According to tradition, ferry service across the Elizabeth River was first established near this location in 1636 by Captain Adam Thoroughgood and operated by Lower Norfolk County. The earliest ferries were simply skiffs rowed by men. Later larger paddle wheel vessels were propelled by horses or mules on treadmills. In 1715, Major Samuel Boush was running two ferries for an annual fee of three thousand pounds of tobacco. The first steam ferry to serve Norfolk and Portsmouth was the "Gosport," built in Portsmouth and outfitted in Philadelphia. Her first run was in 1832. The crossing time was reduced to five minutes. In 1840, the passenger fare was three cents. With the advent of the automobile, ferries were redesigned to handle cars and trucks. Even though the Downtown Tunnel opened in May 1952, vehicular ferries continued to cross the Elizabeth River between Norfolk and Portsmouth until the end of August 1955. The present Norfolk-Portsmouth passenger ferries, reinstated in 1983, continue a tradition of more than three centuries.
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