George Carr, pioneer in local ferry industry
• As I See It Joe Callahan
• Aug 11, 2016
The towns of Newbury (1635) and Salisbury (1638) were among the earliest established communities in New England. The early settlers of all New England towns at that time faced many difficulties, of course.
One of the many difficulties facing the early inhabitants of Newbury and Salisbury was simply getting back and forth across the Merrimack River. What boats they had were used for fishing and, of course, the first bridge in the local area was not built until 1792. A regular and dependable means of river crossing was a necessity.
As a result of this the General Court in Ipswich gave to George Carr of Salisbury the right to operate a ferry between the two towns for a period of two years. This was in 1641.
George Carr was born in London in 1599. He came to America and first settled in Ipswich then moved to Salisbury. In 1640 he was granted an island in the Merrimack River. There he built a house and started a shipyard, one of the first on the river. The island quickly became known as Carr's Island.
When the ferry first started, the route of travel on the Newbury side was through Merrimac Court to Moggridge Point (now Newburyport) where one would be ferried across the river going between Carr's and Ram Islands to the Salisbury shore. The route followed what is now Ferry Lots Lane to Mudnock Road, which in 1639 was the first road laid out in Salisbury shore.
The route followed what is now Ferry Lots Lane to Mudnock Road which in 1639 was the first road laid out in Salisbury. This, as the Tercentenary sign at the head of Jefferson Street in Newburyport reads, "opened up the only route from Boston to the Eastern Frontier."
In 1644 Carr was granted a three-year extension of his ferry rights. However, in 1647 the court granted Tristram Coffin of Newbury the right to operate the ferry from the Newbury side and Mr. Carr from the Salisbury side. This did not set too well with Mr. Carr, but the arrangement continued for several years.
Mr. Carr offered to build a floating bridge from his island to the Salisbury mainland if he would be given sole rights to operate the ferry. The court accepted the offer and when the bridge was completed in 1655, he was given these rights. Soon after this the route of the ferry was changed. The landing in Newbury was moved up river to the foot of what is now Jefferson Street, and in Salisbury the route passed over Carr's Island and the floating bridge to the Salisbury shore.
Early day fees for ferry use were as follows: 2 pence for a man, 6 pence for a horse and cattle, 2 pence for pigs and calves and 1 pence for a goat.
About 1650 a ferry from Newbury to Amesbury was established by the court. The route of this ferry was well more than a mile farther up river from Carr's Island. It departed Newbury from a point now in the Maudslay State Park, and the Amesbury landing was near the mouth of the Powow River. The operating rights to this ferry were also granted to George Carr, and he and his heirs continued the operation until about 1695, when they sold the rights to other parties. This ferry continued operations until 1792 when the Essex-Merrimac bridge opened.
George Carr died on April 4, 1682. The ferries continued to operate under the direction of his sons, James and Richard, and their descendants. It is believed that the Carr's Island ferry operated until the time of the opening on the Newburyport-Salisbury bridge in 1827.
Ownership of Carr's Island was maintained by George Carr's descendants until well into the 1800s. The last private owner was a Mr. Isaac Sprague of Wellesley. In 1925 he donated it to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the intent of it becoming the Isaac Sprague Sr. Bird Sanctuary.
• As I See It Joe Callahan
• Aug 11, 2016
The towns of Newbury (1635) and Salisbury (1638) were among the earliest established communities in New England. The early settlers of all New England towns at that time faced many difficulties, of course.
One of the many difficulties facing the early inhabitants of Newbury and Salisbury was simply getting back and forth across the Merrimack River. What boats they had were used for fishing and, of course, the first bridge in the local area was not built until 1792. A regular and dependable means of river crossing was a necessity.
As a result of this the General Court in Ipswich gave to George Carr of Salisbury the right to operate a ferry between the two towns for a period of two years. This was in 1641.
George Carr was born in London in 1599. He came to America and first settled in Ipswich then moved to Salisbury. In 1640 he was granted an island in the Merrimack River. There he built a house and started a shipyard, one of the first on the river. The island quickly became known as Carr's Island.
When the ferry first started, the route of travel on the Newbury side was through Merrimac Court to Moggridge Point (now Newburyport) where one would be ferried across the river going between Carr's and Ram Islands to the Salisbury shore. The route followed what is now Ferry Lots Lane to Mudnock Road, which in 1639 was the first road laid out in Salisbury shore.
