Revolutionary
War hero John Craig received a perpetual and irrevocable franchise
in 1785 from the Virginia legislature to set up a ferry on the
lands of John Craig at the mouth of Tates Creek.
The Valley View Ferry has been owned and operated privately by
several families since its initial franchise in 1785. In 1991
it was purchased from the Howard family of Madison County by the
governments of Jessamine, Madison, and Fayette counties which
then established the Valley View Ferry Authority to oversee the
daily operation of the ferry. The Authority is composed of seven
members who are representatives of each of the three participating
counties.
The
Valley View Ferry Authority, since its creation, has always had
two goals:
To
Promote local tourism by preserving the historical heritage
of the Ferry;
To
provide a safe, efficient, and dependable alternative mode
of transportation for the residents of Fayette, Jessamine,
and Madison counties.
