Dames Ferry

Dames Ferry is a Georgia historical marker in Monroe County, dedicated 1986.

Located at the intersection of Dames Ferry Road (Georgia Route 18) and Old Dames Ferry Road (County Route 42) in Dames Ferry.

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In 1808, widow Mary Green Dame and her six children settled in Jones County. Two sons, George and John, builders by trade, built a house on the east side of the Ocmulgee River. Zachariah Booth owned and operated the first ferry here. It was probably built by George and John Dame. John Brooking Dame married two of Booth's daughters. First Polly in 1811, then Mildred in 1815. He also bought Booth's Ferry in 1838. A community grew up around this ferry and was called "Dames Ferry." Dames Ferry had several stores, a church, homes, school, bank, a grist and planer mill, a U.S. Post Office (1884-1958) and a Central of Georgia Railroad depot. The ferry and a fishery was operated by the Dames until it was sold to S.M. Hodge in 1872. The ferry was replaced by Sam A. Hodge bridge in 1962. The ferry was moved to Macon County in 1964 to become Georgia's last operating public ferry.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1809 · United States of America, southern part. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1816 · Georgia. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1816 · Georgia (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1824 · Georgia. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1827 · Georgia. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

Georgia, 1816, covering the location of Dames Ferry, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — Georgia, 1816, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

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This historical marker is part of the Georgia Historical Marker Program and was erected by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Marker texts and locations come from the Society's own marker database.

Dames Ferry

Historical maps covering this location

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