A Ferry near Mount Union

Did you know? The crossing at Drake's Ferry, just above Mount Union, went from a ferry to a series of bridges.

Samuel Drake established the ferry in 1783, a short distance above the town. His tavern and stables on the north side of the river were a noted stopping place, where travelers arrived in the evening and left in the morning. A county bridge later stood there, and the flood of October 1847 took it out. "Drake's Ferry and Mill Creek bridges are both gone," the Huntingdon Journal reported. In February 1848 the county let a new bridge to John Robertson for $3,395. In 1876 the county advertised again, for a wooden bridge across the Juniata at Drake's Ferry, near Mount Union, and in November 1877 the Journal reported the new bridge completed, with the occasion celebrated by a sumptuous dinner.

Myer Souders shared this photograph with us. He tells us it shows the ferry near Mount Union before the 1870s. Look at the horse and wagon riding across, and the men with their poles.

Checked 2026-10-09 · County histories and primary sources, read in full

← All stories from Mount Union borough

Have something to add to this story, or a photograph of it? Send it here →