Since the 1600s, ferries have operated from Staten Island to Brooklyn, Manhattan and New Jersey. The first ferries were rowboats, although sailboats were used at times.

The early 1800s saw flat-bottomed sloops moving farm animals and produce, as well as people. In 1817, Daniel D. Tompkins, who later became Governor of New York (and Vice President of the U.S.), began steamboat service between Whitehall Street in New York and Staten Island with his ferryboat the Nautilus. Team ferries propelled by horses also existed, but eventually they were replaced by the steam engine. Since the early 1960s diesel engines have powered the Staten Island ferryboats.

In 1886, transportation was improved when Erastus Wiman developed a hub connecting ferries and railroad after obtaining the options for the property from George Law whom he canonized by naming the area around the Ferry Terminal "Saint George."

It 1905, New York City took over the Staten Island Ferry introducing five new boats named after each of the City's boroughs and set the fare of 5 cents. Like then, the trip takes 25 minutes across the 5.2 miles (8.37 kilometers) of Upper New York Bay between the St. George Terminal in Staten Island and the Whitehall Terminal in lower Manhattan. Over time the boats were replaced and in 1997 the fare was abolished making the ride on the world famous Staten Island Ferry one of the very few free New York experiences.

The Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Richmond, and Queens were once the biggest ferries on the east coast. Launched in 1905, boat officers claimed that they were powerful and maneuverable, but the city reported that the engines were heavy and expensive to operate and required excessive amounts of high grade lubricants. Because the boilers were placed in pairs, two forward and two aft, each boat needed two gangs of coal passers who were physically separated from one another. For this reason the boat had wide-stacks and a symmetrical outline. Hugh Powell Postcard Collection.

The Bronx, no date. On April 27, 1928, a five-foot wave swept over the Bronx. Five people were knocked overboard, two were rescued, and three were drowned. Hugh Powell Postcard Collection.

The Richmond, no date. In 1944, the Borough Class boat Richmond was converted to a barge. Hugh Powell Postcard Collection.

The Mayor Gaynor, President Roosevelt and the American Legion (shown) were known as Single Class Ferries. They were similar to the Borough Class of boats, except for the improved seating arrangement. The American Legion had more steel in her wooden superstructure than the President Roosevelt, and featured the first oil-burner in the fleet. The hull of the American Legion gave it a blunt nose effect that caused water to roll in front of her, instead of parting it with the water running under its guards. This action, threw salt water up and onto the cars, and irritated crew members and car owners. The American Legion was thus dubbed the Wet Wash Boat by ferry hands.

World War II soldiers aboard the President Roosevelt, circa 1940s. Ferries and Railroads Collection.

Mayor Gaynor, no date. In 1914 the Mayor Gaynor was built as a relief vessel for the Brooklyn 39th Street and Staten Island Ferries. Ferries and Railroads Collection.

The Miss New York was a member of the Gold Star Mother Class. All members of this class were named for woman, with the other two ferries christened the Gold Star Mother and the Mary Murray. In 1982, the Miss New York was renovated to serve as an Art Deco-style floating restaurant adjacent to the Bridgeport, Connecticut railroad station. Ferries & Railroads Collection.

Main engine of the Mary Murray with Bob Pavis and engineer William Brown at work. Ferries & Railroads Collection.

Gold Star Mother, no date. This class of ships and the boat of the same name derived its moniker from the designation given to mothers who lost sons during World War II.

The Cornelius G. Kolff, a member of the Merrell Class, under construction at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in MarinerÕs Harbor, Staten Island, 1950. Ferries and Railroads Collection.

John F. Kennedy, no date. Its sister ships in the John F. Kennedy Class are the Gov. Herbert H. Lehman and the American Legion. Ferries and Railroads Collection.

The Alice Austen and the John A. Noble, of the Alice Austen Class, were built by the Robert Derecktor shipyards in Middletown, Rhode Island. Weighing in at 500 gross-tons, they are smaller than the Barberi Class and carry 1,200 people. For this reason these boats are generally used for night runs. Both the Alice Austen and the John A. Noble were launched on January 3, 1986. Photo: Henryk Behnke. Ferries & Railroads Collection.

The Molinari Class consists of the Guy V. Molinari (2004), the John J. Marchi (2005), and the Spirit of America (2006). Holding 4,440 passengers, the boats weigh 3,000 tons and are 310 feet long. They closely resemble the Kennedy Class boats. This class features a fourth level hurricane deck, where for the first time passengers have access to the top of the boat. Photo: Henryk Behnke. Ferries & Railroads Collection.

John J. Marchi, May 20, 2005. The John J. Marchi joined the Staten Island Ferry fleet on the 84th birthday of the United States' longest serving legislator. This date also marked the official re-opening of the Saint George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island. Photo: Henryk Behnke. Ferries & Railroads Collection.