Ferries

Ferries. . , River Fording , In the early days of European settlement of western Pennsylvania, fording was the primary way to cross the river. This was only possible in certain locations and times of the year due to changing water levels., As the area became more populated, ferries were established at convenient transportation points. It started with canoes transporting people, and then the addition of flatboats on which horses, wagons and their loads could be transported. Generally they were wide enough for one vehicle with room for the ferrymen to be able to work alongside and pole the ferry across the river. The earliest ferry across the Monongahela River of any record was at Pittsburgh near the fort in the late 1750s., In the early nineteenth century, following the addition of the lock and dam system, ferries and bridges became the only means of crossing the river as the water was now at a steady level. A popular method of ferrying was to stretch a rope through pulleys on short upright posts across the river. The ferry hands then pull the flatboat to the other side of the river., There were several of this type of ferry system operating all along the Monongahela River. Some of the towns along the river were named for the ferry owner. In 1876, ferries crossing the river in Greene County included:, . Hughes Ferry at Rices Landing , . Davidsons Ferry near Rices Landing , . Flennikens Ferry near the mouth of Muddy Creek , . Browns Ferry in Cumberland Township , . McCann's Ferry near the mouth of Little Whiteley Creek , . Hatfields Ferry in Monongahela Township , . Ross Ferry at the mouth of Big Whiteley Creek , . Grays Ferry in Monongahela Township , . A. J. Neils Ferry near Greensboro , . Greensboro Ferry at Greensboro , . Dilliners Ferry north of Dunkard Creek , . Dilliners Upper Ferry near the mouth of Cheat River, The first bridge built over the Monongahela River was at Smithfield Street and was known as the Monongahela Bridge. It was a covered bridge built entirely of wood on stone pillars and was completed in 1818. During the Civil War, there were only four bridges on the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh to Brownsville., Arensburg Ferry , The Arensburg Ferry was located near Crucible and operated under many names depending on the ownership of the ferry. It was put into operation in 1814. One of the early owners was a Mr. Davidson and the road leading from the mine office to the ferry was referred to as Davidson Road. Other owners were Nathan McClellan and Larry Arensburg., Mr. Arensburg owned the ferry at the time the Crucible Coal Company began developing the mine in 1911. The company bought the ferry from Mr. Arensburg and used it to haul the heavy equipment across the river as railroad tracks had not yet been laid on the Greene County side. The ferry was pulled across the river by hand. A steam engine was later installed to make hauling the heavy equipment easier., The coal company owned the ferry until 1916 when it was purchased by Edmond Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell built a house on the hill above the ferry. His niece, Margaret, came to live with her aunt and uncle in 1918. She took over running the ferry in 1952 and continued to operate it until it was closed in 1975. At the time it closed, the ferry was a steel hulled diesel cable ferry built by Hillman Barge., The unused ferry sat alongside the shore about 50 feet from where it used to operate. During the 1985 flood, it broke lose and drifted down river about 100 yards to sink. It was eventually pulled out years later and sold for scrap., (Captions):, 1910 photograph taken on the Monongahela River. , Greene County Historical Society Library, Photograph taken on the ferry near Rices Landing. , Greene County Historical Society Library, Margaret Mitchell at the controls of the Arensburg Ferry.