Jones Ferry was one of at least 11 old ferries once located in Wilcox County

View from Bridgeport City Landing.

Back in the 19^th century heyday of heavy Alabama River traffic, in the golden age of steamboats and other such vessels, numerous ferry crossings could be found all along the river as it flowed through Wilcox County. The other day, I was looking through some historical maps and counted no less than 11 old ferry crossings along the Alabama River in Wilcox County. One such ferry, Jones Ferry, caught my eye with particular interest.

Historical records reflect that Jones Ferry was located at Bridgeport, and this ferry site can be found on maps dating as far back as 1870. Bridgeport, which is located almost due north of Camden, was known to exist as early as 1838 and was named for politician John Wells Bridges. As many readers will know, Bridgeport played a vital role in Wilcox County’s early history and in the growth of Camden as the county seat.

If you take a close look at maps of the Alabama River, you’ll see that the biggest bend in the river is in Wilcox County, and this giant bend had a big impact on early river travelers in Wilcox County. Prior to the completion of the Millers Ferry Lock and Dam in 1974, it was about 40 miles around this great bend in the river from Bridgeport to Burfords Landing, but the distance between the two points on a straight line across the county was only about eight miles. It was only four miles from Bridgeport to Camden and seven miles from Camden to Burfords Landing.

As you might imagine, this 40-mile bend in the river created a unique situation for riverboat travelers and also provided a unique opportunity for the young town of Camden. Passengers coming up from Mobile would often get off their boat a Burfords Landing, travel overland to Camden and spend half the day there before traveling overland to Bridgeport to get back on the same boat that they’d gotten off of earlier in the day. On the other side of the coin, travelers headed south on the river from Montgomery could get off the boat at Bridgeport, conduct any business they had in Camden and then catch the boat again at Burfords Landing to continue south.

With all of this in mind, I took a ride up to Bridgeport City Landing on Friday for a good look around. I parked, walked past a couple of unoccupied pickup trucks that were hooked to a pair of empty boat trailers and made my way down to the water’s edge. As I stood there in the quiet, watching the peaceful waters flow by, I couldn’t help but wonder what this place looked like in the early days of the county’s history.

I stood there on the wooden dock for what seemed like a long time, and a number of other questions came to mind. How far from this landing was the original site of the old Jones Ferry? How far was the landing from the old Bridgeport town site? Perhaps both were located right where I stood, but it was hard to tell from available maps.

As I watched a skinny, green lizard scurry along the dock’s rough deck, I was reminded that the old Bridges Cemetery was a short drive from where I stood. In fact, this historic cemetery is where John Wells Bridges was buried when he passed away in 1858. A glance at my wristwatch told me that the day was drawing late, so a trip to the Bridges Cemetery would have to wait for another day.

I did attempt to visit Bridgeport Beach, which is a short drive up County Road 37 from the boat landing, but was disappointed by a locked gate and a sign that said “Closed for Season.” As I turned around at the gate, I wondered if perhaps the old Jones Ferry was located at what we now call Bridgeport Beach. Maybe this location was also closer to the old Bridgeport town site.

In the end, as I guided my truck toward home, I couldn’t help but wonder about the old Jones Ferry and the old Bridgeport community. Exactly where were they located? Are there any remnants left of either that can be seen if you know where to look? I’d be interested in hearing from anyone in the reading audience who knows because it would be a shame to let the locations of these important historic sites fade into the lost memories of the county’s past.