From Sail to Steam to Diesel James P. Warbasse, Jr. Ferry service for travelers to and from Woods Hole 1642. Beyond the Vineyard, too far off to be visible dates back almost 300 years. Travel by water was at first from Woods Hole, is Nantucket, an Indian word on the "packets," relatively fast sloops or schooners. meaning "Land Far Out to Sea." The first Europeans Their various routes included stops at New Bedford, settled there in 1659. (Four years later came Peter Woods Hole and the islands of Mardla's Vineyard and Folger, who was Benjamin Franklin's grandfather and Nantucket. At Woods Hole, the early packets and the my great, great, great, great, great, great, great first few steamers used lime Harbor, as it was better grandfather.) protected from wind and tide than Great Harbor. Boats . traveling to or from New Bedford usually went by way By 1790 Woods Hole had 10 houses and a population of Quicks's Hole at the west end ofNaushon to avoid of 74. It was a growing hamlet. the swifr tidal currents in Woods Hole passage. The use of steam-powered ferries, which began in the early In 1807 Robert Fulton introduced his first steamboat, 1800s, had a significant effect on Woods Hole and its the side- wheeler North River (dubbed Fulton's Folly by inhabitants over the years. some members of the doubting public). In 1809, renamed Clermont, she was put into regular passenger The first semers in Woods Hole came from Falmouth and freight service between New York and Albany on in 1677. A few years later one of them, Jonathan Hatch, the Hudson River-a harbinger of dlings to come to bought the land then known as Great Neck from Job Woods Hole. Notantico, an Indian. Great Neck, which bends around to form Woods Hole's Great Harbor, later In the summer of 1818 the first steamer service between came to be known as Penzance Point. lime did either New Bedford and Nantucket was tried with dle 90-foot of them know that many years later travelers between side-wheeler Eagle. She was the first steamboat to cross Woods Hole and New Bedford would be passing the Buzzards Bay and the Sounds carrying passengers. The tip of dle point on paddlewheel steamers, followed by service failed after three months from lack of patronage. propeller driven steamers and later by diesel powered In 1824 it was tried again with the Connecticut under boats. What was at first a haphazard undertaking by the command of Captain R.S. Bunker of Nantucket. several companies eventually developed into a steady, Again the service failed after only two months. The reliable ferry service operated by a state authority. islanders, so long accustomed to sail, did not take well The first European settlers to arrive on Martha's to this strange new mode of travel-dley preferred dle Vineyard were Thomas Mayhew and his family, in packets. 5 Excursion steamers N antucket, Martha's Vineyard , Island Home and Gay Head , from Souvenir of Martha's V ineyard, 1892-1893. Courtesy WHHC. The first steamer reported as stopping in Wood Hole others. One successful steamer was dle 100-foot was four yea rs later. Barney Corey and James Hadlaway Telegra ph which started service in 1832 under me of New Bedford introduced me side-wheeler Ham ilton command of Captain Edward Barker of Nantucket. in May of 1828. She was put on a New Bedford - She was to function in me area for me next 26 year . Woods Hole - Holmes Hole - Nantucket route under After 10 years she was joined by the Massachusetts me command of Captain Luce of Holmes Hole. under me command of Captain Lot Phinney. The two Considerably under-powered, she had a hard time boats were on me New Bedford - Woods Hole - bucking me tide of Brant's Point or me strong currents Vineyard - Nantucket run. Woods Hole had grown to entering Woods Hole. Brant's Point is at me entrance 54 houses and a population of 200 by 1851. to Nantucket Harbor. The Hamilton ceased service after Nevermeless, when me Old Colony Railroad extended about two monms because she was losing money. a line to Hyannis in early 1854, me two vessels ran Over dle ensuing years, furdler attempts were made to direcdy between Hyannis and Nantucket, dropping dle establish steady service with a uccess ion of omer ports. In 1855 mey were succeeded by dle Island side-wheelers. Most of mem al 0 fail ed after a few Hom e, built specifically for service in Nantucket Sound. mondls: dle Marco Bozzaris-1829, me Naushon- 1846 She was first commanded by Captain Thomas Brown, (dle first of dle steamers to bear dlat name), me later by Captain Naman Manter of Nantucket who had Canonicus in 1851, me George Law-1854 (under an