by the British during the Revolutionary War this, as well as all ferries, was practically suspended. After the war, Mrs. Franklin resumed operations. The ferry changed hands many times in the following years, the last owner being Isaac Bowen Briggs who, however, gave it up some fifteen years before the steam ferry started in 1886.
In the meantime ferries had continued to multiply from Jamestown to Newport and in the opposite direction. For many years there was more freight going to Newport from Narragansett than from Jamestown, but during the Revolutionary War the shipping industry of Newport was ruined, never to be regained, and the Narragansett farmers had to seek other shipping points. The people of Jamestown, however, were small farmers in comparison to those of Narragansett, and had always found Newport a sufficient market. So while the ferries in the West Passage gradually declined, those from Jamestown to Newport prospered.
In 1725 a ferry was licensed to run to Jamestown from Easton's Point, Newport, just north of the present Long Wharf and became known as the Point Ferry. It remained in the family of Benjamin Ellery for several generations. In 1799 Christopher Grant Champlin sold it to Freeman Mayberry for $27,000.
Mention of Long Wharf appears in the records as carly as 1685. A lease was granted in 1745 for a ferry to Jamestown from this point but there is no evidence that it ever operated. In 1755 a grant for thirty years was made to Thomas Hazard. Griffen Barney was boatman and all evidence points to the fact that this ferry was used by General Washington when he visited Newport in 1781. It was discontinued soon after.
The ferries from Jamestown also increased in numbers. In 1756 a license was granted to Capt. John Hull. His Jamestown landing was about where the water fence now is at the north boundary of Shoreby Park. It was not operated after the Revolutionary War.
In 1747, after several unsuccessful applications, a ferry license was granted to David Greene. The Jamestown landing was at the old stone wharf which is now the north side of the yacht basin. The ferry house was where the Bay View Hotel now stands. It was sold to William Martin in
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1752 whose tavern achieved quite a reputation. It continued operation until the steam ferry was organized.
There were two ferries which have not been mentioned because of their location. Ebenezer Slocomb lived on a farm at the west end of the North Ferry Road. His house was near the shore on the north side of the road. In 1707 it was voted that he have the privilege of keeping a ferry from the west side of Conanicut to North Kingstown. The North Kingstown landing was at Plum Beach at a place called Daniel's Landing-just south of the abutment of the Jamestown bridge. The mate boat, known as Northrup's Ferry, was licensed in 1727. The Northrup Ferry operated up to the Revolutionary War. It is not known how long Slocum operated his ferry, generally called North Ferry, and, outside the fact that a license was granted, there is nothing much but a persistent tradition that it ever did operate. However, in the town's records he is spoken of as operating a ferry, and was granted a license to "keep a house of entertainment" for several years.
Running directly cast from the landing to the east shore of the island was a road, now called Eldred Avenue, but on all the old maps, designated as North Ferry Road. At the cast end of the road there still remains an old stone wharf-now referred to as Howland's Wharf. Years ago, in the south western part of Coddington's Cove in Newport, was the remains of a stone wharf which tradition points to as the landing of a ferry from the cast end of North Ferry Road in Jamestown. It seems strange that tradition should be so strong that these two ferries did really operate while actual evidence is so lacking.
People on the island avoided taking a ferry in bad weather, but those from inland points were naturally anxious to get to their destination and sailed when it would have been wiser to have stayed on shore. The Prince de Broglie writes of such an experience on a trip to Newport in 1780, as follows:
"It was another long days journey from New London to Newport over fifty miles of very bad roades. There were also two ferries to be crossed. The first one presented no great difficulties but the second called Conanicut Ferry which separates the island of Newport from the mainland was at least a league in width and is not always safe. Besides it was after dark when we reached it. The getting of our horses on board of the ferry boat and the anxiety of some of us at the frequent rolling of the boat were not at all amusing especially in the darkness which surrounded us. We passed about an hour in this uncomfortable situation and the boatman finished by running us aground about two hundred yards from the landing place. As the water was only two feet deep we all walked ashore and it was in this way that we made our entrance into the charming town of Newport."
Up to this time all ferrying to and from the island was by means of sail- boats, but in June, 1829, Thomas B. Congdon, who had previously purchased the "Ellery Conanicut Ferry" from Joseph Allen, sold a portion of his wharf to the Narragansett Bay Company, which was to operate a horse ferry like the one then in use between Bristol and Portsmouth. A letter written by Thomas B. Gould dated 21st of 6th mo. 1829, tells of his trip to Conanicut :
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"We went over with A. and G. Jones in the horse-boat. The wind being against us made hard work for the horses, and it was nearly eleven when we arrived on shore."
However, the return trip to Newport was more exciting. He wrote as follows:
"The wind blew so heavy, it was thought improbable the horse-boat would come over, and Ann Jones not being well, she thought most proper to leave at four o'clock, and the wind continuing to blow very heavy, the spray broke over into the boat to such a degree that it wet our friends very much, although they had umbrel- las and cloaks. I crawled under the cuddy, where I should have been dry, if the water had not dripped through the planks. However, I esteem it another merciful favor that we were preserved from any other damage than wetting our clothes. Elizabeth thought it might be a specimen of crossing the Atlantic, but Ann told her it was not a comparison to it. Ann remarked, while on board the horse-boat, that it reminded her of a saying in her country, of putting to sea in a post-chaise."
Possibly it should be explained that a horse ferry was a boat with paddle wheels on each side connected by a shaft which was geared up to a tread mill. A pair of horses were on the tread mill and as they walked on this endless belt arrangement the paddle wheels were set in motion.
