Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry carries three cars across Connecticut River on route dating to 1655

pc: Connecticut Department of Transportation A ferry has crossed the Connecticut River between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury since 1655, when the service began with a small raft pushed across the river using long poles. Over the centuries, the ferry has changed from horse-powered and steam-driven vessels to its current operation. Today, the three-car Hollister III, an open flatboat, is towed across the river by the diesel-powered Cumberland. The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry operates from April through November, providing a direct river crossing for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists. According to the Connecticut Department of Transportation, it is the oldest continuously operational ferry in the United States.How the ferry changed from horsepower to a diesel towboatThe ferry has changed considerably since its early days. At one point, horses on treadmills in the centre of the craft provided the power needed to move it across the river. CTDOT's history of the ferry states that it was modernised in 1876, when the service moved to steam-driven craft.The ferry's current operation uses a different form of propulsion. CTDOT describes today's vessel as an open flatboat named the Hollister I...