OKGenWeb Project

Contributed by Elnora Frances Cook-Wyrick

Ferry Boat, Calvin, Hughes Co.

Story of the Ferry, at Calvin Oklahoma; Written by Bedford Cleo Cook; 10 January 1998:

Picture and information received from Bedford Cleo Cook, the story as told to him by his Father James William (Willy) Cook and oldest son of Thomas Jefferson Cook. "Thomas Jefferson bought the boat in the early 1900s.

Along about 1916, at the time there wasn't a bridge built across the South Canadian River in Calvin, Hughes Co., OK, people had to ford the river or use the Ferry. The only bridge was the Rock Island Railroad bridge, so they used the Ferry next to the railroad bridge. They drilled a hole in a huge boulder on the north side of the river to anchor a cable to hold the boat to take wagons and teams and people across. [Cleo sent newspaper article with a picture (archive # B2638) of the ferry, loaded with five men, and two teams, no date or name on newspaper]. Cleo states, that the man in the center of the picture is (my father, James William Cook), the one on the right is Thomas Jefferson Cook ( my Grandfather). The others were the ones that helped operate the boat. Bill Armstrong,(who married my Aunt Marietta Cook) Uncle Lewis Cook. You could go across for 10 cents one way, and back across for 10 cents. The World War broke out in 1915-so Grandfather knew he had to have some more help for one of his Sons Uncle Benjamin Franklin was already in the Service, so was my Father James William, then Uncle Lewis Charles had to go. Dad told me he sure was glad when Grandfather sold the boat, because people would want to cross at all times of night. Sometimes the River would be too high and too swift to cross. But it wasn't until 1919-1920 that they got a highway bridge built."

I asked Dad how did the old Ferry work, he said there was two cables one on each end. To go across you had to let the cable unroll going over, while you took up or rolled up the cable to the other side, like a hand winch, it had a large wheel with gears or cogs on it. You had to roll it by hand. Grandfather sold the old Ferry Boat in 1919, he then move to the farm he bought down on the south side of the South Canadian River, about 3 1/2 miles east of Calvin, where he lived until his death. This is all I know about the Ferry Boat, I was told the man he sold it to let it break loose, and wash down the River, sure would like to see it. Reported by Bedford Cleo Cook, as told to him by his Father James William Cook, for all of this happened before he was born., on September 19, 1923." "But the Memories live on".
Recorded as written; by Elnora Frances Cook-Wyrick