Menor's Ferry

Menor's Ferry once belonged to William D. Menor who came to Jackson Hole in 1894, taking up a homestead beside the Snake River. Here he constructed a ferryboat that became a vital crossing for the early settlers of Jackson HoleValley.Jackson Hole was isolated by its surrounding mountains and had such a harsh climate that it was one of the last areas of the lower 48 states to be settled. Homesteaders came here, mainly fromIdaho, beginning in the late 1880s. Most early settlement in the valley took place in the south, or on a few scattered areas with fertile soil on the east side of the Snake River. Menor was alone of the west side of the Snake for more than ten years.

Rivers are often important transportation corridors. However, the Snake River was a natural barrier that divided the valley. In dry months the river could be forded safely in several locations, but during periods of high water even the most reliable fords were impassable. After 1894, Menor’s Ferry became the main crossing in the central part of Jackson Hole. Residents crossed on the ferry to hunt, gather berries and mushrooms, and cut timber at the foot of the mountains.

Bill Menor built the original ferryboat and cableworks. Today’s ferry and cableworks are replicas. The ferry is a simple platform set on two pontoons. The cable system across the river keeps the ferry from going downstream, while allowing it move sideways. By turning the pilot wheel, the rope attaching the boat to the cable is tightened and points the pontoons toward the opposite bank. The pressure of the current against the pontoons pushes the ferryboat across the river in the direction the pontoons point. This type of ferry existed in ancient times and was used elsewhere in the United States.

Menor charged 50c for a wagon and team and 25c for a rider and horse. Pedestrians rode free if a wagon was crossing. When the water was too low for the ferry, Menor suspended a platform from the cable and three to four passengers could ride a primitive cablecar across the river. In later years, Menor and his neighbors built a bridge for winter use, dismantling it each spring.

Menor sold out to Maude Noble in 1918. She doubled the fares, hoping to earn a living from the growing number of tourists in the valley. Noble charged $1 for automobiles with local license plates, or $2 for out-of-state plates. In 1927, a steel truss bridge was built just south of the ferry, making it obsolete. Maude Noble sold the property to the Snake River Land Company in 1929.

Bill Menor and his neighbors homesteaded here thinking of the local natural resources as commodities for survival, but many of them grew to treasure the beauty and uniqueness of Jackson Hole. In 35 short years, from Bill Menor’s arrival until the establishment of the original park in 1929, this land passed from homestead to national treasure.

HISTORIC TIME LINE OF THE MENOR FERRY:

Year Incident 1894 William D. Menor came to Jackson Hole, homesteading on the west side of the Snake River at Moose. He built his first ferry boat soon after he arrived. 1910 Bill Menor built another ferry boat after his first became unserviceable. 1918 Menor sold his property and ferry operation to Maude Noble. She doubled the ferry fares, hoping to earn a living from the growing number of tourists in the valley. Noble charged $1 for local automobiles, or $2 for out-of-state plates. 1927 The first steel truss bridge was built just south of the ferry, making it obsolete. Maude Noble sold the property to the Snake River Land Company in 1929. 1927-1948 No recorded ferry operations. 1949 The Rockefeller family and Harold Fabian created a replica ferryboat that was dedicated on August 20. No records have been found that indicate how long this ferryboat operated. 1989 Mike Halpin and the staff of Lost Creek Ranch built and donated a second replica based on 1942 & 1945 plans from the Rockefeller archives. 1993 The Halpin replica was repaired with new bottom and side sheathing, cotton caulking and tar sealant. The staff from San FranciscoMaritimeNationalHistoricPark supervised the repairs. 2000 In February, the staff of San FranciscoMaritimeNationalHistoricPark began construction of the third replica ferry boat in San Francisco. The new ferry was dedicated on August 25, 2000, as part of Grand TetonNational Park’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.

Days of Mountain Men

The splendor of the TetonMountains first dazzled fur traders. Although evidence is inconclusive, John Colter probably explored the area in 1808. By the 1820's, mountain men followed wildlife and Indian trails through Jackson Hole and trapped beaver in the icy waters of the valley.

The term "hole" was coined by fur trappers of the 1820s to describe a high altitude plateau ringed by mountains. Thus, Jackson Hole is the entire valley, 8 to 15 miles wide and 40 miles long. The valley was named for David E. Jackson, a trapper who reputedly spent the winter of 1829 along the shore of Jackson Lake.

After the decline of the fur trade in the late 1830s, America forgot Jackson Hole until the military and civilian surveys of the 1860s and 1870s. Members of the Hayden Survey named many of the area's features.

Settlers at the Turn of the Century

Because of its geographic location, Jackson Hole remained unsettled until late in the 19th century. The first permanent homesteaders, John Holland and John Carnes, settled north of the present town of Jackson. By 1890 Jackson Hole had a population of 64 people. The soils and climate made ranching and farming risky.

Mountain-valley ranching was the chief occupation; settlers grazed cattle on the public domain in the mountains while cultivating hay in the valley to provide winter feed. While a few prospered, most lived at a near-subsistence level.

As settlement progressed, small communities emerged to provide goods and services. By 1910 Jackson,Wilson, Kelly and Moran had become the dominant villages in Jackson Hole. Elk, Marysvale, Grovont, Zenith and Menor's Ferry had post offices. Incorporated in 1914, Jackson became the seat of TetonCounty and the commercial center of the valley.

The region acquired a national reputation for its splendid hunting and fishing in the 1880s and 1890s. Many settlers supplemented their incomes by serving as guides and packers for wealthy hunters. A few, such as Ben Sheffield, made it a full-time occupation. He acquired a ranch at the outlet of JacksonLake in 1902 to use as a base for outfitting his expeditions. The ranch became the town of Moran.

Others recognized that dudes winter better than cows and began operating dude ranches. The JY and the Bar BC were established in 1908 and 1912, respectively. By the 1920s, dude ranching made significant contributions to the valley's economy. At this time some local residents realized that scenery and wildlife (especially elk) were valuable resources to be conserved rather than exploited.

 

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