Connecticut's General Court reached a decision in 1651 to construct a much needed bridge over the Connecticut River at Hartford. It took an additional 160 years for the span to be built. In the interim, a half dozen ferries operated up and down the Connecticut, with the first trips beginning in 1641. The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry, put into service in 1769, still makes the five minute crossing today.
     At one time, the trip was worth three pence for a man and his horse. Recently, local residents are outraged with doubling of fares. The trip now costs five dollars and almost 2 dollars for additional riders. Commuters say they'd rather drive extra miles than pay the extra 25 dollars per week. The state argues that two of the local ferries lose more than a half a million dollars per year. It could be just a bad feeling, but one has to envision an end to the Seldon III's (ferry) trips across the Connecticut River.