The route followed what is now Ferry Lots Lane to Mudnock Road which in 1639 was the first road laid out in Salisbury. This, as the Tercentenary sign at the head of Jefferson Street in Newburyport reads, "opened up the only route from Boston to the Eastern Frontier."
In 1644 Carr was granted a three-year extension of his ferry rights. However, in 1647 the court granted Tristram Coffin of Newbury the right to operate the ferry from the Newbury side and Mr. Carr from the Salisbury side. This did not set too well with Mr. Carr, but the arrangement continued for several years.
Mr. Carr offered to build a floating bridge from his island to the Salisbury mainland if he would be given sole rights to operate the ferry. The court accepted the offer and when the bridge was completed in 1655, he was given these rights. Soon after this the route of the ferry was changed. The landing in Newbury was moved up river to the foot of what is now Jefferson Street, and in Salisbury the route passed over Carr's Island and the floating bridge to the Salisbury shore.
Early day fees for ferry use were as follows: 2 pence for a man, 6 pence for a horse and cattle, 2 pence for pigs and calves and 1 pence for a goat.
About 1650 a ferry from Newbury to Amesbury was established by the court. The route of this ferry was well more than a mile farther up river from Carr's Island. It departed Newbury from a point now in the Maudslay State Park, and the Amesbury landing was near the mouth of the Powow River. The operating rights to this ferry were also granted to George Carr, and he and his heirs continued the operation until about 1695, when they sold the rights to other parties. This ferry continued operations until 1792 when the Essex-Merrimac bridge opened.
George Carr died on April 4, 1682. The ferries continued to operate under the direction of his sons, James and Richard, and their descendants. It is believed that the Carr's Island ferry operated until the time of the opening on the Newburyport-Salisbury bridge in 1827.
Ownership of Carr's Island was maintained by George Carr's descendants until well into the 1800s. The last private owner was a Mr. Isaac Sprague of Wellesley. In 1925 he donated it to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the intent of it becoming the Isaac Sprague Sr. Bird Sanctuary.
George Carr, pioneer in local ferry industry
• As I See It Joe Callahan
• Aug 11, 2016
The towns of Newbury (1635) and Salisbury (1638) were among the earliest established communities in New England. The early settlers of all New England towns at that time faced many difficulties, of course.
One of the many difficulties facing the early inhabitants of Newbury and Salisbury was simply getting back and forth across the Merrimack River. What boats they had were used for fishing and, of course, the first bridge in the local area was not built until 1792. A regular and dependable means of river crossing was a necessity.
As a result of this the General Court in Ipswich gave to George Carr of Salisbury the right to operate a ferry between the two towns for a period of two years. This was in 1641.
George Carr was born in London in 1599. He came to America and first settled in Ipswich then moved to Salisbury. In 1640 he was granted an island in the Merrimack River. There he built a house and started a shipyard, one of the first on the river. The island quickly became known as Carr's Island.
When the ferry first started, the route of travel on the Newbury side was through Merrimac Court to Moggridge Point (now Newburyport) where one would be ferried across the river going between Carr's and Ram Islands to the Salisbury shore. The route followed what is now Ferry Lots Lane to Mudnock Road, which in 1639 was the first road laid out in Salisbury shore.
The route followed what is now Ferry Lots Lane to Mudnock Road which in 1639 was the first road laid out in Salisbury. This, as the Tercentenary sign at the head of Jefferson Street in Newburyport reads, "opened up the only route from Boston to the Eastern Frontier."
In 1644 Carr was granted a three-year extension of his ferry rights. However, in 1647 the court granted Tristram Coffin of Newbury the right to operate the ferry from the Newbury side and Mr. Carr from the Salisbury side. This did not set too well with Mr. Carr, but the arrangement continued for several years.
Mr. Carr offered to build a floating bridge from his island to the Salisbury mainland if he would be given sole rights to operate the ferry. The court accepted the offer and when the bridge was completed in 1655, he was given these rights. Soon after this the route of the ferry was changed. The landing in Newbury was moved up river to the foot of what is now Jefferson Street, and in Salisbury the route passed over Carr's Island and the floating bridge to the Salisbury shore.
