The Chester Ferry in the Delaware River making one of it's last runs under the bridge that replaced it.

NOTE: I took the Chester Ferry all the time to New Jersey 50 plus years ago always a good fun ride.

PLEASE

I'm still looking for an overhead scanner I can use at a business, college etc. I have access to a number of historic atlases I want to copy to put on my website and to preserve for the future. I have tried everywhere in Delco with no luck. I'm hoping one of my readers can help. Please check around for me.
Thank you!!

CHESTER TIMES 

July 1, 1930 

 CHESTER FERRY OPENS SERVICE TO NEW JERSEY 

Autos and Passengers Make Initial Trips, After Tests

          Devoid of inaugural ceremonies, the Delaware River Ferry Company placed their boats, the Chester and Bridgeport, in operation at 1 p.m. this afternoon, the Chester carrying several automobiles and passengers on the initial trip from the Flower Street terminal.

          The formal dedication of the new ferry line will be held next Wednesday, when members of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and those of the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce, will jointly celebrate the connecting link with impressive exercises.

          While everything was in readiness for the operation of the boats this morning, it was originally scheduled the ferries would not begin until after the formal dedication, but to satisfy the many from this section who will spend the Fourth of July at southern New Jersey resorts, the management felt it owed the public the accommodation and ordered both boats in readiness to transport the autos.

          Many municipal and county officials and not a few industrial leaders were present when the Chester steamed out of the slip and made the trip across to the Jersey terminus in slightly more than six minutes.  Ferry officers declared that when the regular schedules go into effect, next week, the boats will probably make the trip in five minutes from terminal to terminal.

          Beginning next Wednesday, a fifteen-minute schedule will be maintained during the day and a one-half hour schedule will be run at night.  The tariff for passenger cars is 75 cents, including driver or 50 cents commutation rate.  Passenger fare will be 10 cents single trip for a fifty percent reduction will be given those with commutation tickets, which will be available next week.

          Louis Kapelski, supervising engineer, declared today that all the crews are thoroughly experienced men, most of whom saw years of service on the Tacony-Palmyra ferry lines, before the opening of the bridge at that point made the discontinuance of that line necessary.

          The boats, slips and all company property was inspected by Kapelski, Jay, Blery, civil engineer and Harold Steinbreight, electrical engineer, before the official word for operation was given.

          The captains of the boats, all veterans on river navigation are Senior Captain Davis VanHess, G. Nelson Bond, Alexander McCullough, Howard Walls and G. W. Bennett.  The engineering staff aboard the boats is composed of Nelson Lilly, senior engineer, Frank Wilson, George Eason, Charles Danser and Joseph Woodward.  The four mates are Walter Sterrick, James Lloyd, Perry Mosier and Edward Brady.

         

          All the crews who will alternate in shifts had previously made several trial runs back and forth across the river during yesterday and this morning.

          J. Harvey Gravell, president of the new ferry company, was one of the happiest persons in the throng when the first vessel got underway.

          “It has been hard, tiresome work preparing for this event, but I must express my heartfelt thanks to the officials of Chester and those on the New Jersey side for their splendid cooperation in bringing to a realization this project, which, I am sure, will prove a valuable asset to this thriving country,” said Mr. Gravell.

          In the official group with Mr. Gravell those who made the trip were Harry A. Rishell and John R. Naisby, vice presidents.  E. Hoy Rishell, treasurer, and Leon Chersky, secretary of the Delaware River Ferry Company.

          Until the regular schedules are put in effect next week, the boats will ply at the convenience of the public, day and night.  Signs directing motorists to the terminus were being erected on all roads leading into Chester and for a radius of 20 miles on roads leading to the Jersey terminal.

          The merchants of Chester and several communities in Gloucester County are cooperating to make the formal dedication of the ferry line a memorable event.  The ceremonies will be held on next Wednesday morning, during which time the vessels will be closed to the transportation of the public, while a motorcade from this side is being transported across the river as the guests of the ferry officials.

Copies are still left!! Money goes to Friends of Ridley Creek State Park