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Show Utah State ~ istoricaSl ociety 300 Rio Grande Salt Lake City. lTT 84101 ( 801) 533- 3500 FAX ( 801) 533- 3503 Alhandra Ferry Was a Key Link in Uintah County's Transportation System THE ALHANDRA FERRY AND STAGE STOP SOUTH OF JENSEN, Uintah county, Were constructed in 1905 by the Uintah Railway as part of a toll- road connecting the populace of the Uinta Basin with the railroad at Watson, Utah. Residents traveled by stagecoach ( later by automobile) along the road from Vernal to the Alhandra ferry. From the ferry they passed two additional toll stops, known as Kennedy Hole and Ignacio, prior to connecting with the Uintah Railway terminal at Watson some 55 miles southeast of Vernal. The railroad continued on through Dragon, Utah, over the Book Cliff Mountains to Mack, Colorado. The train to Mack gave travelers a never- to- be- forgotten ride over 8,437- foot Baxter Pass with mile after mile of 7.5 percent grades and 65- degree curves through the Book Cliffs. At Mack one wuld connect with the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and go to Denver or Salt Lake City. This system of stage, ferry, and rail became the fastest and most reliable form of transport for both people and freight entering or leaving the Uinta Basin. It greatly accelerated the settling of some parts of the Basin. The speed and reliability of the system- except in the worst winter weather- made it the Basin's primary economic artery and connected remote towns with the major economic centers of Denver and Salt Lake City and beyond. The ferry consisted of a built- up landing crib on each side of the Green River, a cable stretched across the river, and a " dead- man" on either side to hold the cable. The ferryboat was approximately 60 by 20 feet and could carry up to 200 sheep or two wagons and a four- horse team. The stage stop included several buildings, none of which is extant. The largest structure served as a boarding house and living quarters for the ferryman and his family. Other buildings included a root cellar, a bunkhouse, a livestock shelter, and a storehouse for grain. Here travelers wuld refresh themselves and horses could be watered and fed before continuing their journey. The stagecoach line from Vernal to the Alhandra ferry may have been one of the last stage routes to operate in the United States. As a method of transportation it was well suited to the rugged terrain of the desert country that it crossed. As automobiles and trucks gradually became more common in Utah they replaced stagecoaches and freight wagons, and the state's system of roads was gradually upgraded. The ferry operated until 1919. It was one of five known femes that crossed the Green River in northeastern Utah. Although slower than the bridge that replaced it, the Alhandra ferry sewed Basin residents well as a safe and reliable method of river crossing- far superior to fording the river, particularly during high water. The ferry carried livestock, agricultural produce, wagons ( more) loaded with freight items, the U. S. Mail, numerous travelers, and even the bricks that were used to build the old Bank of Vernal ( the so- called Parcel Post Bank). The completion of the bridge at Jensen, coupled with the development of the internal combustion engine, heralded the end of the Alhandra ferry. Later generations of travelers in eastern Utah can cross the Green River at highway speeds without ever giving a thought to the past difficulties, hazards, and adventure of river crossing. See the Alhandra Ferry and Stage Stop National Register of Historic Places Inventory- Nomination Form in the Utah State Historical Society Library fifes and George E. Long, " Rails over Baxter Pass," Beehiw History 25 ( 1989). Please note: the ferry and stage stop ~ lreno t listed in the National Register; little remains at the site. THE HLSTORBYL AZERi s prduced by the Utah State Historical Society and funded in part by a grant from the Utah Statehood Centennial Commission. For more information about the Historical Society telephone 533- 3500. 951209 ( MBM) |
