Not many people are aware of the prolonged presence of the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry on Lake Chautauqua since 1811. At first, a small wooden raft was rowed or pulled side by side at a distance of 1,000 feet.
Now it is a 60-ton flat steel ferry constructed in 1929, powered by a large diesel engine from Cummins. The ferry is quickly improved to a hand-hewed wooden raft capable of carrying cows, cattle, horses, and the car from taking a few families from its farm in Bemus Point to Stow. At present, the ferry is a 66′ by 34′ steel barge covering by a wooden deck, with a one-man pilot house, at each corner, after many reinventions of size, shape, and propulsion. It is strong enough to carry 9 cars with many people and can accommodate up to 50 people without a vehicle.