Dawdy's Ferry
Hutchins, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Illinois native Alanson Dawdy (1826 - 1901) came to Dallas County in 1847. In 1854, he was granted a license to operate a ferry at this site on the Trinity River, the southernmost crossing at the time. An important route for citizens living on both sides of the river, the ferry continued in operation until about 1876. Ferry charges included one dollar for a wagon with four or more animals, ten cents for a man and horse, and five cents for a person on foot. The first permanent bridge was installed at this site in 1888. Dawdy was a veteran of the Mexican and Civil Wars. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Illinois-born Alanson Dawdy reached Dallas County in 1847 and, in 1854, was licensed to run a ferry across the Trinity River—then the southernmost crossing in the area. For citizens on both banks it was a vital link, charging a dollar for a fully loaded wagon down to a nickel for a person on foot, and it operated until about 1876, a dozen years before the first permanent bridge went in. Dawdy himself was a veteran of both the Mexican and Civil Wars.
Why it matters
River ferries were the essential arteries of pre-bridge America, and Dawdy's crossing shows how a single licensed operator could knit a growing county together across a formidable river.
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Related people
- · Alanson Dawdy
Themes & tags
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