Newport Ferry Company
Copied from original contract between James Taylor and Robert Air and on file at the Campbell County Historical Society
This contract made this 1st day of October 1844 between James Taylor of
Campbell County and State of Kentucky, party of the first part, and Robert Air
of the same county and state party of the second part. Witnesses:
The said Taylor leases to said Robert Air his ferry across the Ohio River from his landing in front of Newport to the Cincinnati side to commence on the first day of April 1845 and to continue five years from that time. The said Robert Air binds himself to pay said Taylor the sum of one thousand dollars a year rent for said Ferry which rent is reserved and payable in money and in lawful money of the United States and to be paid monthly, and should the said party of the second at any time be more than thirty days in arrears in paying up each month's rent of said ferry. The said Taylor reserves to himself the privilege of re-entering and taking possession of the same, but said part of the second part is not to have the right to give up or abandon said ferry, and the said Taylor shall be at liberty to proceed to recover each moths rent or any arrears of rent whenever the said party of the second part shall omit to pay the same for a longer term than thirty days during this lease.
The said Robert Air is to keep a good steam ferry boat for the purpose of conveying passengers, wagons and carriages during this lease across the Ohio River from the landing in front of Newport to the landing at Cincinnati aforesaid, and he is also to keep a good wharf boat & other conveniences such as a shelter on the same to shield persons from the rain, and all other necessary boats and crafts such as flats and skiffs for the purpose of conveying passengers, wagons, carts, carriages & produce across said ferry. The said Robert Air is to keep said Taylor free from all damages should he or any of his hands neglect to keep said ferry in a correct and attentive manner, and to keep said Taylor free from all fines and damages on account of any injury that may be done, either to boats, persons or property by himself or his hands employed during the continuance of this lease.
And should the county court of this county require boats to be kept at any other point on the River above or below the present landing the said Robert Air is to provide such boats as may be required for the purpose of transporting passengers across said ferry to Cincinnati.
The said Robert Air is to crop forward and backward from Newport to Cincinnati and from Cincinnati to Newport all of said Taylor's family, his sons-in-laws family free of charge and also all persons and agents engaged in said Taylor's employ; also all his wagons, carts, carriages, & horses & produce and any other thing he may wish to have taken over and brought back as also anything of his sons or sons-on-law and such of his and their servants as may be sent across said ferry free of charge.
The said Robert Air is to ferry free of charge said Taylor's Gardner's and his half of the products of his garden at Sergeant's Gap, and at the Horner place on Covert's Run. The said Taylor agrees that in case the County Court of Campbell should establish another ferry and vest the right in any one else beside said Taylor across the Ohio River from Newport to Cincinnati then he will deduct so much from the rent as its value is decreased by the establishing of any such ferry, and in case the said parties cannot agree as to the amount to be deducted. They are each to choose an individual of honorable standing to arbitrate the matter with power for those two so chosen in case they differ to choose an umpire whose award shall be conclusive on the subject and binding on the parties.
The said Robert Air binds himself to keep the landing to the ferry in good order and repair and to save said Taylor harmless and free from all fines and presentments relative to the same. Said Taylor agrees that said Robert Air shall have the full and free use of said Ferry and possession to be given him of the same on the first day of April next. And the said Taylor is not to exercise the privilege himself or to grant it to any one during this lease.
The said Robert Air is bound to fulfill all the covenants and stipulations in this contract and lease. It is expressly understood that this contract and lease is not to be assigned, set over or transferred in any way to any one without the consent of said Taylor in writing endorse on this lease. The part of the second part is to keep a steam ferry boat at said ferry during the continuance of this lease. As witness our hands & seals this 1st day of October 1844.
Witness: James Taylor Jr. Signed James Taylor and Robert Air
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I, Edward J Hooper of the County of Campbell and the State of Kentucky, do herby bind myself, my heirs, executors & administrators, that the stipulations and covenants in this foregoing lease & agreement made between James Taylor & Robert Air shall be complied with an the part of the said Airs in every particular hereby Guarantees that this same shall be in all its term fully complied with the said Air & I have myself as security to said Taylor for this same term complied with by said Air. As witness my hand & seal this 4 October 1844
Witness: James Taylor Jr. Signed Edward J Hooper
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Cincinnati Daily Gazette, Thursday, 7 April 1853, page 4
A new and substantial ferry boat is being built for the Newport ferry company.
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Cincinnati Commercial Tribune, Monday, 18 January 1858, page 2
A common glass lamp filled with lard oil, coal oil, and how many other liquids is not known, exploded on one of the Newport ferry boats, Friday night and injured the engineer somewhat. His escape from serious damage was fortunate.
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Letter concerning the Newport Ferry, March 22, 1858
Colonel James Taylor, Dear Sir, The Newport Ferry Co would like to obtain a loan from the Northern Bank of three thousand dollars for four months, the building of our new boat rebuilding after this conflagration, has cost us about nineteen thousand dollars.
Now we have one note of a thousand in the Northern Bank, the process of the above favors, is to take it up & we have sundry small ones out, which we would like to take up & be done with & if we get the accommodation, we can proceed to deposit the receipts of the ferry twice a week, as we shall have another use for them, & should relieve us of the anxiety of watching over the sundry little ones which is only an annoyance. Signed Robert Air
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Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, 26 October 1860, page 2
CITY AND SUBURBAN
ANOTHER PUBLIC CONVENIENCE-The Pendleton Railway Company have established a line of omnibuses, which will run in connection with their cars, connecting with the Newport Ferry, running up Lawrence to Congress street, along Congress to Broadway, up Broadway to Fourth street, connecting on the corner of Fourth and Vine with all the street railways in the city. This will afford a great convenience to our Newport friends.
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Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, 31 January 1862, page 3
NEWPORT NEWS
Yesterday morning US Surveyor Ed Mariana, of this city, seized a large box containing ninety army overcoats, which were being shipped across the river on the Newport ferry boat. The good were shipped by the firm of Mack & Worms, Main street, Cincinnati and were directed to the care of a man named Spechtholx on Cabot street.
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Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 September 1867, page 3
The Newport Ferry Company has stopped selling quarterly tickets. Hereafter they will be sold in packages of one hundred at $1.25 per package.
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Newport Ferry Company July 8, 1876
This lease is extended two years from its termination at
once and said Air to build tr?? a new steam boat, now in process of building
which is to be got out this fall. July 8, 1876
Signed James Taylor Jr. and Robert Air
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Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 May 1891, page 2
Among the steamboat men of Cincinnati are none whose names are more familiar to the older residents and general public than that of Henry L Howe, Superintendent of the Newport Ferry Company. Identified with the extensive shipping interests of this city for years, his face is indeed a familiar one, not only to those who are connected with the river commerce, but also to the thousands who daily pass through the ferry gates on their way between the two cities.
For a long time he was connected with the various boats on the river in the capacity of chief engineer among them in palatial steamers running between St Louis and New Orleans. It was at Mr. Howe's office at the ferry landing on the Newport side that the writer found him. As nearly every one knows, Superintendent Howe's office is at the landing of the ferry on the Newport side. He resides at East Fourth street, Newport.