Comment: Standing at the foot of Beaver Dam Rd., looking south. The marina is to the right.

Comment: From the foot of Beaver Dam Rd., looking north.

Comment: Looking south.

Comment: Looking south. Carman's River is to the left. One of two man-made canals.

Comment:

Comment: Looking north along the river. The house seen in the distance is no longer present. It may be the house identified on the 1873 Beers and 1888 Wendelken maps as belonging to J. Carman. Or perhaps it is the house identified in the 1858 Beaver Dam Road Survey as belonging to Moses Swezey, which was apparently the most easterly house on Beaver Dam Road. In the 1860 Census, Moses Swezey and Joseph Carman were living adjacent or near to each other. It was later the Michelson Boarding House/Summer Hotel.

Note that there is no gazebo in this picture – dating the post card pre-gazebo, if one knew when the gazebo was first constructed

Comment:

Comment: From the collection of postcards at the Post-Morrow Foundation. On the reverse side, in an unknown hand, is written: "At the dock: Capt. 'Bythe' Gerardi -- 'Fannie Fern'" In the lower right, in what appears to be a different hand, is written: "Marie M. Barteau"

Comment: Squassux Landing was the terminus for ferry service to the Smith's Point ocean beach in the early 20th century.

Ken Spooner has a collection of early Smith's Point photographs and commentary at
http://www.geocities.com/shirleyguy2004/SmithPoint.html

Comment: The "Fanny Fern," one of the ferries to the Smith Point beach which operated from Squassux Landing.

On backside of post card is written "1905?"

Comment: Operated by Captain Abitha Gerard.

Comment: The "captain" standing at the center is likely Captain Abitha Gerard. Captain Gerard was described as "rather natty. He had a blue coat with brass buttons and a captain's hat …." His competitor ferryman, Captain Frank Smith "looked like a mountaineer. He had a black hat and old baggy clothes and a beard." (Alfred Nelson, 1983)

Comment: One copy of this post card has a check mark besides the center sail boat and a notation on the back side which reads: "Capt. Frank Smith's ferry-boat."
Captain Smith's ferry was called then Woodmere.

Comment: This is likely the Capt. Frank Smith's ferry, the "Woodmere," identified above.

See image 198 for notation on the back.

While the backside notation indicates that they are sailing out of the Carman's River, this notation is in a different hand. Also note that there is a building off the starboard bow of the boat. I do not know of any likely building between Squassux Landing and the mouth of the river.

I believe it more likely they are sailing east, after crossing the Bay. To the starboard is Fire Island; off the port bow is Smith's Point. The building is probably the old Smith's Point Beach Inn.

It also appears as if they are nearly becalmed -- certainly not making much of a wake.

Comment:

Comment: Destination of the Ferries from Squassux Landing.

This is likely the structure to the right of the ferry in the above picture.

There has long been a beach resort type of structure where the Smith Point Bridge comes across today. In addition to ferry service from several locations, there were several wooden bridges erected, which were regularly destroyed by winter ice and storms.

Comment: The sailboat at the center looks to me as if it is Capt. Frank Smith's ferry, with the little open structure a waiting area on his dock.

The other sailboat to the right may also be a ferry, the same boat as Image 157 above