Fulton Ferry (ferry)

Last updated

The Union Ferry Company's ferryboat Farragut on the Fulton Ferry route, ca. 1900 Farragut (1871 ferry).jpg
The Union Ferry Company's ferryboat Farragut on the Fulton Ferry route, ca. 1900
Map from 1847 showing the route of the Fulton Ferry. 1847 Lower Manhattan map.jpg
Map from 1847 showing the route of the Fulton Ferry.

The Fulton Ferry was the first steam ferry route connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York City, United States, joining Fulton Street, Manhattan, and Fulton Street, Brooklyn, across the East River. It revolutionized travel between the then City of New York on Manhattan Island and the Village of Brooklyn and the rest of Long Island. Robert Fulton's steam Fulton Ferry Company in 1814 established his name on the ferry service. After the Brooklyn Bridge was built, ridership declined, and the ferry ceased operation on January 19, 1924. [1] NYC Ferry now serves a very similar route. [2]

Contents

Colonial era

The first grant for a commercial ferry was given by Dutch governor Willem Kieft to Cornelis Dircksen in 1642; however, local waterfront land-owners were free to make their own crossings of the river. [3] A ferry connecting Broad Street in what was then New Amsterdam with Joralemon Street in what was then Breukelen was started in the 1630s by lone ferryman Cornelis Dircksen. It was later moved to Maiden Lane and Ferry Road, soon to be called Fulton Street. [4] [5]

The ferry played a large role in cementing the Manhattan-Brooklyn rivalry. [6] Two charters – the first in 1686, the second in 1708 – gave to Manhattan ownership of the lines and essentially all of the Brooklyn waterfront. In 1745, Hendrick Remsen brought a lawsuit against New York; after thirty years, the Supreme Court ruled in his favor, awarding him his original five shillings plus court costs of nearly 2,375 shillings (475 times his original request). The city appealed to the crown, but America's declaration of independence threw the case into legal limbo, allowing the City of New York to retain its claim to the Brooklyn waterfront. [3]

The site was known as "Brookland Ferry" when George Washington escaped with his troops after the Battle of Long Island. [7] After the Revolutionary War, ferrymaster Adolph Waldron gained sole control of the ferry by virtue of being the only Whig with a claim to it. He experimented with barges with little success, although his hold on the ferry was very profitable for him. The City refused to renew his lease in 1789, opting instead for a second major charter in 1795, establishing the Catherine Ferry (or, popularly, the “New” Ferry), a stock-based company.

Steam ferry service

Robert Fulton, at the behest of Brooklyn magnate Hezekiah Pierrepont, secured a 25-year lease on the ferry in 1814. The first trip of the steamboat Nassau was made on May 10, 1814, and brought with it the first predictable passage between Brooklyn and Manhattan. [8] Trips took no longer than twelve minutes, and there was no chance of the ship being swept upstream or downstream, or held to the whims of the wind. [6] Brooklyn Heights became known as "America's First Suburb" as residents could commute to Manhattan with ease. [9]

On January 24, 1814, the Fulton Ferry Company, founded by Robert Fulton and William Cutting, obtained a lease on the route from the City of New York. The company introduced steamboat service to the route with the Nassau on May 8, 1814 (the first steam ferry service on the East River), and moved the Manhattan landing to Fulton Street that year. The ferry, which had been known popularly as the Old Ferry since 1795, when the Catherine Ferry (New Ferry) was introduced, became known as the Fulton Ferry, [10] and the streets on either side were later renamed in turn.[ citation needed ] The Fulton Ferry Company and the South Ferry Company merged in 1839 to form the New York and Brooklyn Union Ferry Company. [11]

The shareholders of the Union Ferry Company were mostly based in Manhattan; they tended to favor increased profits over improved service. (The stock paid a generous 7% dividend.) Fares started at four cents, which led to rival services at Red Hook and elsewhere. Union Ferry reduced its fare to one cent in stages between 1842 and 1850, bankrupting the competing lines and allowing Union Ferry to purchase their rights and raise rates once again. [6] American poet Walt Whitman frequently used the Fulton Ferry and was inspired by the experiences to write "Sun-Down Poem"in 1856, later renamed "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry". [12]

The original Fulton Ferry route continued to be successful until the 1883 opening of the Brooklyn Bridge crossing at almost the same point. Even after the bridge opened it continued to be well-patronized for many years; the Fulton Street Elevated Line terminated at the Brooklyn ferry landing when it opened in 1888 (and only began running some trains across the Brooklyn Bridge instead after 1898), [13] and ferries were also preferred by animal-hauled wagons and carts that had difficulty climbing the relatively steep bridge approaches. [14] : 252  With the opening of additional bridges and subway crossings of the river and the decline of animal traffic, patronage fell further. The ferry finally ceased operations in 1924; [14] : 229  some other East River routes that had been part of the Union Ferry Company lasted until 1942.

