Cave-In-Rock Ferry

The Cave-In-Rock Ferry is one of four passenger ferry services that cross the Ohio River into the U.S. state of Kentucky. It connects Illinois Route 1 in Cave-In-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois to Kentucky Route 91, 10.6 miles north of Marion, Kentucky. It is the only public river crossing available between the Brookport Bridge at Paducah, Kentucky and the Shawneetown Bridge at Old Shawneetown, Illinois.

Cave-In-Rock Ferry
Locale IL 1 in Cave-In-Rock, Hardin County, Illinois and KY 91 in Crittenden County, Kentucky
WaterwayOhio River
Transit typePassenger/automobile ferry
OperatorKentucky Transportation Cabinet

Illinois Department of Transportation

Lonnie Lewis (ferry boat owner)
Began operation1803[1]
No. of lines1
No. of vessels1
No. of terminals2

History

In October 1829, the county court of Livingston County, Kentucky granted James Ford a franchise to operate a ferry.[2]

Since 1994, Lonnie Lewis of Lonnie Lewis Inc., doing business as Cave in Rock Ferry Company, has operated the ferry.[3][4] Operation is jointly funded by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).[3]

The Loni Jo is the current vessel that traverses the river.[5] As of July 2022, 500 vehicles cross daily.[3] The ferry operates 16 hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.[3]

Commuters use the ferry to avoid the approximately 35-mile detour to the nearest bridge in Shawneetown.[4] The ferry is a tourist attraction that connects the Shawnee National Forest and Cave-In-Rock in Illinois and Amish country in Crittenden County, Kentucky.[6] Farmers use the service to transport tractors and agricultural equipment.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. Mary Thomas Layton (December 1, 2014). "Cave-In-Rock Ferry". The Southern Illinoisan. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  2. "Hardin Co, IL ferry history - McFarlan family". Hardin County Independent. 1939-06-29. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  3. Byrne, Shelley (2022-07-11). "Cave-In-Rock Ferry Again Continues Ohio River Service After Last-Minute Deal". The Waterways Journal. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  4. Pensoneau, Liz (1998-09-01). "Our Natural Resources: News Briefs". www.lib.niu.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  5. Payne, Aaron (2022-09-20). "Once numerous, the few remaining ferry boats on the Ohio River carry on". WOUB Public Media. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  6. Byrne, Shelley (2020-06-26). "Contract Dispute Could Disrupt Cave-In-Rock Ferry Service". The Waterways Journal. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  7. "This summer's temporary ferry at Shawneetown is reminder of region's rich history". The Gleaner. 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
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