earring in his left ear and was known to wear a top charter for a mondl), and dle Metacom et-1854, among hat or a derby on dle job. 6 The Metacomet was the last local steamer built with an and crosshead, and the after end to a single crankshaft A- frame or gallows-frame, an arrangement with two which turned both wheels. The walking beam rocked heavy steel parallel structures running fore and aft, with the up and down motion of dle piston rod, connected at their tops by a strong transverse bar. On moving about 10 feet at each stroke. The distinctive the inner side of each "A" there was a vertical track to shape of the walking beam was seen in dle Woods Hole guide the extreme ends of the heavy cross head as it area for about 74 years, beginning with the George Law moved up and down with each stroke of the engine's and ending in 1928 widl the first Uncatena. piston rod. The upper end of the piston rod was After the Telegraph and Massa chusetts began using attached to dle center of the crosshead forming a "T." Hyannis as a mainland port, they came under dle Near each end of the cross head were fastened the ownership of dle newly-formed Nantucket and Cape connecting rods which extended down to dle Cod Steamboat Co. To serve Woods Hole and dle paddlewheel crankshafts. Vineyard, the New Bedford, Vineyard and Nantucket In the newer "walking beam" or "vertical-beam" Steamboat Co. was formed and brought dle new arrangement, dle engine was located forward of the side-wheeler Eagle's Wing into service in dle fall of1854 centerline between the paddle wheels. The walking under Captain James Barker. Captain Barker was beam was mounted on a transverse axle midway popular with the traveling public, but when he was between the engine and the paddle wheels. The forward succeeded by Captain Benjamin Cromwell, Nantucket end was attached to the piston rod via connecting rods passengers began to shift their allegiance to the Island Steamers Monohansect and Martha's Vineyard at railroad wharf, Woods Hole, 1895. Photo by Baldwin Coolidge. Courtesy WHHC. 7 Home on the more direct Hyannis line. The Eagle's Bedford the next year the Old Colony Railroad Wing, operating at a loss, dropped New Bedford and extended its line about a mile, from the railroad station Nantucket and ran only between Woods Hole and the to Steamship Pier. Things were indeed improving. Vineyard. In the summer of 1861, en route to With increasing demand for passenger service to tlle Providence to pick up some excursionists, she caught islands, the New Bedford, Vineyard and Nantucket fire and was destroyed. Woods Hole was again without Steamboat Co. in 1871 purchased the River Queen and steamer service, but not for long, as the engine and built the Martha's Vineyard to run with tlle shaft of the Eagle's Wing were salvaged and used in the Monohansett. At tlle end of one season, however, the new Monohansett. River Queen was sold to the Nantucket and Cape Cod Named for an islet in Lackey's Bay on the south side Steamboat Co. to serve along with the Island Home. of Naushon, the Monohansett started service The Old Colony Railroad chartered tlle Monohansett connecting New Bedford, Woods Hole and Edgartown for a short time in 1873, then later chartered both tlle in May, 1862, when the Civil War was in full swing. River Queen and the Island Home to cover a Woods Steamers of any sort were sorely needed by the Union Hole· Oak Bluffs - Nantucket run. The Vineyard boat and the Monohansett served briefly as a troop carrier line ran a Woods Hole - Vineyard Haven - Edgartown that summer but was back on her regular route by route, extended in 1879 to New Bedford. By this time October. The next summer she was chartered again Woods Hole had a population of 500 and was still and was used by General U.S. Grant as a despatch boat gradually growing. on the Potomac River and around Cape Hatter.' . ,.&'t the end of the war she returned to her home waters The first or tenta··ve phase of steamer service lasted and resumed service in July, 1865, and served from 1818 tllIOUg~ the Civil War. The second phase continuously on her island route until retired in 1902. included the establishment of steady service between Woods Hole was growing. As late as 1862, the New Bedford and the islands by way of Woods Hole. Vineyard boat line was using a pier in little Harbor, Beginning with the Canonicus almost all the steamers just south of the pier put up in 1857 when the for half a century were of the same general design: lighthouse Service supply depot was established in relatively long, somewhat broad and squat, two-decker, Woods Hole.