It’s been ten years since the town of Fredericktown said goodbye to one of their most dedicated ‘employees’—Frederick, the Fredericktown Ferry. In May 2013, Fayette County Commissioners voted to cease ferry operations that September. Washington County, who shared the operational responsibility and costs of the ferry with Fayette County, had no interest in running the ferry without help. And that was that. Pennsylvania’s last cable-driven ferry’s days were numbered.
The ferry was a large part of our history. It played an important part in cross-river traffic for residents, employees, and the coal mines and provided convenient travel across the Monongahela River in an area without many bridges. At the time of its retirement, Fred was one of the last cable-driven ferry in operation east of the Mississippi River and the last of three original ferries to run across the Monongahela River in Washington County.
A ferry has operated between Fredericktown and LaBelle since the late 1700s, and it wasn’t the only ferry on the Monongahela during the next couple hundred years. In our corner of southwestern Pennsylvania, ferries carried people across the river at points in Crucible and Crucible, just to name a few. (Crucible was the last ferry to service Greene County when it ceased operations.) Many of the small, independent ferries that crossed the river left no records or remains.
The bright-red ferry that ran until 2013 started its work in 1948. The Frederick was a 35-ton steel vessel constructed in 1948 by Hillman Barge Co. Fred, as it was affectionately called, was privately owned until it shut down in the late 1960s for multiple reasons. Through the efforts of the community and a Ferry Boat Commission, Fred was revitalized and put back to work in the late 1970s, with Fayette and Washington counties contributing 50% of the costs using Liquid Fuel dollars. Fayette oversaw the operation and maintenance of the ferry. (They later amended this agreement in 2003.)
The ferry received international attention when the 1984 film Maria’s Lovers featured it in a scene. Maria’s Lovers, starring Nastassja Kinski, as the titular Maria, is a period movie set in the late 1940s and filmed in Brownsville, California, and surrounding areas; Fred is just one of the many local sights you’ll see in the film. In Fred’s movie debut, Maria and a bus of schoolchildren are transported across the river.
As surrounding mines closed, the ferry’s ridership declined and its future was often up for discussion. A fresh surge in ridership occurred when the maximum-security prison was built across the river in Fayette County. Maybe the ferry would be okay.
The counties received $950,000 to rehabilitate Fred in 2009, with an additional $100,000 from the state, $25,000 from Greene County, and the rest coming from Fayette and Washington County. But the project was in debate. A new bridge was being built only five miles away on the Mon-Fayette Expressway and some feared that it would pull riders away. Commissioners from both counties argued over whether residents would continue to use the ferry once they built the bridge. Fred’s future was in question.
For a few years before its closure, the community celebrated Fred at the annual Ferry Boat Festival. The event featured free pedestrian rides for the ferry (sponsored by Bower Brothers Lounge). Other activities were nearby: flea markets and yard sales, quality food at area restaurants and food trucks, and games for children and adults.
Once the bridge opened in 2012, many people’s worst fears were realized. Ridership declined. That, in combination with sporadic working hours that didn’t meet shift changes at the prison, losing a federally funded grant, and increased maintenance and operation costs, saw the ferry operating in the red. The ferry that had once made close to 250 daily trips was only making 90 trips a day now. Fayette County and later Washington County made the decision to discontinue use of the ferry.
A community effort to save the ferry, Friends of the Fredericktown Ferry, saw dedicated fans of Fred attempting to convince county commissioners that the ferry could be saved and promoted as a tourist attraction, like other historic ferries in the United States. While their efforts were unsuccessful, the group’s love for Fred has never faltered. Check out their Facebook page for plenty of photos of Fred over the years.
The ‘Farewell to Fred’ party on August 28, 2013, brought riders from all over the area wanting one last ride on the ferry before its retirement. One couple traveled to ride the ferry as part of their anniversary celebrations. Others came to relive some of their favorite moments, share ferry memories and consider what it meant to them. Some expressed sadness that their children and grandchildren had such a brief time to ride the historic ferry, and other children would never get the chance. Reporters from the Herald-Standard, Observer-Reporter, and Tribune-Review arrived with photographers to capture the last hurrah of Fred and his loyal fans. Those that rode the ferry that day were the last passengers that Fred would see as a ferry. Although the ferry was scheduled to have its last voyage on August 30, weather prevented its operation.
In recent years, efforts have been made to revitalize downtown Fredericktown and the former ferry landing. In 2020, PennWest California (Cal U.) Art Professor Todd Pinkham and his students completed a mural project at the old landing. The mural, based on historic photos, stretches along the walls of the tunnel that runs from the road to the river and features the ferry. A kayak launch is situated at the landing. Bower Brothers Bar on the landing’s left is now Willy’s Bar & Grill, and the old gas station on its right was torn down and the area revitalized.
The ferry itself was deconstructed and rebuilt into a work platform for a local tow boat. The ferry was changed to serve as a weld/equipment barge; modifications include removal of the vehicle ramps, safety chain stanchions, and wire guides, drive system, engines, fuel tanks, and propeller. Steel plate was added to cover openings, deck extensions were built to add length, timberheads added to hold the barge in place, and rub bars added for protection.
While the dear old Fred has been absent from Fredericktown for a decade, he is still a cherished memory to the community. Thanks to the mural decorating the landing, future generations and visitors will still get to glimpse this special piece of southwestern Pennsylvania history.