Chester - Hadlyme Ferry

Infobox Ferry route
name = Chester - Hadlyme Ferry
nativename =

logosize =

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imagesize =
caption = Chester - Hadlyme Ferry after closing time
crosses = Connecticut River
route =
line =
carries =
locale = Chester, Connecticut to the village of Hadlyme from
coord|41.419272|N|72.433142|W|display=inline to
coord|41.420152|N|72.428622|W|display=inline
quays =
operator = Connecticut State Ferry Service
authority = Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT)
ferries = Seldan III
ferrytype =
traveltime =
headway =
frequency = as needed
ridershipyear =
ridershipday =
vehiclesyear =
vehiclesday = 100
length =
opened = 1769
closed =
closes =
predecessor =
successor =

The Chester - Hadlyme Ferry is a seasonal ferry crossing the Connecticut River between the town of Chester, Connecticut and the village of Hadlyme (in the town of Lyme, Connecticut). It is the second oldest continuously operating ferry service in the United States and is a designated state historical landmark. The ferry is part of the scenic portion of Route 148 and provides a convenient link between two of Connecticut's tourist attractions: Gillette Castle State Park in Hadlyme and the Essex Steam Train, which runs between Essex and Chester.

Operations

The Chester - Hadlyme Ferry operates during the daytime between April 1st and November 30th. [http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=1380&Q=259724&dotPNavCtr Connecticut Department of Transportation: Chester-Hadlyme Ferry] ] The toll for cars is $3 while for cyclists & pedestrians it is $1. The current ferry boat is called "Seldan III", measuring 65 feet by 30 feet, and can accommodate 8 to 9 cars and 49 passengers. The crossing usually takes about five minutes. An average of 100 vehicles use the ferry every day. [cite web | url = http://www.ct.gov/dot/LIB/dot/Documents/dpolicy/traflog/traflog.pdf#page=127 | title = 2005 Traffic Volumes State Maintained Highway Network (Traffic Log) | accessdate = 2007-01-11 | format = PDF | publisher = State of Connecticut Department of Transportation | pages = p.127]

History

Jonathan Warner of Chester, who owned land on both sides of the river, started a ferry service in 1769. It was then known as Warner's Ferry and utilized a raft propelled using a nail and long poles. Warner's Ferry was the seventh ferry that was established in the Lower Connecticut River Valley. [G.S. Roberts, "Historic Towns of the Connecticut River Valley", (Robson & Adee, Schenectady, 1906), p.127] The ferry was often used throughout the American Revolution to transport supplies across the Connecticut River.

Between 1834 and 1846, Warner's Ferry became the terminus for two turnpikes – the Hadlyme Turnpike and the Chester and North Killingworth Second Turnpike – both chartered with the hope of creating a direct, straight-line route between New Haven and Norwich. [F.J. Wood, "The Turnpikes of New England", (Marshall Jones, Boston, 1919), p.405-406]

In 1877, Warner's Ferry came under the supervision of the Town of Chester. Soon after this, a steam-powered barge was put in service and the ferry was renamed the Chester-Hadlyme Ferry. The Connecticut Department of Transportation took over operations in 1917 when the State Legislature passed laws assigning all river crossings to the Highway Department in 1915. [ [http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?A=1380&Q=259692 History of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Chpater 1] ]

References

See also

*List of crossings of the Connecticut River
*Rocky Hill - Glastonbury Ferry - the oldest continuously operating ferry service in the U.S.

External links

* [http://ct.gov/cct/cwp/view.asp?A=2194&Q=274258 Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism] - Pictures of the ferry
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_7IlmZ2lhw Video of the ferry crossing]

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Connecticut River
bridge = Chester - Hadlyme Ferry
bridge signs =

upstream = East Haddam Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = Baldwin Bridge
downstream signs =