In 1804 Joseph Lyon, of Elizabethport, leased the ferry and moved the
landing and stairs about midway between Grand and York streets, the
slip opening diagonally up the river. There were two row-boats with
two oarsmen each and extra oars for the passengers to use if they
were in haste to cross, and two periaugers. In 1805 the Associates
built a new tavern of brick, known as the Hudson House. It is still
standing on Grand near Hudson street, and is part of the Colgate Soap
works. Between this hotel and the ferry landing was a semi-circular
plot around which the stages would run to unload their passengers. In
the center of this plot was a willow tree which was sometimes used as
a whipping post. Winfield tells that as late as 1814 a white-headed
old man here received thirty-two lashes. The newspapers of the day
advertised over twenty daily stage lines, besides the irregular stages,
communicating with all parts of the state, and farmers wagons, even
from Pennsylvania, brought produce to New York by way of this ferry.
Horses and wagons were lifted on to the sail boats, but the ferriage
was so expensive that in general the produce and freight was put upon
the boats and the teams and wagons left in the stables of the Hudson
House. The ferry site has been frequently changed. Its second removal
was to the foot of York street; on April 1st, 1839, it was changed to
the corner of Montgomery and Hudson streets; in 1856 the block east of
Hudson street was filled in and the landing was changed to its present
location.
In the fall of 1809 several Newark gentlemen subscribed $50,000 to
start steam ferryboats, and Fulton was asked to construct such a boat
as he would consider suitable for the purpose. In March, 1811, they
obtained the lease of the ferry and the right of landing on the New
York side. Two boats were built by Charles Brown, a noted ship-builder
of New York, who had built the Clermont in 1807 for Fulton, and whose
shipyard was on East river near Fourth and Sixth streets. They were
eighty feet in length and thirty feet in width. The boats were named
the Jersey and the York. The Jersey was the first boat finished and
began her regular trips on July 17th, 1812. A passenger on its first
day wrote to the "Centinel of Freedom," "I crossed the North river
yesterday in the steamboat with my family in my carriage, without
alighting therefrom, in fourteen minutes, with an immense crowd of
passengers. I cannot express to you how much the public mind appeared
to be gratified at finding so large and so safe a machine going so
well. On both shores were thousands of people viewing this pleasing
object." There was a grand entertainment to celebrate the occasion
given at Lyons Tavern, to the Mayor and Common Council of New York and
others.
I give Fulton's description of the boats as quoted by Winfield in
his History of Hudson County: "She is built of two boats, each ten
feet beam, 80 feet long and five feet deep in the hold; which boats
are distant from each other ten feet, confined by strong transverse
beam knees and diagonal traces, forming a deck thirty feet wide and
eighty feet long. The propelling water wheel is placed between the
boats to prevent it from injury from ice and shocks on entering or
approaching the dock. The whole of the machinery being placed between
the two boats leaves ten feet on the deck of each boat for carriages,
horses and cattle, etc.; the other having neat benches and covered with
an awning, is for passengers, and there is also a passage and stairway
to a neat cabin, which is fifty feet long and five feet clear from the
floor to the beams, furnished with benches and provided with a stove in
the winter. Although the two boats and space between them give thirty
feet beam, yet they present sharp bows to the water and have only the
resistance in the water of one boat of twenty feet beam. Both ends
being alike and each having a rudder she never puts about.
[Illustration: THE PLAN OF THE JERSEY.]
"The dock is one hundred and eighty feet long and seventy feet wide,
the bridge is fastened to the middle of the bulkhead. The boat being
only thirty feet wide and the dock seventy, leaves twenty feet vacant
on each of her sides; in each of these twenty feet spans and in the
water are floating stages, made of pine logs, which lie favorably to
the boat for thirty feet, and these run diagonally to the extreme end
of the wharves, so that the boat when coming in hits within the seventy
feet and the stages guide her direct to the bridge."
In 1813 the York, built on the model of the Jersey, was completed and
placed on the ferry. It is said that "they ordinarily took an hour
and a half to make a trip." They started at sunrise from each side
of the river and ran all day, every half hour, by "St. Paul's Church
clock." The fares were collected on the boat during the passage over.
The Jersey was in service for many years and finally being condemned,
was broken up and sold to Mr. Isaac Edge, who built a stable from its
planks and beams. From a portion of this wood two canes were made,
which are still treasured in the Edge family.
The Ferry Company had a very unfortunate experience; they sank all of
their capital and in 1824 were obliged to assign their lease to Francis
B. Ogden, Cadawalder D. Colden, and Samuel Swartout, who secured a new
lease for fifteen years and six months from November 1st, 1825. They
were to provide two good steamboats, but were afterwards permitted to
use a team-boat in place of one. They were also to provide row boats.
They bought and placed on the ferry the Washington. Within a year
Messrs. Ogden and Swartout transferred their interest to Mr. Colden;
he failed to make it remunerative and surrendered the lease to the
owners, "the Associates of the Jersey Company." January 1st, 1831, they
leased it to the New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company. By
renewals the lease was continued until 1853, when the Railroad bought
up the stock of the Associates and became the owners of the ferry. The
first night boat was put on in June, 1835. The line to the foot of
Desbrosses street was started in 1862. These ferries were transferred
to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1871. Among the various schemes
to secure patronage for the ferry by bringing people from New York,
was the erection in 1825 of a large amphitheatre on the south side of
Sussex street, between Hudson and Green streets, on land leased from
Mr. Drayton, Sr. For about two months large numbers, mostly from New
York, gathered here on Fridays to witness the fighting of bulls, bears,
buffaloes and dogs.
[Illustration: THE EDGE WINDMILL.]