Chesapeake Ferries: A Waterborne Tradition, 1636-2000

In this engaging and gracefully written narrative, Simmons takes the reader from the earliest days of colonial settlement, when all who journeyed through the region crossed the waterways, to the age of bridge building that forever changed the way people traveled. The reader meets the lone ferry men and women of the eighteenth century as they loaded packs, animals, and travelers on small craft of every type; learns about the steam ferry of later years that connected with networks of rail lines; and is introduced to the present-day ferry operators who maintain the rich tradition of water travel. Beautifully illustrated with dozens of photographs and maps, is a tribute to the region’s storied maritime past.