Similar modern ferry services

Ferry service from the Brooklyn Fulton Ferry Landing to Manhattan returned in 2002, [15] with service by New York Water Taxi, though with the Manhattan terminal at Wall Street rather than Fulton Street. Service became more frequent and regular in June 2011 when the route was taken over by New York Waterway as part of a longer route calling at six slips in Brooklyn and Queens as well as the Manhattan East Side terminals. [16] [17] [18] In 2017, this service became part of the NYC Ferry system's East River route. [19] [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn</span> Borough of New York City

Brooklyn is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, located on the westernmost edge of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most-densely-populated county in the United States, behind New York County (Manhattan). Brooklyn is also New York City's most populous borough, with 2,736,074 residents in 2020. If Brooklyn were an independent city, it would be the third most populous in the U.S. after the rest of New York City and Los Angeles, and ahead of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staten Island Ferry</span> Passenger ferry service in New York City

The Staten Island Ferry is a fare-free passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs 5.2 miles (8.4 km) through New York Harbor between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island, with ferry boats making the trip in about 25 minutes. The ferry operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with boats leaving every 15 to 20 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes at other times. It is the only direct mass-transit connection between the two boroughs. Historically, the Staten Island Ferry has charged a relatively low fare compared to other modes of transit in the area; and since 1997, the route has been fare-free. The Staten Island Ferry is one of several ferry systems in the New York City area and is operated separately from systems such as NYC Ferry and NY Waterway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Ferry (Manhattan)</span>

South Ferry is at the southern tip of Manhattan in New York City and is the embarkation point for ferries to Staten Island and Governors Island. Battery Park, abutting South Ferry on the west, has docking areas for ferries to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Its name is derived from the more southerly route of service of the historical South Ferry Company in comparison to the Fulton Ferry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumbo, Brooklyn</span> Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Dumbo is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The area used to be known as Gairville. It encompasses two sections: one located between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, which connect Brooklyn to Manhattan across the East River, and another that continues east from the Manhattan Bridge to the Vinegar Hill area. The neighborhood is bounded by Brooklyn Bridge Park to the north, the Brooklyn Bridge to the west, Brooklyn Heights to the south and Vinegar Hill to the east. Dumbo is part of Brooklyn Community Board 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NY Waterway</span> Ferry company

NY Waterway, or New York Waterway, is a private transportation company running ferry and bus service in the Port of New York and New Jersey and in the Hudson Valley. The company utilizes public-private partnership with agencies such as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New Jersey Transit, New York City Department of Transportation, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority to provide service and maintain docking facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulton Ferry, Brooklyn</span> United States historic place

Fulton Ferry is a small area adjacent to Dumbo in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is named for the Fulton Ferry, a prominent ferry line that crossed the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, and is also the name of the ferry slip on the Brooklyn side. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community District 2.

"Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" is a poem by Walt Whitman, and is part of his collection Leaves of Grass. It describes the ferry trip across the East River from Manhattan to Brooklyn at the exact location that was to become the Brooklyn Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Bridge Park</span> Public park in Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn Bridge Park is an 85-acre (34 ha) park on the Brooklyn side of the East River in New York City. Designed by landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the park is located on a 1.3-mile (2.1 km) plot of land from Atlantic Avenue in the south, under the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and past the Brooklyn Bridge, to Jay Street north of the Manhattan Bridge. From north to south, the park includes the preexisting Empire–Fulton Ferry and Main Street Parks; the historic Fulton Ferry Landing; and Piers 1–6, which contain various playgrounds and residential developments. The park also includes Empire Stores and the Tobacco Warehouse, two 19th-century structures, and is a part of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, a series of parks and bike paths around Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Ferry, Brooklyn</span> Former ferry landing in Brooklyn, New York

South Ferry was a ferry landing on the Brooklyn side of the East River, at the foot of Atlantic Avenue below the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. It is now Piers 5 and 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brooklyn Bridge trolleys</span> Former Brooklyn Bridge trolley lines

From 1898 to 1950, various companies operated local trolley lines over the Brooklyn Bridge, taking passengers from many points in Brooklyn and Queens, New York City, United States to the Park Row terminal in Lower Manhattan. These lines entered the bridge roadway from Fulton Street or Sands Street in Downtown Brooklyn, some of them using elevated trackage at the Sands Street elevated railway station.

