Milton, New York Ferry. Part 2 of 2.

Editor's Note: Originally published November 23, 1922 in the "Milton Messenger"; republished August 14, 1969 in Perspective section of "Southern Ulster Pioneer" newspaper. The language, spelling and grammar of the article reflects the time period when it was written.

Milton, NY Ferry and Horse Boat 1860. Hudson River Maritime Museum

All the description of the boat or vessel used as a ferry that we have is that it was a dude scow or barge of some kind, with sails and oars which ran most of the time on signals. It carried teams, cattle and passengers, and it was said that at times when the boat was crowded horses were tied behind and swam over. It is thought to have been the same kind of boat as the one then running at Troy. It must have been strongly built for it made trips in stormy weather but not during the season when ice was in the river. The sides could be let down and it was entered in this way. There is no tradition that there ever was an accident or loss of life by means of it.

To be sure there must have been started soon after this at different boats at various times of the old ones gave but, the description of all was about the same. Very little if any, shelter was provided and it was only temporary when it was. In heavy storms the vessel lay at its dock.

The landing on the east side must have been in the vicinity of Barnegat for the ferry carried quantities of lime and lime rock this side. This was one of the supports of the ferry. The lime business at Barnegat was commenced soon after the close of the Revolution and it is claimed lime was burned there during the war or even earlier as people used lime before that time all about here and the surrounding country. Soon after the war we had lime kilns on the west side and they must have burned lime at Barnegat as there has never been lime rock about here and the rock was brought here and burned.

I find in our ancient records in the laying out of road, as follows: "A Return of an Open Public Road as follows: We the Commissioners for the Town of Marlborough in the year 1790 in the Month of June. By a Petition from the Freeholders and Inhabitants of Said Town for a Publick Road or Highway from Latting Town to the Hudson River, have laid it out as follows: *** Said Road is to Extend four Rods Down the hill from the upper side of the Road as it now runs down to Lewis Lime Kiln, the Said Road to go Either Side of Said Elijah Lewis Dwelling house where ever it Shall be thought most Convenient for the good of the Publick Down to low Water Mark to Extend four Rods up and four Rods down the River from the Lime Kiln.

The Powells also had lime kilns and Quimby and presumably others. The stones for these kilns came from Barnegat. By the map of Dr. Benj. Elsey and Henry Livingston above referred to, there are designated twenty kilns at Barnegat. I cannot find that a company owned them and they were owned by in or else preaching was held in the schoolhouse. A Methodist exhorter from here held services there.

In an ancient Gazetteer of the state, I find as follows: "Marlborough, a small township in southeast corner of Ulster county, on the west shore of the Hudson opposite Barnegat."

There was maintained at one time an official company of militia. Men from here belonged to it, and a company from there served in the War of 1812. During navigation it was said there was hardly a time that one or more sloops were not there loading lime and at one period a line of sloops carried the lime rock from there to New Brunswick, New Jersey, to burn it here Tom Gill and his father burned lime at Barnegat. One kiln was near the house and a grist mill which has been recently torn down to make room for the new factory buildings. There is a tradition about the Gills. It is that when Gen. Vaughn went up the river and burned Kingston, a corporal and two of his men went ashore in a rowboat to burn the mill on the site of the present mill. Then the owner Van Kueren begged them to spare the mill, and said to the corporal whose name was Gill, that if he should not burn the mill he could come and marry his daughter after the war, at the same time pointing out an attractive girl. The mill was spared and the corporal afterward returned, married the girl and became the owner of the property. It is claimed to this day the corporal was the father of Tom Gill who will be remembered by very old people.

Barnegat at one time had stores, a schoolhouse, a church. There were two roads leading to Barnegat – one from a southerly direction and from an easterly or northeasterly direction, which were used years before any roads about there were regularly laid out. As a child I heard old men telling of having worked at these kilns and crossing on the ferry when they were young. They received one dollar a day which at that time was considered princely pay and such was work then sought for. Farm laborers were receiving fifty cents or less a day.
Lime carried by this ferry was used not only in the Town of Marlborough and Plattekill but in the Towns of Paltz, Shawangunk and now Gardiner. Numerous houses all over these towns are still standing that were built with Barnegat lime. The tradition is that the lime was considered a very superior quality but the rock was either worked out or a better article found elsewhere, as for many years no lime has been produced there.

The roads on both sides of the river were used as highways at least fifty years before they were laid out and recorded by the highway commissioners. There is a tradition about another ferry which I cannot reconcile.  It is that in 1777 when Gen. Vaughn's expedition went up the river, Samuel Hallock, the old Quaker minister, went out in a row boat to meet the fleet, and when taken on the flagship, said to Gen. Vaughn that he was a noncombatant, a Quaker and was opposed to the war and at the same time pointed out to the General his ferry boat along the shore, and asked that it should not be burned. Vaughn gave orders not to disturb the Quaker or his boat and the vessel was spared. But Mr. Hallock may have had the ferry as this was in 1777 and we have seen that Lattemore had the ferry in 1789. It is possible it may have been a boat used for some Landing afterwards, Sands Dock, and other purpose, but was spoken of as a ferry boat in the traditions. Mr. Hallock at this time owned Brushes and he most likely carried on business from there with a boat.

At the dock from which the ferry was operated, there was an ancient stone house, almost a fort as the walls were so thick and strong. It was used for a store, tavern, freight house, etc. It was being built in 1777 when Gen. Vaughn went up and was fired at. It was taken down when the West Shore Railroad took the land. There was quite a history and many traditions about the old house. There had previously been a house on the same site and other buildings were about there.

In March, 1849, the Milton ferry was established by Captain Sears. It ran just about the time the Powell dock at Milton ferry was established by Captain Sears. It ran from just above the Powell dock at Milton to the Gill dock. Sears ran the ferry for three years and then sold to Jacob Handley who conducted it until about 1862. The boat used for its motive power four mules, who turned a tread wheel. It ran regularly and was a great convenience to the entire neighborhood and for miles back in the country on river road. It also carried the mails.

At one time the Gills through whose land the road leading from the ferry and the railroad station to the post road, had attempted to close it by claiming it was a private road, but it was afterward arranged by them or the town authorities so that it was continued as a public road.
​
It would appear that the ancient Precinct of New Marlborough had means of crossing the Hudson river for fifty and perhaps sixty years before there was an established ferry at Poughkeepsie and people from there came this roundabout way across this ferry to get to New Paltz and the surrounding country in case they wished to cross with horses, cattle, etc. in fact, to carry on all necessary intercourse that could not be done with a rowboat or sloop.

---

If ​you enjoyed this post and would like to support more history blog content, please make a donation to the Hudson River Maritime Museum or become a member today!

Donate Now

Join Today