Ben Cannon Ferry
Maydelle, Cherokee County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Native American and early Anglo settlers in this region forded the Neches River at this site, called Duty Crossing for early settler Richard Duty. A significant link in the history of transportation across the river, the Ben Cannon Ferry is first documented in Cherokee County Commissioners court records in 1848. Pioneer settler Ben Canon operated the Ferry until 1851. A toll bridge operated north of the ferry site from 1854 to 1924. The route of the Texas State Railroad crosses the Neches just north of the ferry site.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Long before bridges spanned the Neches River, Native people and early Anglo settlers forded it here at Duty Crossing, named for settler Richard Duty. By 1848 Ben Cannon was running a ferry at the site, a vital link in regional travel until a toll bridge took over the traffic in 1854. The crossing marks a spot where the routes of river, road, and eventually the Texas State Railroad all converged.
Why it matters
River fords and ferries were the hinges of frontier movement, determining where roads ran and where communities took root across early Texas.
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Related people
- · Ben Cannon
- · Richard Duty
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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