John G. Johnson advertises his new ferry to Vevay, in 1824.
from the June 11, 1824 issue of Vevay's Indiana Reveille.
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Ferry and Wharf, Ghent |
Ghent Wharf
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The Eva Everett,
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| The Paducah Sun, on June 22, 1903,
reported that the wharf boat at Ghent was built on the hull of the first steamer named the Hite. |
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Car drives off the Eva Everett in 1916, story here. |
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The Findlay (Ohio) Jeffersonian, April 12, 1878
On the Indiana side, looking toward Ghent
Ghent ferry
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The Robert T. Graham, built in |
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| The W. M. Craig, thought to be a passenger ferry to Vevay. From a Facebook post by Don Sanders |
Elephants boarding the Robert T. Graham
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“While I was working for Madison Finance Co., two circus people, a man and wife, secured from us a loan of $300 to move their circus then stranded at Ghent, Ky. There had been a lot of rain and attendance was poor. I'm wondering, of course, whether the elephants in the picture belonged to that outfit.” from Alene Stottlebower, Madison, Ind. from 1964. |
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The Ghent ferry Robert T. Graham coming up U. S. 42 near the Virginius T. Craig farm (later Albert G. Craig farm) during the 1937 flood. The ferry picked up cattle on the Craig and Gex farms and carried them to higher land. Thanks, to Bill Davis for this one. |
| The ferry picked up other livestock as well. |
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The Martha A. Graham. |
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The story of the Martha A. Graham
The two boys on the shore: Harold Scott, left and Mike Wood.
Ghent's Miss Juanita Graham becomes the first woman to get her river pilot's license, details here.
A few more words on Captain Jack Graham are here.
The Rowena
Confederate guerillas attempt to commandeer the steamer Rowena in Ghent, 1864
| “Vevay, Ind., February 15. – The ferryboat Eva Everett, plying between here and Ghent, Ky., sank this morning. Everett Graham, sleeping on the boat, escaped. The boat will be raised.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, February 14, 1911 | “Madison, Ind., January 24.- The ferry boat at Vevay, known as the Eva Everett, was sunk by the storm last Saturday night; also a barge and 1,300 bushels of coal belonging to R. McKim & Co. The ferry plied between Vevay and Ghent, Ky., and was owned by R.T. Graham.” Indianapolis News, January 24, 1898 |
| “Vevay and Ghent. - In a short time we will have a steam ferry boat plying between this place and Ghent, Ky., This speaks well for our place, and for the energy of our townsman, T. W. Graham, who is ever awake to the interests of the public - as well as for the benefit of his own pocket. It will pay, Capt. Graham says.” Vevay's Weekly Reveille, December 29, 1853 | |
| “The steam ferry is now plying between Vevay and Ghent.”- from Vevay's Indiana Reveille, April 30, 1856 | 1908 Tobacco boycott drives tenant farmers to Indiana, here. |
| “Ghent, Ky., April 25. – The steam tug Quickstep, which was built and is owned by Captain Oliver Tyson, was sold and delivered to Carrollton parties yesterday. She is unique, as she has a 28 inch wheel, while the hull only draws 12 inches of water. Captain Tyson contemplates building another soon which will develop high speed.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, April 26, 1899 | |
| “Local Inspectors of Steam Vessels Dameron and Fearn yesterday morning made an inspection of the ferry Daisy, at Covington. Today, they will make the first inspection of the new ferry Quickstep, at Ghent, Ky.” From the Cincinnati Enquirer, September 1, 1898 | |
| In 1807 Jean Jaques Dufour, one of Vevay's founding fathers, established the first ferry link to Vevay with a landing at Ghent. About 1838, the ferry came under the ownership of the Timothy Graham Family. | |
| “Fugitive Slave Case - Early yesterday (Wednesday) morning, Franklin Dufour arrested a fugitive slave and lodged him in the county jail, to await the arrival of his master. He says his name is Harrison, and that his Master lives near Carrollton, Ky.” Vevay Weekly Reveille, August 25, 1853 | |
| “The Kentucky Ku Klux have attempted to bulldoze Mr. Dufour, of Indiana, who owns the ferry between Vevay, Ind., and Ghent, Ky. He brought suit to recover from them damages and they are now threatening him with death.” Finley (Ohio) Jeffersonian, April 12, 1878 | |
| “Two of the most clever and accommodating gentlemen to be found anywhere are the Graham brothers who operate the steam ferry Eva Everett between Ghent and Vevay. Capt. Jack Graham pilots the boat and Capt. Everett Graham entertains the passengers and looks after the cabin. Both are pleasant gentlemen and being experienced river men assure the travelers of a safe and speedy trip across the Ohio.” from the Warsaw Independent, May 20, 1905 | “Oliver Tyson has just finished a neat little gasoline launch for Capt. John L. Graham and brother Everett Graham. The boat is about twenty feet long and five feet beam and was launched Tuesday, It is being fitted out with a good gasoline engine and the Graham Bros. expect to make the trip in the boat to St. Louis about Sept. 20th to attend the world's fair, and are now making preparations for a pleasant journey.” from the Warsaw Independent, July 3, 1904. |
| The charter of the Ghent Ferry was amended in 1878. | |
The First Auto to Cross the Ohio River on Ice,
Between Ghent and Vevay, Jan 1, 1918
As steamers aged, a common practice was to strip them of their mechanicals, and convert the hulls into a wharf boats. This is the B. S. Rhea, the hull of which would be used for a period of time as the Ghent wharf boat. |
New Orleans Commercial Bulletin, July 4, 1844
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| The Martha A. Graham, unknown date |
Ghent Ferry, August 23, 1952 |
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The Ghent Ferry, 1975 |
The Vevay Ferry |
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Looking from Ghent toward Vevay |
An Icy River at Ghent | Flood at Ghent, 1907 |
Caroline Williams sketched the Ghent ferry in 1963.
...and a septet from Vevay
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| The City of Vevay, ran 1888-1895 | Steamboats at Vevay; Ghent in background |
The Cincinnati and The Louisville each left their namesake towns and met at Vevay from 1899 thru 1917. They exchanged passengers, mail, and freight, and headed back to their respective cities. Both boats were destroyed in the ice of 1917. |
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| The Cincinnati Reds play Vevay | |
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| Vevay Creamery | Street Scene |
Vevay Baseball
From a Facebook post by Don K. Cox
