Boones Ferry
Encyclopedia
Boones Ferry was a cable ferry
which crossed the Willamette River
near present day Wilsonville, Oregon
, USA, from 1847 to 1954. It was part of a major land-based thoroughfare in pioneer times linking fledging Portland
with the pre-territorial government at Champoeg
, and later Salem
. It was eventually made obsolete by the Boone Bridge on Interstate 5
.
(grandson of Daniel Boone
) who, in 1846, claimed
1000 acres (4 km²)
on and around present day Charbonneau
which was on the main road between Oregon City
and present day Butteville
.
The family cleared a path and laid a split log roadway north to Portland
and south toward Salem
. The ferry was propelled by oarsmen from the nearby Tuality Indian tribe. Alphonso was adamant about operating the ferry 24 hours a day, which might have been related to a widespread illicit moonshine
industry along the new road.
When word of the California gold rush
reached the area in 1848, Alphonso and his sons headed south. Alphonso died either February 1, 1850 or February 27, 1850
in the gold fields of a miner's disease, but his sons returned with their fortunes. Initially Alphonso, Jr. operated the ferry, but soon sold it to his brother Jesse, who operated it until his death in 1872 at the hand of a neighbor over a river access dispute. Afterward, the ferry was owned and operated by several people for a few years, before it passed to Clackamas County. By the early 1900s, the State of Oregon controlled it.
Shortly after the establishment of Boones Ferry, the community of Boones Landing was established and quickly grew. It was the precursor of Wilsonville
.
The completion of the Baldock Freeway Bridge (now Boone Bridge) in 1954 resulted in decommissioning the ferry, which made up to 300 trips per day, carrying up to 12 autos at a time.
Many sections of the road are still in use and named Boones Ferry Road, which closely parallels contemporary Interstate 5
.
Today, at the end of one of the road fragments on the north shore is Boones Ferry Park in Wilsonville located where one terminal was; the south shore has a marina with a boat ramp in approximately the historical location of the other terminal. The ferry crossing site is about 2000 ft (600 m) west of I-5 and is visible from the southbound lanes of the Boone Bridge.
Cable ferry
A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....
which crossed the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
near present day Wilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...
, USA, from 1847 to 1954. It was part of a major land-based thoroughfare in pioneer times linking fledging Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
with the pre-territorial government at Champoeg
Champoeg, Oregon
Champoeg is a former town in the U.S. state of Oregon. Now a ghost town, it was an important settlement in the Willamette Valley in the early 1840s. It is positioned halfway between Oregon City and Salem and the site of the first provisional government of the Oregon Country...
, and later Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. It was eventually made obsolete by the Boone Bridge on Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
.
History
The ferry was built by the family of Alphonso BooneAlphonso Boone
Alphonso Boone was an American pioneer in what became the state of Oregon. A native of Kentucky, he was the grandson of Daniel Boone, and lived much of his life in Missouri...
(grandson of Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
) who, in 1846, claimed
Donation Land Claim Act
The Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 was a statute enacted by the United States Congress intended to promote homestead settlement in the Oregon Territory in the Pacific Northwest...
1000 acres (4 km²)
on and around present day Charbonneau
Charbonneau, Oregon
Charbonneau is a private planned community within the city limits of Wilsonville in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States...
which was on the main road between Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
and present day Butteville
Butteville, Oregon
Butteville is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Oregon, United States. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Butteville as a census-designated place . The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with...
.
The family cleared a path and laid a split log roadway north to Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and south toward Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. The ferry was propelled by oarsmen from the nearby Tuality Indian tribe. Alphonso was adamant about operating the ferry 24 hours a day, which might have been related to a widespread illicit moonshine
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
industry along the new road.
When word of the California gold rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
reached the area in 1848, Alphonso and his sons headed south. Alphonso died either February 1, 1850 or February 27, 1850
in the gold fields of a miner's disease, but his sons returned with their fortunes. Initially Alphonso, Jr. operated the ferry, but soon sold it to his brother Jesse, who operated it until his death in 1872 at the hand of a neighbor over a river access dispute. Afterward, the ferry was owned and operated by several people for a few years, before it passed to Clackamas County. By the early 1900s, the State of Oregon controlled it.
Shortly after the establishment of Boones Ferry, the community of Boones Landing was established and quickly grew. It was the precursor of Wilsonville
Wilsonville, Oregon
Wilsonville is a city primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. A portion of the northern section of the city is in Washington County. Originally founded as Boones Landing due to the Boones Ferry which crossed the Willamette River at the location, the community became Wilsonville in...
.
The completion of the Baldock Freeway Bridge (now Boone Bridge) in 1954 resulted in decommissioning the ferry, which made up to 300 trips per day, carrying up to 12 autos at a time.
Many sections of the road are still in use and named Boones Ferry Road, which closely parallels contemporary Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
.
Today, at the end of one of the road fragments on the north shore is Boones Ferry Park in Wilsonville located where one terminal was; the south shore has a marina with a boat ramp in approximately the historical location of the other terminal. The ferry crossing site is about 2000 ft (600 m) west of I-5 and is visible from the southbound lanes of the Boone Bridge.
Existing ferries across the Willamette
- Canby Ferry
- Buena Vista Ferry
- Wheatland FerryWheatland FerryThe Wheatland Ferry is a cable ferry that connects Marion County and Yamhill County across the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The ferry travels approximately 580 feet across the river, depending on the height of the river, and is powered by two electric motors connected to an...
Historic ferries across the Willamette
- Stark Street Ferry in Portland
- Taylors Ferry in Portland
External links
- Oregon Historical Society photo The Jesse V. Boone crossing the Willamette River in 1939
- Oregon State Library photo 1930s crossing