Industrial History: Ferry Service across the Mississippii River between Grafton, IL, & St. Charles, MO, and Lighthouse

St. Charles: (Satellite)

On the Illinois side: the lighthouse is on the left and the ferry is leaving on the right.

Street View, Apr 2025

Max Wawrzyniak posted
Grafton ferry today [Jun 20, 2025]

Eric Rice: Does anyone know when Grafton got a Ferry ? I don't ever remember one there when I was working on the river 29yrs ago .

Max Wawrzyniak: Eric Rice Grafton had a ferry way back in the '50s and '60s, and then did not have a ferry for a few decades, and then got a ferry again about 20 years or so ago, atlhough it is privately run, has been through at least a couple of ownership groups, has had periods of time when it did not run, and has always been kinda on the ragged edge of not making a financial go of it. Currently only runs weekends and only during the summer.

Eric Rice: Max Wawrzyniak Ok thank you for the info. that explains why I never saw one there we use to go by there gosh a gazillion times LOL. I worked mostly the Upper Mississippi river and Illinois river but also worked on the Ohio , The Lower , The Tenn. Missouri , Arkansas, nd Yahzoo. I just never remembered a ferry there now at Kampsville I remember that one up river a little ways. I probably worked my 20yrs. out there that they didn't have it . I remember Grafton before the flood of 1993 and it was a rip roaring little river town had the pleasure of tying up over on the Upper side of that Island waiting lock turn at old Lock & dam 26 there were like 160 some tows to come N/b. and about the same S/b. so we had 3 company boats and their tows tied together . We all loaded up in the yawl and went to the Rubles St. Bar and went down into the basement we kept hearing music and asked the bartender upstairs and she told us they had a live band downstairs down we went what a night that was LMAO... I also enjoyed when I got off the boats usually my homeport was Wood River , Illinois so I'd get off at Economy Boat Store and park my car there stop at the many fish stands before the flood of 1993 and have fish and beer or a coke . I miss that a lot !