Ashe's Ferry

Front: A ferry nearby crossed the Catawba River between Lancaster County and York County for more than 30 years and was the last state-run ferry in S.C. It was built in 1927-28 by William N. Ashe (1862-1932), owner of the nearby Ashe Brick Company, to transport bricks and crops. As a private ferry it charged 25¢ for buggies and 35¢ for cars but was free after it became a public ferry. Reverse: The ferry was taken over by the S.C. Highway Department in 1944. It was operated for many years by Early Morgan Brown (1891-1963), a Catawba Indian who lived on the York County side of the river. The ferry, pushed by poles until a small motor was installed in 1955, closed in 1959 after the construction of a bridge on S.C. Hwy. 5 that spanned the river.