The Long Way
Lincoln and Ferry Counties County
A floating dock on a lake with a ferry approaching in the background.
Plate I. Landing ramp and boat, Keller Ferry. Photograph by SounderBruce, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A blue and white ferry boat on the water with hills in the background.
Plate II. Ferry boat, Keller Ferry. Photograph by Trystan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A ferry boat on a body of water with hills in the background.
Plate III. M/V Sanpoil vessel, Keller Ferry. From wsdot.wa.gov
A ferry boat travels across a body of water with hills in the background.
Plate IV. Ferry boat Sanpoil, Keller Ferry. Photograph by Trystan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Keller Ferry

Wilbur, Lincoln and Ferry Counties County, Washington. Ferry service.

Details

Map. Wilbur, Lincoln and Ferry Counties County, Washington. Larger map
Where
Wilbur, Lincoln and Ferry Counties County, WA. No street address stated. Directions
When
6:00 a.m. to Midnight, seven days per week; last run 11:30 p.m.
Getting there
State Route 21 on the Columbia River; Wilbur 14 miles to the south, Republic 53 miles north.
Fees
There is no cost to use the Keller Ferry.
Access
Capacity is 20 cars and 149 passengers; maximum legally loaded truck-and-trailer weight is 105,500 lbs and maximum vehicle length is 100 ft. Oversize loads should call the WSDOT Davenport office in advance.
Walk-in or reserve
On-demand service; the crew waits at either landing until a vehicle appears.
Phone
509-324-6583
Website
wsdot.wa.gov
Managed by
WSDOT, Eastern Region, Maintenance Area 3 in Davenport.
Established
1890s.

Ferry crossing on Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, in service since the 1890s, that carries State Route 21 between the Colville Indian Reservation in Ferry County and Clark in Lincoln County.

Notable Events

  1. 1930The state Department of Highways began operating the Keller Ferry on September 1, 1930. historylink.org
  2. 1935The original ferry across the Columbia River. The "Keller" was a cable ferry with a motor pulling the boat along a cable that spanned the width of the river. web.archive.org
  3. 1939Between 1939 and 1942 the water level of the Columbia gradually increased due to construction of the Grand Coulee Dam a short distance downstream. The original ferry landing was flooded in by 1939. historylink.org
  4. 1939The L.A. McLeod was launched in 1939. This was a "side-wheeler.". web.archive.org
  5. 1944In 1944, the "San Poil" barge was pushed across the river with a tugboat, the "Ann of Wilbur.". web.archive.org
  6. 1948The vessel is named in honor of Martha Shain, the wife of Washington Director of Highways Clarence Shain. historylink.org
  7. 2010The Washington State Department of Transportation determined that the aged vessel needed to be replaced; the contract was won by Foss Maritime Company. historylink.org
  8. 2013The newer, larger, and more modern ferry replaces the 65-year-old Martha S, which was retired a month earlier. historylink.org

People

  • Glen James, Sanpoil tribal elder who blessed the MV Sanpoil before its launch.
  • Jeanne Jerred, Sanpoil tribal elder, sponsor who christened the MV Sanpoil.
  • Mel Novotny, Original pilot of the Martha S.
  • J. C. Keller, Took over the ferry run; the crossing became known as the Keller Ferry.
  • Martha Shain, Namesake of the ferry Martha S, wife of Washington Director of Highways Clarence Shain.
  • William Latta, Operated the Keller Ferry run before the state took control.

Sources

  1. wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries/ferries-terminals/other-ferry-systems/keller-ferry
  2. historylink.org/File/7225
  3. historylink.org/File/11078
  4. web.archive.org/web/20130707043024/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR21/KellerFerry/HistoricalPhotos.htm