Early day fees for ferry use were as follows: 2 pence for a man, 6 pence for a horse and cattle, 2 pence for pigs and calves and 1 pence for a goat.
About 1650 a ferry from Newbury to Amesbury was established by the court. The route of this ferry was well more than a mile farther up river from Carr's Island. It departed Newbury from a point now in the Maudslay State Park, and the Amesbury landing was near the mouth of the Powow River. The operating rights to this ferry were also granted to George Carr, and he and his heirs continued the operation until about 1695, when they sold the rights to other parties. This ferry continued operations until 1792 when the Essex-Merrimac bridge opened.
George Carr died on April 4, 1682. The ferries continued to operate under the direction of his sons, James and Richard, and their descendants. It is believed that the Carr's Island ferry operated until the time of the opening on the Newburyport-Salisbury bridge in 1827.
Ownership of Carr's Island was maintained by George Carr's descendants until well into the 1800s. The last private owner was a Mr. Isaac Sprague of Wellesley. In 1925 he donated it to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the intent of it becoming the Isaac Sprague Sr. Bird Sanctuary.
• As I See It Joe Callahan
• Aug 11, 2016
The towns of Newbury (1635) and Salisbury (1638) were among the earliest established communities in New England. The early settlers of all New England towns at that time faced many difficulties, of course.
One of the many difficulties facing the early inhabitants of Newbury and Salisbury was simply getting back and forth across the Merrimack River. What boats they had were used for fishing and, of course, the first bridge in the local area was not built until 1792. A regular and dependable means of river crossing was a necessity.
As a result of this the General Court in Ipswich gave to George Carr of Salisbury the right to operate a ferry between the two towns for a period of two years. This was in 1641.
George Carr was born in London in 1599. He came to America and first settled in Ipswich then moved to Salisbury. In 1640 he was granted an island in the Merrimack River. There he built a house and started a shipyard, one of the first on the river. The island quickly became known as Carr's Island.
When the ferry first started, the route of travel on the Newbury side was through Merrimac Court to Moggridge Point (now Newburyport) where one would be ferried across the river going between Carr's and Ram Islands to the Salisbury shore. The route followed what is now Ferry Lots Lane to Mudnock Road, which in 1639 was the first road laid out in Salisbury shore.
The route followed what is now Ferry Lots Lane to Mudnock Road which in 1639 was the first road laid out in Salisbury. This, as the Tercentenary sign at the head of Jefferson Street in Newburyport reads, "opened up the only route from Boston to the Eastern Frontier."
In 1644 Carr was granted a three-year extension of his ferry rights. However, in 1647 the court granted Tristram Coffin of Newbury the right to operate the ferry from the Newbury side and Mr. Carr from the Salisbury side. This did not set too well with Mr. Carr, but the arrangement continued for several years.
Mr. Carr offered to build a floating bridge from his island to the Salisbury mainland if he would be given sole rights to operate the ferry. The court accepted the offer and when the bridge was completed in 1655, he was given these rights. Soon after this the route of the ferry was changed. The landing in Newbury was moved up river to the foot of what is now Jefferson Street, and in Salisbury the route passed over Carr's Island and the floating bridge to the Salisbury shore.
Early day fees for ferry use were as follows: 2 pence for a man, 6 pence for a horse and cattle, 2 pence for pigs and calves and 1 pence for a goat.
About 1650 a ferry from Newbury to Amesbury was established by the court. The route of this ferry was well more than a mile farther up river from Carr's Island. It departed Newbury from a point now in the Maudslay State Park, and the Amesbury landing was near the mouth of the Powow River. The operating rights to this ferry were also granted to George Carr, and he and his heirs continued the operation until about 1695, when they sold the rights to other parties. This ferry continued operations until 1792 when the Essex-Merrimac bridge opened.
George Carr died on April 4, 1682. The ferries continued to operate under the direction of his sons, James and Richard, and their descendants. It is believed that the Carr's Island ferry operated until the time of the opening on the Newburyport-Salisbury bridge in 1827.
Ownership of Carr's Island was maintained by George Carr's descendants until well into the 1800s. The last private owner was a Mr. Isaac Sprague of Wellesley. In 1925 he donated it to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the intent of it becoming the Isaac Sprague Sr. Bird Sanctuary.
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