The East Ferry and The Newport Bridge
Transportation played a key role in the folklife of Jamestown, from the introduction of the first steam-powered ferry, run from Jamestown to Newport in May of 1873, to the construction of the bridges after 1940. The steam ferry service ended two centuries of relative isolation and rural tranquility and ushered in the era of summer residences. Before 1873, the sailing ferry had been used primarily by island farmers to market their produce and buy supplies, and by travelers going eastward or westward across the southern part of Rhode Island. The new steam-powered ferry provided a relatively safe and efficient means of access to and from Conanicut Island. Aside from transportation, the ferry itself provided many memories for those lucky enough to live here during that time.
If you were a high school student living in Jamestown before 1969, you took the ferry to school. It left at 8:00 am and ran rain or shine, or sometimes even during a hurricane. The ferry ran on the day of the 1938 hurricane. It had just dropped the kids back off at Jamestown before being pushed ashore. When the kids weren’t battling the weather, they were playing guitar or listening to the jukebox. The ferry was also used to travel home after school sports games or a night out dancing. If your game went late or you danced a little too long, the people of Jamestown would find themselves without a way back home. They had two options. They could either stay the night at the ferry station, sleeping on one of the benches, or they could go over to the Newport Jail. If there was an opening at the jail, kids could stay the night in one of the jail cells and catch the morning ferry back home.
With the jazz festival, folk festival, and the charm of the Jamestown and Newport area, the ferry was also a great place to run into someone famous. Some of these sightings, like Johnny Cash, Jim Brown, Satchel Page, and Elenor Roosevelt left lasting memories for Jamestown residents.
It wasn’t uncommon to see a dog taking the ferry too. In the eighteen-nineties, Toby, a dog belonging to Captain I.B. Briggs, would take the morning ferry to get his owner the Newport newspaper. If all went well, Captain Briggs would have his morning paper by about 10 a.m.
If you turn slightly to your left, you will see the famous Newport Bridge.
The Newport Bridge was constructed from 1966-1969 and cost $57 million. It is 400 feet tall and longer than the Golden Gate Bridge. A construction project that large brought in lots of workers and lots of challenges.
A diving tank was brought in so the divers could live under the water’s surface for a week at a time to help speed along the 838 steel piles. After the piers were set, two storms hit the bay and the structures had to be reset. From there, things moved a little more smoothly. Most of the structures were built on land and then assembled in the bay.
Three people died during the building of the bridge. Others had very close calls. One man called "Little Joe," lost his balance and fell into the water. He was ok. After he was fished out of the water and dried off, he took out his wallet and fished for his paycheck wanting to be sure he still had it.
If you’ve lived here a while you might notice the ongoing painting. Not long after the bridge opened, the paint began peeling due to a faulty paint job and requires routine painting to keep it looking nice and safe.
In 1993, the bridge was renamed the Claiborne Pell Bridge. Pell may sound familiar to you. That’s because it’s named after former U.S. Senator, Claiborne Pell who was the sponsor of the Pell Grant. However, it’s still mostly called by its original name, the Newport Bridge.
Did you know that the 2001 Rhode Island state quarter features a picture of the Narragansett Bay and the Newport Bridge?
We'll now continue to stop 2. Please proceed North to Memorial Square. I recommend you stand on the street side facing the Bay View Condominium building.