During my teenage years I spent a lot of time in Sistersville. I had a lot of family there, as well as some very good friends.

On many days when we could not figure out what to do, we would walk onto the ferry, ride across the river, and then ride back. The cost suited our budgets just right. It cost us five cents each way.

I went back recently to take that ride again. The same thrill was still there. Cost had changed, but the river ride was delightful.

I went to the Sistersville library to find out the history of the ferry. The librarian was most helpful. She found some notes of the Sistersville Ferry Boat written by Walter McCoy to be the most informative.

I will share some of his notes with you.

On the 28th day of January, 1818, the General Assembly of Virginia passed an act which granted to John McCoy a ferry franchise. The ferry was to operate from lands of John McCoy, Virginia, to a “point opposite about the mouth of a large run on the Ohio side and then up and down one mile.”

In the beginning the service was probably provided by a skiff or john boat.

On June 10,1817, Robert Grier of Sistersville moved the County Court for establishment of a ferry across the Ohio River at Sistersville and the court directed Sheriff James Williamson to summons qualified freeholders to look into the matter and report.

This was completed and the report came back favorably.

Accordingly, the court, on July 14, 1817, authorized the establishment of the ferry with the following proviso: “That the said Robert Grier keep one boat and two hands in the summer and three hands in the winter for the use of said ferry.”

Ferry service was never established by Grier.

We speculate that the demand warranted a flat was provided to carry buggies and teams.

Ownership of the ferry passed from John McCoy to his wife Sarah at the time of his death. Sarah deeded the ferry to her son Thomas Jefferson McCoy on the 24th of March 1870.

In 1873 Thomas J. died and willed that “his interest in the ferry be used and rented out as I am doing till my youngest child became of age”—“the money to be used for her care and support.”

This was done and on January 6, 1894, John Hanford McCoy, George McCoy, and others sold the $4,000 franchise known as the “McCoy Ferry” to Frank D. and A.S. McCoy and Ezbia Talbott.

Tyler County Court records show that the Sistersville Ferry Company was authorized by it to operate a ferry on the 31st of October, 1899.

Demands for the ferry grew in leaps and bounds after the first oil well was found in Sistersville in 1891.

The history by Walter McCoy had more interesting history in it than I have given you today.

I found in reading it to think how much work has gone into establishing and maintaining the ferry that is still in operation. What a joyful trip it was one more time.