| Name of Ferry |
Location & Notes |
| Black's Ferry |
On
Collins River where the McMinnville-Sparta Highway crosses. |
| Denny Ferry |
On
Caney Fork at the mouth of Dry Creek. According to Will
Slatton it was not run regularly and was really a local
convenience. There was no through traffic because there
was no place to go. |
| Dillon Ferry |
On
Caney Fork River about 2 miles above mouth of Rocky River and
more than a mile downstream from McElroy Ferry. The
"Dillon Ferry Road" mentioned in grant to Larkin Baker entered
1826. John B. Rodgers bought the land in 1841 at a sale
and sold it to Carter Dillon, reserving ferry privileges in
1857. In 1851 James Dillon sold some land to John Dillon
including ferry and ferry-boat. There
was a very fine well on the White County side. One winter
the river froze over and Mount Dillon walked across the ice.
Helm Slatton was one of the ferrymen. He always made the
school boys crossing to Antioch School sit down saying,
"Too-toot, sit down there boys." They all like him very
much. He was a man who never ate very much. Business
dropped off at Dillon Ferry at the end of the Civil War. |
|
McElroy Ferry |
On
Caney Fork River just below the Tosh Mill and later the Tosh
Bridge. It was known in later years as the Tosh Ferry.
According to Wiley Slatton it was a very old ferry crossing and
operated till the Tosh Bridge was built. Florence Woods
told the writer that the Stage Line used this crossing at one
time. Before the War it was hard to get
over the roads down to the ferry but after the War the roads
improved and there was a big increase in traffic. Rube
Davis was one of the last men to operate the ferry. It
appears that Tosh owned the ferry before the War and that Ed
Blankenship also had an interest in it.
Joe Slatton use to tell abut the time Tosh was
crossing the river with a Baptist preacher. The cable
across the river which kept the boat from going down stream
broke. The river was up and the ferry-boat started
downstream. Tosh grabbed the long sweep and tried to guide
the boat to shore. The preacher dropped to his knees and
Tosh said, "What are you doing?" He replied, "I'm praying
to the Lord to get this boat to the shore and keep us from going
down the river and over the Great Falls." Tosh hollered,
"You've got your religion mixed up. My Bible says the Lord
helps them as helps themselves. You better grab that other
oar and help me and the Lord." He did.
Land on Van Buren side of river mentioned in a
survey in 1808. In 1818 deed from Cook to wife mentions
the ferry. The boat landing on the Van Buren side
mentioned in a deed from A.J. McElroy in 1888 and in another
deed in 1907 the ferry is mentioned. |
| Reed's Old Ferry |
On
Collins River. Deed of 1833 from Thos. Hopkins to Peter
Buram refers to "where stage road from Sparta to McMinnville
crosses Collins River known as Reed's Old Ferry." This
tract was granted to John Read in 1809 and entered in 1807.
Another deed in 1873 refers to Reed's ferry tract and Reeds or
Blacks ferry. In 1883 another deed refers to Black's Ferry
Road and Stage Road. |
| River Hill Ferry |
On
Caney Fork at the mouth of Cane Creek. This ferry was
probably a three-way affair. Served those crossing Caney
Fork from River Hill on right bank to left bank above mouth of
Cane Creek and from right to left bank below mouth of Cane Creek
and then took care of those who wanted to cross Cane Creek but
not Caney Fork. A deed covering the Parker Stillhouse in
1841 refers to "ferry road." |
|
Rock Island
Ferry |
On
Caney Fork River at the mouth of Rocky River. Ferry
crossed by way of the Island. Joseph Terry was the first
settler and built a one room log house, without windows, and
with a rough stone fireplace on the main shore opposite the
Island. He was definitely living there September 11, 1806
when the General Assembly designated his house as the place to
hold Court for White County. He is said to have settled
there about 1796. There is some question whether he ever
had any land title. In October 1813 Rock (William) Martin,
who was already living there bought the property at a sale to
satisfy a debt John Armstrong, who owned the property, owed John
Carter. Sold by Sheriff Smartt for $100. The deed
was dated July 14, 1814 and refers to the ferry. Rock
Martin was running the ferry during the War of 1812 according to
Mrs. Jennie Hash Rucker. One day the ferry took in $40.00.
This came from men living in the Cane Creek area who had been
called out and were on their way to Nashville to join Jackson
and go to New Orleans with him. Mr. Lamb, who drove the
Stage drove in and through the river one day when no ferry man
was present - a very risky thing to do.
Later a bridge was built and used till it was washed out and the
ferry was put back in operation. It had stiff competition
with the Dillon and McElroys ferries. The last regular
operator was Mr. C. Arnold till about 1908. He died at
Rock Island village in 1910. The Odle boys ran it for a
few years and then gave it up. The Bosson Ford was being
used at that time. |
| Ross Ferry |
On
Caney Fork. "Old ferry and Mill" mentioned in a deed of
1848. This probably had reference to the Underwood
property which was later owned by the Ross family. It must
have been a local ferry for the convenience of local people. |
| Tosh Ferry |
On
Caney Fork River. See McElroy
ferry. |
