1846:

"Although mention has been made of supplies ferried in the 1840s from Fort Vancouver across the Columbia en route to the Willamette Valley – probably on the same crude log rafts that brought the settlers down from the Dalles and Cascades – no regular public ferry service was run by a white American until John Switzler Jr.’s in 1846. Switzer Jr., an 1845 immigrant from Virginia, settled on his land claim – present day Hayden Island – on the South Bank of the Columbia River opposite Fort Vancouver on the North Bank in September, 1846.

His first crude row ferry, probably equipped with a sail, was to carry mainly foot traffic of Oregonians trading at the HBC post. This ferry was run sporadically by Mr. Switzler Sr. and his sons for nearly a decade."

1854:

"Although ferries on the Columbia should have some under federal regulation, a general act “of the Regulation of Ferries”, passed Jan. 27, 1854, makes no mention of such a thing. In 1854, The Washington Territory passed an act regulating governance of such craft. Patterned after the Oregon law, the law would be changed little over the next several years. Despite provision for local regulation, the territorial legislature granted many charters establishing many rates of ferriage – granting eleven authorizations from 1854 to 1859 and nine from 1865 to 1869."

1850:

"Indeed, as early as 1850, Mr. Forbes Barclay licensed himself with the government to run a ferry upriver a short way from Vancouver at what was called the upper landing at the Indian Village."

1851, 1854, 1855, Washougal, Lake River, Lewis River:

"In 1851, on December 2nd, a license was “granted” to William Goodwin to establish a ferry from the head of Lady Island to above the mouth of the Washougal River. Other licenses granted in that period were to David C. Parker on June 10, 1854, for the same area; James Carty, on Lake River slough and O.W. Bozorth on the Cathlapoodle – present Lewis River – on March 7, 1855."

1855:

"In 1855, with John Switzler Jr. taking over operation from his father, the Switzler ferry provided a more regular service for the next several years and was subject to some of the new licensing and regulations.

On April 5, 1855, the county commissioners of Multnomah County established the following rates of ferriage across the Columbia River to Vancouver for the Switzler operation: “For each foot passenger 50 cents; man and horse $1.00; wagon and span $2.00; each additional animal 25 cents. Each cart of buggy and animal, $1.50; each head of horses or cattle 50 cents; each sheep or hog 25 cents; each hundred pounds of freight not on wagon, 25 cents.”

For these fees, Switzler was required to pay $10 per annum. To continue the trip from Vancouver to Switzler Island it was necessary to take the Love ferry across the Columbia Slough – also referred to at that time by the paradoxical name of Love’s Slough – to Portland. At that same meeting rates were set for Lewis Love as follows: “For wagon and animal 25 cents; man on horseback 10 cents; foot passenger 5 cents; loose animals 5 cents.” He was required to pay a fee of $5 a year.

$1.00 for a man and his team to be ferried across the Columbia and then an additional 25 cents to be ferried across the Slough seems a heavy fee for the times, but on July 3, 1855, Lewis Love made application for a new schedule of fees. “Foot passengers 12 cents; horse or mule 12 cents; man on horse 25 cents; wagon and one horse 37 cents; wagon with two horses 50 cents.” It was granted. Only July 31, 1855, John Switzler was allowed $250 for building a bridge along what was then known as the Columbia Bottoms.

After the Switzlers quit ferrying, Wesley Van Schuyver ran a service to the Oregon shore, charging fees of : $1 per person; $3 for man on horseback; $2 for horse, mule or cow; $3 for horse and wagon; and $6 for a team and wagon. Hogs and sheep did not carry such a lofty charge at only 24 cents each. Even at these prices – finding the run unprofitable – he discontinued it in a few months, after which there was no regular service across the Columbia at Vancouver for sixteen years."