In February 11, 1785 – Kentucky’s oldest continuous business, the Valley View Ferry, was granted “a perpetual and irrevocable” franchise by the Virginia General Assembly seven years before Kentucky achieved statehood.
Gov. Patrick Henry signed the charter for John Craig, a Revolutionary War veteran who acquired land near the Kentucky River through a land grant for his service in the American Revolution. Connecting Madison County and Jessamine County via KY169, the ferry continued as a private enterprise for 206 years, operated by seven different families spanning the decades. In 1991, the ferry was purchased by Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, and the counties of Jessamine and Madison for $60,000.
Movie buffs might recognize the ferry in the 1967 film “The Film Flam Man” starring George C. Scott.
The Valley View Ferry safely transported 14,204 passengers in July of 2025.