Ferry Tales Thru The Years

Editor's note: These article are from the newspapers listed below. Thank you to Contributing Scholar George A. Thompson for finding, cataloging and transcribing the articles. The language, spelling and grammar of each article reflects the time period when it was written.

Ferry River-Side, also referred to as "Skillypot", crossed Rondout Creek between Rondout Landing and Sleightsburgh, NY. Tracey I. Brooks collection, Hudson River Maritime Museum.

Rockland County Messenger (Haverstraw, N. Y.), March 27, 1851
Steam Ferry Boat. The Minisceongo Ferry Company's Boat arrived here this week, from the East, where she was purchased. She is a pretty looking craft, and neatly fitted up, having a splendid saloon. She is to run from this village via Grassy Point, and from thence
across the river to met the Hudson River Railroad, which will be a great accommodation
to the travelling community.

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Kingston Daily Freeman, September 23, 1895   
​The chain ferryboat "Riverside", plying between Rondout and Sleightburgh, has been dry-docked for repairs on Hiltebrant's floating dry docks at South Rondout.  It will be running again Wednesday.  Small boats will carry passengers until that time.

Ferry "Brinckerhoff" Highland-Poughkeepsie route. Hudson River Maritime Museum.

 Rockland County Journal, November 23, 1889
A NEW FERRYBOAT. The new ferryboat "John H. Brinckerhoff" will not be ready to go on the Poughkeepsie-Highland route before the first of December. The machinery is all in, and the boat is at Newburgh, where Marvel & Co. is finishing the work. A gang of carpenters is employed on the upper deck. The pilot houses are completed, and will be set up in a few days. Then the boat will receive two coats of paint, which will be white. The slip at Poughkeepsie has been extended fourteen feet out into the river to accommodate the Brinckerhoff.

 Saugerties Weekly Post, October 15, 1891    
The ferryboat "J. H. Brinckerhoff" which has been on the Highland and Poughkeepsie route, has been sold to the Commissioners of Immigration of New York city.  The boat will be used to transport passengers from Castle Garden to Bedloe’s Island.  The steamer was taken to New York on Monday.  Captain Brinckerhoff of the Poughkeepsie Transportation Company will build a new boat to ply between the Bridge city and Highland. 

Kingston Daily Freeman, March 16, 1904
FERRYBOAT BUCKING THE ICE. The ferryboat "Brinckerhoff" was bucking the ice all day Tuesday with the hopes of opening navigation between this city and Highland, says the Poughkeepsie Eagle.  Captain Tat Smith and his crew were busy men all day long and a track was opened about half way across the stream.  They are adopting the toddling method of breaking the ice.  When near the ice the boat's engines are reversed, throwing a large amount of water on the ice.  The weight weakens the ice and then the vessel goes into it at full speed.  The boatmen found solid blue ice over three inches thick, on top of which was a honey-combed variety of about eight inches.  The track will probably be opened today.

Kingston Daily Freeman, March 17, 1904
The ferryboat "Brinckerhoff" made another attempt on Wednesday to open navigation between Poughkeepsie, and Highland, but the attempt had to be given up because of the thickness of the ice.  Captain Smith said that an ice plow would be used today for the purpose of cutting a canal, and he thinks the boat will get across the river by the end of the week.  The ice is very heavy and very tough.  Out in the middle of the channel the solid ice is from four to six inches, and on top of this are six or eight inches of honey-combed ice.

Kingston Daily Freeman, March 11, 1908
NO TRIPS MISSED. The ferryboat "Brinckerhoff" has made a great record this winter, never missing a day in making trips between Poughkeepsie and Highland landing. Poughkeepsie Enterprise.

Red Hook Journal, March 10, 1911
The ferryboat "Brinckerhoff" never yielded a trip to the ice during the winter of 1911. Remember this in future when old Winter once again visits this region of the Hudson valley. News-Press.

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