Valley View Ferry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Valley View Ferry | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Locale | Between Richmond and Nicholasville, Kentucky. |
| Waterway | Kentucky River |
| Transit type | Cable ferry |
| Began operation | 1785 |
| No. of vessels | One |
| No. of terminals | Two |
| Owner | Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and Madison and Jessamine Counties |
| Operator | Same as owner |
The Valley View Ferry is a crossing on the Kentucky River in rural central Kentucky, located on Kentucky Route 169 between the towns of Richmond and Nicholasville. The ferry's establishment in 1785 predates Kentucky's admission to the Union in 1792 and is widely regarded as the commonwealth's oldest business.[1]
John Craig, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, acquired land in the area in 1780 through a military warrant. In 1785, the Virginia General Assembly granted Craig "a perpetual and irrevocable" franchise to operate a ferry.[2] Daniel Boone, Henry Clay and Ulysses S. Grant have numbered among its passengers.[3] The ferry remained a privately-owned business for over 200 years, passing through the hands of seven successive families until 1991, when it was purchased jointly by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and Madison and Jessamine Counties for $60,000.[1]
The rudderless ferry is guided only by cables stretching between four 55-foot towers. The current boat, named the "John Craig" after the site's original owner, dates to 1996; the vessel it replaced sustained heavy damage first when it sank under the weight of a heavy snowfall and then as a result of salvage efforts.[4] The entire site underwent a major renovation in 1998, when the four towers and their cables were replaced. Two years later, the ferry received a federal grant allowing them to upgrade its barge. The new structure, longer than its predecessor by ten feet, lets the ferry carry three cars instead of two.[5]
The ferry is a free service funded by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. On average it transports 250 cars a day.[3]
The ferry also served as a backdrop for portions of the 1967 George C. Scott film The Flim-Flam Man.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Poor, Chris. "The Return of the Valley View Ferry: Oldest Business is Back in Business", Lexington Herald-Leader, 1991-07-28. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
- ^ On-site historical marker, referenced in Wells, Dianne; Melba Porter Hay, Thomas H. Appleton (2002). Roadside History: A Guide to Kentucky Highway Markers. Frankfort: Kentucky Historical Society, 149. ISBN 0916968286.
- ^ a b Hammond, Claude. "A Kentucky Ferry Tale", Lexington Herald-Leader, 2004-03-01. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
- ^ Martin, Kimberly N. "Boat Damage Sinks Historic Ferry Service: 2-Month Shutdown Inconveniencing Passengers", Lexington Herald-Leader, 1996-01-17. Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
- ^ Partridge, Wayne. ""Ferry Good News for Commuters: Valley View Gets Federal Grant to Replace Barge", Lexington Herald-Leader, 2000-04-04. Retrieved on 2008-02-18.
