Sabula Ferry Boats

DORMAN, ELDRIDGE, OSWALD, HODSON, KIMBALL, MARSDEN, WOLLWEEVER

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 12/8/2007 at 14:42:47

SABULA, "IOWA'S ONLY ISLAND CITY", 1835-1985.

FERRY BOATS
Sabula's nearest neighbor is Savanna, directly east across the Mississippi, a distance of about two miles. From earliest pioneer days there has been some means of getting back and forth across the river.

Probably the earliest ferry was the scow operated by Isaac Dorman in 1837. It was a flat boat propelled by poles or oars.

Bear in mind the river was much narrower and less deep in those early days before the dams were put in to raise the water level, except of course, in times of spring flooding.

By 1850 Wade Eldridge had a horse ferry in operation. It was a large barge like affair with a center shaft, one end attached to a paddle wheel and the horse hitched to the other. As the horse moved back and forth, the gears controlling the shaft caused the paddle wheel to turn and put the boat in motion. Such a boat could accomodate up to six wagons and horses and a dozen persons.

In 1859 a steam ferry was put in operation by Jacob Oswald and Mathew Hodson. Technical difficulties caused it to be discontinued. And then Captain Kimball of East Dubuque brought his horse ferry to Sabula and hired Captain Sam Marsden to run it and a little later John Woolweever.

In 1895, Thomas Lambert and J. L. Kimball had a steam ferry built, called the "Midget", which was in service for ten or twelve years when it was sold to H. H. Leonard. He dismantled it and had a fine sternwheeler built for traffic between the two towns. The boat was far too large for the business and costly to operate so it was sold to an excursion boat company and in its place, Leonard put in service a gasoline launch called the "Hiawatha". He operated it a few years then sold it to G. L. Manning, who in turn sold it to George and Walter Whitney in 1908. The ferry consisted of a small barge 12 x 20 feet long pushed by the "Hiawatha". At the time there were very few automobiles and the ferry business consisted of mostly teams and passengers.

A year later the Whitney brothers built a larger barge and purchased the "Irene D". The smaller boat was used to tow logs and lumber to the Box Company in Clinton. By 1911 both ferries carried passengers to Clinton and Savanna as well as freight.

In 1916 the two brothers dissolved partnership and George Whitney bought his brother's interest in the business. That same year he built a new boat, the "Lola May". The boat contained a pilot house and an enclosed cabin for passengers. The boat was in service between Savanna and Sabula night and day. More people were using the ferry as many people were employed by the railroad of which Savanna was then the terminal.

With so many cars, people were venturing further distances. The ferry was considered part of Highway 117. Ellen Gage, a Sabula girl, had the honor of being the contest winner for designating the highway as "BeeLine-Shortest Route between Cedar Rapids and Chicago".

By 1928 a larger boat was needed and the "Iona Pearl" was built. It was similar to the "Leola May" except considerably larger and boasted an upper deck. The boats were named for the two Whitney daughters. Mrs. Whitney was a licensed pilot and often assisted her husband. Their son Howard received his river pilot's license in 1928 and he took his turn at running the boat.

The ferry operated on a regular schedule seven days a week and the hours were long. The season opened as soon as the ice went out of the river in the spring and continued until the river froze over in the winter. The cabin was heated so the passengers were comfortable in cold weather. In 1932 when the Savanna-Sabula Bridge was nearing completion, the "Iona Pearl" made her last trip to Savanna. Mr. Whitney had been offered a position as toll taker on the new bridge, but the life of a river pilot was too strong.

He loaded all of his possessions on his ferry and with his family started southward to Louisiana with the first snow storm of the winter. Here he operated his ferry until his death. His wife and sons still live there.