Farmer's Ferry

Farmer’s Ferry - the point where the ferry crossed the White River between Highland twp. And Jefferson twp.

For 124 years the Farmer’s Ferry was one of the most effective ways to cross the White River. The ferry had operated since 1865.

Farmer’s Ferry was the last operating ferry in Indiana. Farmers could use the ferry to transport cattle, hogs, or farm equipment to the other side of the river. Farmer’s Ferry was open to the public and free. It operated year-round, except when the river was frozen.

The ferry actually started operating in Owen County in the small town of Farmer, Indiana in 1865. However, in 1918 the river changed its course, and so the location was moved about one half mile south to the area across the county line in Worthington, Indiana. The new location was between Highland and Jefferson Townships.

There had been approximately ten ferries over the years all being built of wood until 1930, when the wooden barge was replaced with steel.

Farmer’s Ferry was originally powered by angling the boat by current and pole. In the later years the ferry was powered with an eight-horsepower outboard motor. As the ferry moved east along its cable, the barge was angled against the current. Crossing west, the ferry was allowed to be carried by the river current.

It was up to the ferry operator whether a person could cross the river or not. depending upon if the river was to low or to high; but rarely did this happen.

During the years of operating the ferry many accidents occurred - several cars, trucks, tractors, and grain wagons have sunk in the White River. But no fatalities were reported, just a great amount of wet property. some of those accounts been given are:

About 1918 Harold Mc Intosh and his father had taken two horse-drawn wagons full of grain across on the old wood ferry and when his father drove off the bank onto the ferry and the rear of the ferry started to sink from the wight of the horses and wagon, and he whistled the horses up right.
One man had the experience of sinking his truck twice - One ferryman had the distinction of sinking the same truck twice, his own! The first time it slipped off the ferry and the next time it rolled into the water from the bank.
Even someone’s cattle got too far to the edge and tipped the ferry. - Clyde Thompson rememebers his father dumping two loads of cattle in 1957 or 1958 because they were loaded to far to one side. They cattle swam saftely back to the bank and climbed out of the river.
In 1988 Kevin Thompson drove a tractor with sprayer tank and disc attached onto the ferry - the momentum of the tractor launched the ferry from its concrete landing pad. WHen the ferry stopped the dis was still on the concrete pad, the spray tank was on the river bottom and the tractor was on the rear of the ferry sumerged and rest pointing skyward.

While the ferry was owned by the county it was open year round except when the river froze and the public rode for free.

In July 1989 the county commissioners decided it to sell it. Citing that the expenses of maintianing the craft and paying someone to pilot it back and forth across the river ran from #10,000 to 15,000 a year. Besides the rising insurance cost and falling use of the ferry.

The ferry was also billed in tourist brochures as the only operating ferry in Indiana. In 1989 it still had some alure as people travelled down the narrow gravel road off of Indiana 67 to the river for a picinic and a peek at a disappearing way of life. Clyde W. Thompson made the remark: "This is the busiest road you ever seen to go nowhere."

During those years many men have had the pleasure of perating the ferry: Fred Ooley; Clovis, Lorin & John Ooley; Bob & William F. Ooley; Nat Horn; Eddie Marshall; Bib Dyer; Bernard Calvert; Tom Mundell; Luther Buskirk; Taylor & Clark Greene; Jim Lester; Kelley Harmon; Jud Britton; Rscoe Calvert; Bill Stalcup; Bills Walls; Herbert Gillispie; Jesse Burton; & Dave Buskirk.

The Farmer’s Ferry era ended early in 1989 with the sale of the ferry to private owners. Carter M. Fortune from Indianapolis bought the ferry for his 1,200-acre farm and will use it to move farm equipment and supplies to and from the farm. Tho purchase price was not released Fortune stated: "the commissioners pretty much gave it to me for salvage."

He plans to maintain the tadition of the Farmers Ferry and keep the boat in top condition. But the public will not be able to use the ferry because of insurance constraints.

Mr. Fortune bought the "Flying T Ranch" from the Clyde W. Thompson family.

County Coordinator

since 28 Nov. 2003

Indiana Counties List

If you would like to adopt a county in Indiana, contact
-
IN State Coordinator