Vischer Ferry, New York

Vischer Ferry is a hamlet in the town of Clifton Park in Saratoga County, New York, United States, along the Mohawk River.

History

Vischer Ferry is named for the family of Nicholas Vischer, who built a house beside the river in 1735.Jennifer Mapes, "Towpath village a step back in time," "The Community News" (Saratoga Springs, New York) [http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=6728445&BRD=1668&PAG=461&dept_id=7135&rfi=8 (online)] , 17 Jan 2003] At that time the Mohawk Valley was claimed by the Iroquois League and by the British Province of New York. The American Revolutionary War destroyed Iroquois settlements in the valley and established the State of New York.

The site became known as Vischer's Ferry after Nicholas Vischer's son, Eldert Vischer, built a rope-pull ferry in the mid- to late eighteenth century. By 1800 a tavern and store were located there. Construction of the Erie Canal by 1825 linked the Mohawk River to Lake Erie and brought more wagon traffic through the hamlet, but Vischer Ferry was not located on the canal.

As the canal declined in importance, Vischer Ferry became relatively isolated. A bridge built across the river at Vischer Ferry in 1900 was destroyed by ice in 1902. Later attempts to secure state funding for a bridge were unsuccessful. Because of its isolation, the village preserved much of its nineteenth-century Greek Revival character. In October 1975 the Vischer Ferry Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

A nearby concrete dam was completed in 1913 for hydroelectric use and to aid river navigation. The Vischer Ferry Dam, also known as Dam 3, is 30 feet high and 1,919 feet long. [ [http://findlakes.com/vischer_ferry_new-york~ny00170.htm "Vischer Ferry"] , FindLakes.com]

The Vischer Ferry Hotel, built in the 1790s, was destroyed by fire in 1946. This loss led to the formation of the community's first volunteer fire department. [John L. Scherer, [http://www.vffd.org/history.htm "Vischer Ferry Volunteer Fire Company Celebrates 50 Years"] , 1997.]

Construction of an Interstate 87 interchange on Vischer Ferry Road (County Road 90) in 1958-59 linked Vischer Ferry to the "Northway" between Albany and the Canadian border.

Recreation

The 600-acre Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve features a reconstructed 1862 Whipple truss bridge. [ [http://www.byways.org/explore/byways/57185/places/62397/ Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve website] ] In 2006 the reserve was designated a Bird Conservation Area. [New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, [http://www.dec.ny.gov/environmentdec/18817.html "Governor Designates Vischer Ferry Bird Conservation Area (BCA)"] , "Environment DEC" (December 2006).]

The Mohawk Towpath Byway passes through Vischer Ferry.

References