Merrimac Ferry
Encyclopedia
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
that crosses the Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River
-External links:* * * , Wisconsin Historical Society* * * *...
between Columbia
Columbia County, Wisconsin
-Unincorporated communities:*Anacker*Belle Fountain*Durwards Glen*East Friesland*Harmony Grove*Ingle*Keyeser*Lake Wisconsin*Leeds*Lowville*Marcellon*North Leeds*Okee*Otsego-External links:***...
and Sauk
Sauk County, Wisconsin
Sauk County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 55,225. Its county seat and largest city is Baraboo. Sauk County is included in the Baraboo Micropolitan Statistical Area and in the Madison Combined Statistical Area....
Counties in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Its western point is located near the village of Merrimac
Merrimac, Wisconsin
Merrimac is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States northwest of Madison. The population was 416 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of Merrimac....
on State Highway 113
Highway 113 (Wisconsin)
State Trunk Highway 113 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs in north–south in south central Wisconsin from Madison to Baraboo, via Waunakee and Lodi...
. The eastern point is located in Okee, Wisconsin
Okee, Wisconsin
Okee is an unincorporated community located in the town of Lodi, in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States.Okee is the eastern terminus for the Merrimac Ferry, on the Wisconsin River.-Notes:...
.
The Merrimac Ferry is both a functional regional crossing and a tourist attraction. There are snack bars at queue areas on either side of the river, and an ice cream stand on the north. It is the state's only free ferry, as well as the only ferry left on the state trunk highway network.
The ferry is close to the head of Lake Wisconsin
Lake Wisconsin
Lake Wisconsin is a reservoir on the Wisconsin River in southern Wisconsin in the United States. It is located in Columbia and Sauk counties, approximately 5 mi southeast of Baraboo and 25 mi NNW of Madison...
, as well as regional recreation areas, including Devil's Lake
Devil's Lake (Wisconsin)
Devil's Lake is an endorheic lake in the South Range of the Baraboo Hills, about two miles south of Baraboo, Wisconsin, in Sauk County, Wisconsin, USA. The lake is one of the primary attractions of the eponymous Devil's Lake State Park....
and Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Dells may refer to:* Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin* The Dells of the Wisconsin River...
. Peak traffic coincides with the tourist season and weekend getaway schedules.
Operations
The ferryboat is named the Colsac III. "Colsac" is a portmanteau of Columbia and Sauk, the two counties connected by the ferry.The ferry operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but only from April to November. The ferry will often operate into December depending on when the Lake Wisconsin ice becomes to thick to operate the ferry. The ferry winches itself across the river on three submerged cables. A round trip usually takes 14 minutes. Colsac III can hold up to fifteen normal-size cars or trucks, as well as bicycles and pedestrians, and is capable of transporting semi-trailer
Semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or articulated truck or articulated lorry, is an articulated vehicle consisting of a towing engine , and a semi-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) articulated truck...
s. The state operates warning signs several miles from the ferry to alert motorists when it is not operating in season, as detours are considerable, and a traffic information system
Intelligent transportation system
The term intelligent transportation systems refers to information and communication technology that improve transport outcomes such as transport safety, transport productivity, travel reliability, informed travel choices, social equity, environmental performance and network operation...
provides drivers with the expected wait time, which can be up to 50 minutes in peak season. Traffic volume can exceed 1200 vehicles daily.
History
In 1844, Chester Mattson obtained a charter to provide ferry service at the present-day location. The ferry was in operation long before there was a marked road leading to or away from it. According to conflicting sources, Mattson charged either 35 cents or $1 to ferry a team and wagon across the river. The ferry was human-powered until around the turn of the century, when the first gasoline engine was added. The State of WisconsinWisconsin Department of Transportation
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, abbreviated as WisDOT, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways...
took over the ferry as part of the state highway system in 1933, with operation and maintenance performed by the Columbia County Department of Transportation. The toll was eliminated. The wooden ferry then in service, the first Colsac, had a capacity of eight cars. It was replaced by the Colsac II in 1963, with a capacity of twelve cars.
The state has periodically considered a bridge to increase the capacity of the state highway and ease commuting for local residents. (The ferry is just west of a 19th-century Wisconsin and Southern Railroad
Wisconsin and Southern Railroad
The Wisconsin and Southern Railroad is a Class II regional railroad in the southern portion of Wisconsin and the northeast corner of Illinois. It operates former Chicago, Milwaukee, St...
bridge.) As the Colsac II aged, periodic maintenance both grew expensive and took the ferry out of commission for weeks at a time. The older boat's capacity was also frequently strained during the peak travel season, and weight limitations restricted truck traffic. The ferry remained popular with tourists and the tourist industry. Supporters of the ferry won out, the bridge proposal was shelved, and the ferry was upgraded.
The latest, modern-day ferry was launched on May 16, 2003. It cost $2.2 million to build and was dedicated to sitting Governor Jim Doyle
Jim Doyle
James Edward "Jim" Doyle is a Wisconsin politician and member of the Democratic Party. He was the 44th Governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. He defeated incumbent Governor Scott McCallum by a margin of 45 percent to 41 percent; the Libertarian Party candidate Ed...
. The new boat was an embarrassment its first season, though, spending several weeks out of commission. The state eventually sued the boat builder.
The state was unsuccessful in its attempt to sell the retired ferry, the Colsac II, using an Internet auction, so the boat was eventually sold for scrap.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Wisconsin
External links
- Merrimac Ferry - Columbia Co. tourism site
- Merrimac Ferry history - Wisconsin Department of TransportationWisconsin Department of TransportationThe Wisconsin Department of Transportation, abbreviated as WisDOT, is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin responsible for planning, building and maintaining the state's highways...
- State of Wisconsin Car Ferry Liquidation at Liquidation.com (via the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
)