My moorage's address is NW Ferry Road and the the road dead-ends in a boat ramp. It began literally as a ferry road -- landing for a series of ferries that carried islanders to the mainland before a bridge was completed in 1950.
According to the history on these photos hanging on the wall in the island Grange building, Multnomah County began ferry service in 1910 across what was then called the Willamette Slough. The unnamed craft was described as "a slow box on water." Dewey Charlton began as a pilot in 1917 and continued until the ferries were discontinued.
It was replaced in 1919 by the Walter H. Evens, with a six-car capacity, which operated until 1932. The hours were listed as 5:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., except Mondays, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Saturdays it ran all night. (When I get to the Oregon Historical Society I'll replace these with better photos.) It was guided by a trolley with a cable running through and ran in reverse on the return trip.
The third ferry was The Burlington, which operated from 1932 to 1945. This wooden-hulled boat had its pilot house in the middle and a propeller at each end. An incident occurrred where a 35-ton crane was set incorrectly onto the deck and the ferry capsized (and was righted and in back in operation 11 hours later).
The last ferry was called The Sauvies Island and crossed the channel from 1945 to 1950. It was a steel ferry that carried 16 automobiles and averaged 200 trips a day.
According to The Story of Sauvies Island by Omar Spencer, before the county ferries were established, people traveled to and from the island by steamboat, towboats, and private ferries. Some of these were through-boats to Astoria, others carried a combination of passengers, freight and the occasional load of cattle.
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