The Union Ferry Company of Brooklyn, commonly known as the Union Ferry Company, was a ferry company operating routes across the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York City, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of transportation in New York City</span> Aspect of history

Transportation in New York City has ranged from strong Dutch authority in the 17th century, expansionism during the industrial era in the 19th century and half of the 20th century, to cronyism during the Robert Moses era. The shape of New York City's transportation system changed as the city did, and the result is an expansive modern-day system of industrial-era infrastructure. New York City, being the most populous city in the United States, has a transportation system which includes one of the largest subway systems in the world; the world's first mechanically ventilated vehicular tunnel; and an aerial tramway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East 34th Street Ferry Landing</span> Ferry terminal in Manhattan, New York

The East 34th Street Ferry Landing provides slips to ferries and excursion boats in the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is located on the East River in New York City east of the FDR Drive just north of East 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan. The facility, owned by the city, received Federal Highway Administration funding for improvements for docking facilities and upgrading the adjacent East River Greenway in 2008. A new terminal building was built and opened in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway (Brooklyn)</span> Avenue in Brooklyn, New York

Broadway is an avenue in the New York City borough of Brooklyn that extends from the East River in the neighborhood of Williamsburg in a southeasterly direction to East New York for a length of 4.32 miles (6.95 km). It was named for the Broadway in Manhattan. The East New York terminus is a complicated intersection with East New York Avenue, Fulton Street, Jamaica Avenue, and Alabama Avenue. The BMT Jamaica Line of the New York City Subway runs on elevated tracks over Broadway from the Williamsburg Bridge to East New York on its way to Queens. Broadway forms the boundary between the neighborhoods of Bushwick, which lies above Broadway to the northeast, and Bedford–Stuyvesant, which is to the southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East River Greenway</span> Esplanade in Manhattan, New York

The East River Greenway is an approximately 9.44-mile-long (15.19 km) foreshoreway for walking or cycling on the east side of the island of Manhattan on the East River. It is part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway. The largest portions are operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. It is separated from motor traffic, and many sections also separate pedestrians from cyclists. The greenway is parallel to the Franklin D. Roosevelt East River Drive for a majority of its length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pier 11/Wall Street</span> Ferry and excursion boat stop in Lower Manhattan

Pier 11/Wall Street is a pier providing slips to ferries and excursion boats on the East River in the Port of New York and New Jersey. It is located east of South Street and FDR Drive just south of Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The ferry terminal has five landings, each with two berths, and is used by four privately owned companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NYC Ferry</span> Ferry system in New York City

NYC Ferry is a public network of ferry routes in New York City operated by Hornblower Cruises. As of August 2021, there are six routes, as well as one seasonal route, connecting 25 ferry piers across all five boroughs. NYC Ferry has the largest passenger fleet in the United States with a total of 38 vessels, providing between 20 and 90 minute service on each of the routes, depending on the season. One additional route and one new pier are planned as of December 2021.

References

  1. ↑ Brian Cudahy, Over and Back, p229
  2. ↑ "Routes and Schedules: East River". NYC Ferry.
  3. 1 2 Everdell, William R. (1973). Rowboats to rapid transit: a history of Brooklyn Heights. Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Heights Association.
  4. ↑ Booth, Mary Louise (1859). History of the city of New York: from its earliest settlement to the present time. W.R.C. Clark & Meeker. p.  684 . Retrieved September 18, 2017– via Internet Archive.
  5. ↑ Valentine, D.T. (1853). "History of the City of New York". J.P. Putnam & Company. p. 31. Retrieved September 18, 2017– via Internet Archive.
  6. 1 2 3 Williams, Keith. "Fulton Ferry: a brief history". The Weekly Nabe. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Brookland Ferry Landing". City of New York Parks & Recreation. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  8. ↑ Roberts, Sam (December 29, 2014). "How a Ferry Ride Helped Make Brooklyn the Original Suburb". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Brooklyn Heights / South Brooklyn Neighborhoods". The South Brooklyn Network. Archived from the original on February 18, 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  10. ↑ Prime, Nathaniel Scudder (1845). A History of Long Island: from its first settlement by Europeans, to the year 1845. R. Carter. pp. 376–380.
  11. ↑ "History of South Ferry". Brooklyn Daily Eagle . Brooklyn, NY. August 22, 1886. p. 5.
  12. ↑ Oliver, Charles M. Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York City: Infobase Publishing, 2005: 64. ISBN   978-1-4381-0858-2
  13. ↑ Kahn, Alan Paul (1975). Brooklyn elevated railroads. New York, NY: Electric Railroads Association.
  14. 1 2 Cudahy, Brian J. (1990). Over and Back: The History of Ferryboats in New York Harbor. Fordham Univ Press. ISBN   9780823212453.
  15. ↑ O'Grady, Jim (September 29, 2002). "Neighborhood Report: Brooklyn Up Close; For a Waterfront Angel, an Honor in the Harbor". The New York Times. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  16. ↑ Grynbaum, Michael M. (February 1, 2011). "Ferries to Ply East River Far More Regularly Soon". The New York Times. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  17. ↑ Clark, Roger (June 1, 2011). "East River Ferry Service To Make A Splash". NY1. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  18. ↑ "East River Ferry". NY Waterway. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  19. ↑ Honan, Katie; Venugopal, Nikhita; Mays, Jeff (March 16, 2016). "Hornblower to Operate Citywide Ferry Service Launching in 2017, Mayor Says". DNAinfo New York. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  20. ↑ Rivoli, Dan (May 10, 2017). "NYC's newly opened ferry service already hit by constant delays". NY Daily News. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.