MENOR'S FERRY

We visited Menor's Ferry in 2010 to visit the site of the first ferry across the Snake River, which began service in 1894.   But we returned again this year to take a ride on a replica of the ferry that was used for about twenty years to further the settlement of the Jackson Hole valley.

The ferry was the only way for new Jackson Hole settlers to cross the Snake River without traveling north about 35 miles to Moran where they could cross at the Jackson Lake Dam. That 35 miles on horseback or in a wagon would take the better part of a day to travel, so the ferry was immediately successful for frontier families. The ferry is long enough to put a small wagon and team of horses. Bill Menor charged $.25 for a rider on horseback and $.50 for a wagon with a team of horses to ride his ferry.

Previously, the Snake River was too high and swift for the National Park Service to put the replica of the ferry in the water. They tried in 2011, though, and the ferry immediately sank into the river and stayed there all summer until the water became low enough for the ferry to be hauled out.  Now, with much less winter snow, the river is just the right height to take a ferry ride.

The pilot turns the wheel of the ferry to point the pontoons so the river current can propel the ferry in the direction of the current towards the opposite shore. This method of propelling the ferry dates back to Egyptian times and is called a "reaction ferry". The photo below shows the two ropes going towards the pulley system attached to the cable,  which is how the pontoons are aimed.

Here is a close-up of the pulley system as the ferry reaches the west dock.

Captain Paul at the helm.

Bill Menor was the first person to take advantage of the Homestead Act and settle on the west side of the Snake River. His original cabin (not shown) is actually to the left of the photo below and was made out of logs. The left portion in the photo below was an addition to his original cabin and was made from lumber bought from a sawmill in the valley. In 1905 he opened the general store, shown on the right in the photo below.

He crafted furniture out of wood and sometimes antlers as seen below. Elk antlers frame the chair, and the seat is made from a moose antler. Notice the long sleepwear draped on the bed in the rear of the photo. Winter temperatures could reach to -20 F or colder.

This was a very enjoyable look back into the history of the Jackson Hole Valley.