Princeton Ferry Traditional Cache
retiredprof: I am 76 years old, with some health issues, and am unable to do maintenance like I used to. So, RIP little cache...
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(regular)
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Nice view of the river, on the site of the old Princeton Ferry. Some of the cables and supporting structures are still standing. If approaching from the south, you may want to look for the River Road series of caches.
HISTORIC PRINCETON FERRY
One hundred forty-five years have passed since the first ferry carrying horses and buggies loaded with cargo and passengers began plying the Sacramento River. Of the approximately 39 ferries which have transported cargo and passengers from one side of the river to the other, only one remains in operation today, and it is the Princeton Ferry. This ferry has been in operation since March or April, 1858, when Dr. Lull was issued a license to run a ferry at Princeton. This license was renewed until 1863 when Dr. Lull sold his property to Eli Barnes in March of that year. It is not known whether Mr. Barnes ran the ferry or not, but on February 6, 1873 his daughter Mary Hart applied for and received the license and kept renewing it until 1884.
The Colusa County Board of Supervisors ordered that the Princeton Ferry be a free ferry on April 7, 1883, and they appointed a committee of two to look after the ferry. A man was hired for $50.00 a month to operate the ferry. In August 1894, the Glenn County Board of Supervisors was approached with a petition asking them to help maintain the free ferry at Princeton. From that time until July, 1986, Colusa and Glenn Counties have shared the responsibilities of the ferry.
The Ferry operated from 6 AM until 8 PM daily until 1911 when the hours were extended to more hours daily, beginning at 5 AM and ending at 9 PM. In 1919 the ferry went to 24 hour operation with three ferrymen. In about 1920 the old ferry was replaced by a new ferry which contained a gasoline engine. Three engines were used up on this ferry before it was replaced with the first electric ferry in 1932, making it the first in California to be operated by electricity.
The ferry operated until February 4, 1950 when during a high water, a huge piece of driftwood coming down the flooding river smashed into the ferry with a crash. This brought the foreman of the ferry, R.F. Rankin, out of his bed just in time to see the cables, the towers on each side of the river, and the ferry floating away. The ferry drifted 600 feet against the east side of the river bank and sank.
A new ferry was launched on May 30, 1950. It was built by Orland Machine and Welding Co. , who obtained 30 steel navy surplus pontoons for $1500.00. 5x5x7 foot pontoons were welded together and a wooden deck put on top of them, forming Princeton Ferry #4. The ferry measures 62 1/2 feet in length, and is 21 1/2 feet wide.
Princeton Ferry #4 transported whatever there was to transport across the Sacramento River, a distance of approximately 500 feet. Until the ferry was taken out of operation for a major overhaul on June 30, 1986, it transported from 200 to 300 cars per day from 6 AM to 12 PM. It resumed operation again at 6 AM on May 2, 1988. Since July 1 1988, a fee of 50 cents per car has been charged to cross the ferry.”
-Author unknown.
(thanks to Team Spirit of '76 for the above history!)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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