Railroad Ferry Dock: (Satellite, a grain elebator has repurposed the river front)
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| Helena On the Mississippi posted As this photograph proves, the railroad ferry that served Helena was in existence well into the diesel locomotive era. In this photo, the "Pelican" ferry stands by as the train moves off and rolls into Helena. Al Haraway: That trestle was on wheels and the ferry would push into it to raise it to the correct level for the train to drive off. I watched it several times while playing along the levee with friends, John Tappan and Jim Topp. Paul Jevert shared Illinois Central's Navy, the Pelican Memphis to Helena AK on the Mississippi ! |
Yazoo & Mississippi Valley became part of the Illinois Central.
Given the doors along the side, the single story part of the building was obviously a freight house. But the two story part must have been a depot because the interior is way too fancy for a freight house.
When you see that it takes a 4-tower cantiliver bridge for the road to cross the Mississippi River here, one understands why this railroad ferry ran so late into the 20th Century. Now there is no railroad crossing in the area.
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| 1961 Latour Quad @ 62,500 |
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| Street View, Oct 2013 |
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| David Shepard, Oct 2016 |
Given the doors along the side, the single story part of the building was obviously a freight house. But the two story part must have been a depot because the interior is way too fancy for a freight house.
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| John Hedrick, Mar 2019 |
When you see that it takes a 4-tower cantiliver bridge for the road to cross the Mississippi River here, one understands why this railroad ferry ran so late into the 20th Century. Now there is no railroad crossing in the area.
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| John A. Weeks III via Dennis DeBruler |
Technically, it is a sidewheeler even though the wheels are near the stern. It was built in 1902. "She worked at Vicksburg, Mississippi as a car ferry until the bridge was built in 1929. She then went to Helena, Arkansas where she was a railroad transfer ferry between Trotters Point, Mississippi and Helena. She did that until 1960 when her superstructure was removed and the hull was used as a transfer barge." This page has a photo of it being dismantled, but the copyright doesn't permit copies even for non-profit educational use. [Wisconsin-library]
"Helena is the only downtown on the Mississippi River for the 300 miles between Memphis and Vicksburg, making it the perfect launching point for any river adventure." [VisitHelenaAR]
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| Helena On the Mississippi posted 1960: Believe it or not, this photograph was taken in the winter of 1960 by Ernie Deane of the steam ferry "Pelican" at Helena, Arkansas. The Pelican appeared to be the last steam powered train ferry on the Mississippi River. It carried railcars and locomotives between Helena, Arkansas and Lula, Mississippi. Deane, who passed away in 1961, was a well known Arkansas journalist who was a frequent visitor to Helena in the late 1950s and early 60s. (Arkansas History Commission Archives) [A comment indicates that in the early 1950s it was one of 5 train ferries operating in the US.] Gregg Cook: The Pelican was pushed by a barge after a failed diesel refit up into the early seventies. At least that's what my research said. It was stated that a tug pushed it across the river after an early 60s failed refit. Alice Robertson: My favorite was being on one of the ferries and passing the Pelican. We used to go watch it unload while we were waiting on the other side! When we moved from Mississippi to Arkansas, our furniture was loaded on a train car in Webb and came across on the Pelican. [An example of the impact of trucks on the railroad industry. Can you imagine any furniture being shipped in a train car today?] Doug Taylor: The Pelican was something very special: Can't tell you how many times back in the 1940's & early 50's growing up in Helena that I went down to the Levee to see the Pelican load & head for the Mississippi shore of The River; Its specifications, slightly more than a football field in length, that, to the mind of an old man, is impressive even to this day! It would be to the detriment of all, especially future generations, not to see the history & importance of Helena's history preserved for future generations. |
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| Gary Chamness commented on the above post Pelican at work in the Helena Harbor.... [Note that it is being unloaded by a steam locomotive instead of a diesel.] |
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| EncyclopediaOfArkansas, Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville "The Pelican, which ferried trains across the Mississippi River between Trotters Point in Mississippi and Helena (Phillips County). It was the only crossing the Illinois Central Railroad had into Arkansas." |
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