McClelland Ferry launched for possible 100th season

 

May 26, 2021

A Cat D7 dozer is used to push the McClelland Ferry back into the Missouri River. A backhoe was on the opposite side using its scoop bucket to guide the ferry in to the water. Pulling the ferry out in the fall requires the dozer plus a road grader to slide the craft up on to the river bank to keep it protected during the winter.

In early May Blaine County Road and Bridge Supervisor Mark Burkhartsmeyer invited me to ride with him down to the Missouri River to watch the spring launch that would begin what might be the 100th season of ferry service from Blaine County to Fergus County to the south. I say "might be the 100th season" because there are varying historical accounts of when and how the ferry actually got started. Here's some of what I learned about the history, current operation and future of the ferry.

The when, how and who regarding the start of ferry service

It's pretty much agreed that John (Jack) McClelland, an early homesteader from Canada, started the ferry. Arriving to the U.S. in 1886 McClelland first hauled freight from Cow Island to Chinook, then moved on to a ranch and operate a sawmill in the Bear Paws. In 1906 he had sold his mountain holdings and filed for a homestead on the bottomlands on the south side of the Missouri, near the current ferry's site. Quite the entrepreneur and mechanic, early on he built an irrigation system with pumping power provided by a steam engine hooked to a centrifugal pump. In 1908 a spring flood took out all the buildings and improvements, forcing McClelland to "start all over again."

McClelland's wife, Rena, filed a final proof on 143 acres on a desert land claim in 1920. Because of some paperwork errors the final certification was delayed a full year. Per one version it was at that time that McClelland built and began operating a small cable-guided wood-plank ferry (likely 1921, which would make this year the ferry's centennial). That version says McClelland built the ferry from scratch.

Another version, shared with me a few years ago by Leona Gilmore, who with her husband, Kenneth, operated the ferry for 30+ years, was that McClelland retrieved a ferry that broke loose up river and began operating it as his own. Both versions are shared in various historical narratives but neither can be absolutely verified. So, readers are free to choose their own favorite story of the ferry's origin and whether this is the actual centennial year.

Later events are a bit clearer. In 1927 a flood washed out the original ferry. The McClellands sold their place to neighbor James Stafford in 1928 and left the area. After the sale by the McClellands the ferry was often referred to as the Stafford Ferry, because that family operated it (it's fairly routine, now, for Fergus residents to refer to the ferry as the Stafford Ferry and Blaine Countians to call it the McClelland Ferry-but they are both the same ferry). In 1931 the ferry was replaced with another wooden ferry. Blaine County moved the ferry access road to the current site in 1939. The last wooden ferry was replaced with a steel one in 1947.

In 2004 the McClelland-Stafford ferry along with the Virgelle and Carter ferries were replaced using funds granted from the federal Ferry Boat Discretionary Fund. Former Blaine County Commissioner Don Swenson recalled, "We were trying to get funds to upgrade the McClelland Ferry. The grant received was more than we needed for our project and eventually the other two ferries were also replaced. The Montana Department of Transportation added $222,000 to the project and Blaine, Fergus and Chouteau counties contributed $105,000 collectively. All three ferries were replaced in 2004. An additional upgrade at the McClelland Ferry was a modular home where the operators live while on duty from early May to the end of October, a typical season for all three ferries, the only functioning public ferries in the state of Montana.

The 2021 spring launch of the McClelland Ferry

Through a long standing agreement Fergus and Blaine Counties share the cost of maintaining and operating the ferry. Blaine County pulls the ferry from the river at the end of the summer and launches it again in early May. The ferry operates 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, typically about May 1 to Nov. 1. Weather and road conditions can affect operations. Wet weather can affect vehicle access, especially from the Blaine County side.

On the trip to the river with Blaine County Road Supervisor Burkharstsmeyer I was introduced to Tim Simms, an independent marine surveyor. Living in Kalispell and working for a Florida-based organization, Simms was hired to do an inspection of the craft. Simms explained,

"It's fairly routine for a marine insurance carrier to request an inspection of a boat that has been in service for around 20 years. I'll be looking for both safety (for crew, passengers and vehicles) and mechanical concerns." He added, "Inland boats have an entirely different set of requirements and rules that are unlike those for ocean going vessels." He identified only a few minor concerns during his inspection.

Prior to recently becoming the road supervisor Mark Burkshartmeyer worked for the county road department for several years. He said, "This is my first direct involvement with getting the ferry back on the river. The crew was involved with pulling the boat out in the fall and know what has to be done for the launch." The ferry is pulled out for the winter to minimize the risk of a runaway craft during high water and to protect against ice that can do serious damage during spring break-up.

A Cat D7 dozer pushed the ferry from the river bank to the access point on the river. A backhoe, with bucket, was nearest the river and was used to guide the ferry to the river. Once the ferry was launched it traveled, with several of the road crew aboard, to the Fergus County side to hook up the cable used to propel the ferry back and forth. The process of launching the ferry and the initial trip across to hook up the cable took about two hours. Pushing the ferry back in to the river was the culmination of several days of planning and preparations. Burkhartsmeyer said the process of pulling the ferry out in the fall is a bit more time consuming and requires some additional equipment.

Several of the county road crew were at the ferry earlier in the week checking various aspects of the ferry before launching it. Interestingly, though diesel-powered and moved along a cable, the first trip across the river, from north to south, was without engine power. One of the crew explained that if the ferry is slanted just right the current will actually propel the ferry across. The main bridle cable that keeps the ferry tethered from both sides, was still connected to keep the ferry from floating free while not under power.

The two regular ferry operators, Jack Carr and Tom Philp, were waiting on the Fergus County side to ride the ferry back north and help get the ferry and operators' living quarters ready for the season. Both the operators have more than a decade each operating the ferry. A couple of the Blaine County road crew are descendants of Leona and Kenneth Gilmore, Blaine Countians who ran the ferry from 1960-1993.

The future of the McClelland Ferry

About 1600-2000 vehicles use the ferry each season. Users, per the ferry operators, are mostly often farmers and ranchers working places on both sides of the river and a few tourists and locals who simply want the experience of riding a "frontier-like" ferry.

Marine surveyor Tim Simms peeks up from an access hatch while checking the infrastructure of the ferry. Simms was doing an independent inspection for the company that insures the ferry. He said most companies want an inspection after a craft has been in service for about 20 years. The McClelland Ferry was put in to service in 2004.

Readers may ask, "Why not build a bridge?" Building a bridge is problematic: it would be very expensive, especially with the unstable access road from the north and there would be challenges because the site of the ferry is in a national monument. Because of the low level of use a bridge would likely never be a priority. So Fergus and Blaine County will likely continue to pay an equal portion of the roughly $35,000 it costs to maintain and operate the ferry each season. Frank DePriest, Blaine County Commissioner, said earlier, "The useful life of a ferry is about 40+ years." This ferry is not yet 20 years old so should be good for some time. There is no charge for passengers or vehicles to use the ferry.

Readers can view several interesting videos about the three ferries on the Missouri River. Go to Facebook and search for "Missouri River ferries in Montana." Most regional libraries will also have copies of a "Backroads of Montana" feature on the Virgelle Ferry in Chouteau County.

And whether 2021 is really the centennial year of the McClelland Ferry, I'll leave that up to readers to decide. I will say it seems pretty likely, but that's just my opinion.

 
 

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