The Jamestown horse-ferry lasted but one year, when the wharf prop- erty was re-conveyed to Congdon. His ferry property had been sold to Caleb F. Weaver. This property Weaver's widow sold to Philip Caswell, Jr., in March, 1860, who, in turn sold it to William H. Knowles on March 25,
-
-
STEAMER JAMESTOWN AND LESTER EATON'S SIGNAL HOUSE
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Old Pier is Ferry Boat Jamestown.
New Pier & Ferry Boat, Jamestown.
BAY VIEW HOTEL
FERRY HOUSE
NED CARR'S HOUSE
WM. H. KNOWLES' HOUSE
STEAMER JAMESTOWN Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
JAMESTOWN
.
STEAMER JAMESTOWN
WEST FERRY DOCK AND STEAMER WEST SIDE Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
1871. The ferry was operated with Capt. Job Ellis as boatman. Samuel Carr was still running the ferry from Newport to Jamestown with Job Cas- well as boatman.
On the west side there was no freight or livestock to transport and passengers were few. The old sail-boat ferry was unfit for use and the ferry was discontinued. For the next fourteen years Capt. Lester Eaton, then Pilot Commissioner, continued the service with a catboat, carrying the mail
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four times a week. He kept his boat at Saunderstown, where he lived, and, except for the mail trips, made a trip only when he had a passenger. If some- one in Jamestown wanted to cross over to Saunderstown he would open up a large door or shutter on the west side of the ferry house. The house was painted white and the inside of the door was painted black. Capt. Eaton would come over as soon as he saw the signal.
In 1854 a charter was granted to the Narragansett, Conanicut and Newport Steam Ferry Co. to operate a steam ferry between Narragansett and Jamestown, and Jamestown and Newport, replacing the sail ferries. That was as far as the venture went and nothing more was ever heard of it.
The people of Jamestown had long realized that the sail ferry was inadequate and finally, in 1872, the Jamestown & Newport Ferry Company was organized by the people of the town. They also realized the vital impor- tance of the ferry to the town and that the town should be in control of the company for the town's protection. At a Town Meeting they voted to sub- scribe to 60% of the company's stock but not over $12,000, to be paid when the remaining 40% had been subscribed and paid for. The 40% was taken up by Jamestown residents and the control of the company rested in the town. In 1924-5, during the 23 year period (1923-1946) when Chas. H. Brooks was General Manager and at the instigation of Samucl Smith, Jr., the town purchased all the outstanding stock of the ferry company.
With finances assured the new company arranged with the Atlantic Works of East Boston to build the ferry boat. A new wharf was built in James- town, just south of the sailboat ferry wharf, and in Newport a new wharf was built at the foot of Mill Street where the Carr Ferry had always landed since it made its first trip about 1675.
The Steamer Jamestown, 80 feet long, 22 feet wide and 8 foot draft, Capt. Stephen C. Gardner in command, made her first trip in July 1873, and started on a schedule of five round trips a day. In 1886, to meet the demand for a larger boat, the Steamer Conanicut, 125 feet long, was purchased and the Jamestown was put on the West Ferry run to South Kingstown. In 1896 a new steamer, the Beaver Tail, was put on the West Ferry run, and the Jamestown was sold. For several years these two boats comprised the fleet of the Jamestown & Newport Ferry Co.
Demands on these boats were heavy during the summer months, when traffic was at its peak. Mr. Stillman Saunders, of Saunderstown, an ex- perienced boat builder, knew of these conditions and saw an opportunity to make his knowledge profitable. At his boat yard, just north of the ferry landing at Saunderstown he built a ferry boat. It was launched in 1902, christened the J. A. Saunders and put on the run to Jamestown in competition with the Beaver Tail. Evidently he thought the venture was profitable for he soon started building another boat, the Narragansett, which was completed in 1905 and put on the run from Jamestown to Newport in competition with the Conanicut. He then started still another boat, the Newport, 150 feet over all, which was completed in 1907 and replaced the Narragansett, which
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ELLERY FERRY HOUSE (EAST FERRY ) Courtesy of R. I. Historical Society
was put on the West Ferry. The J. A. Saunders was used on a run from Saunderstown to Fort Greble on a government contract.
The steamer Newport still holds the record for making the fastest run to Newport-11 minutes from dock to dock. The rivalry between the com- peting boats was intense and charges and counter charges of unfair competition and sharp practices were of almost daily occurrence. In 1910, however, after 8 years of this ferry war, which had divided the town into two almost bitter factions, Saunders gave up the contest and put his boats to use elsewhere.
With the withdrawal of the Saunders boats and the increase in traffic, the Beaver Tail was unable to give satisfactory service and in 1923 the Huguenot was purchased and put on the West Ferry run with the Beaver Tail. Still the boats were unable to keep up with the increase in summer traffic and in February 1927 the Steamer Governor Carr was launched at the Fore River Ship yards and went on the East Ferry run that summer. The launch- ing of the new boat was a gala day for Jamestowners and a large delegation went to the ship yard to see Miss Lucy Carr (Jenkins) christen the boat Governor Carr, so named in honor of Governor Caleb Carr, founder of the first ferry, and of whom she is a direct descendant. There was now a great
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demand for an equally large boat in the West Passage and in 1930 the Steamer Hammonton was added to the fleet. The Governor Carr and Hammonton are both 40 car capacity.
The September gale of 1938 was most disastrous to the Ferry Company. The Beaver Tail was washed ashore, a total wreck. The Governor Carr also was swept high on the front lawn of the Richard D. Knight summer residence. She was later relaunched, repaired and was soon making her regular trips to Newport none the worse for the terrible experiences of the storm. As larger boats were added to the fleet the smaller ones were sold. The fleet now consists of the Governor Carr and the Hammonton.
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