Dering Harbor’s Discovery Changes Shelter Island Forever Part 8 of 9 Compiled by Patricia Shillingburg

Catering to Visitors    After Captain Preston had installed docking facilities in Dering Harbor, resident Islanders soon pressed for public access roads to shorten the route for shipping farm produce direct to the railhead in the increasingly important Village of Greenport. When the Camp Meeting Association bought the ferry company for $4,250 in 1873, the Town sought an agreement on the year-round use of the Prospect wharf but was for some reason rebuffed. The ire of the natives was further aroused by the doubling of the 12-cent passenger fare during the four winter months. The Manhanset House, on the other hand, offered use of its dock in the off season, from September 15 to June 15, provided the Town would share maintenance costs and not use the terminal building for storage. The townspeople declared themselves “much pleased with the liberal and friendly spirit of the Shelter Island Park Association” in contrast to that of the Brooklyn company, and were “almost unanimously” in favor of building a road “from the center of the Island” to the Manhanset dock. This road, which no doubt followed an old lane across the fields, is known today as Manhanset Road.       At about the same time, Professor Horsford had ‘a very fine avenue laid out through his place to connect with the Manhanset House by a bridge, which will shorten the distance between that place and Prospect about 2 miles; adding much to the convenience of procuring teams from the livery stables.’ 3  That avenue probably followed the east side of Gardiner’s Creek and crossed a bridge at Julia Havens’ Creek.... Winthrop Road was not opened up until 1881; whereupon at a cost of $350, a bridge was thrown across Gardiner’s Creek, further reducing the distance between the two hotels. Still later—about 1884 Professor Horsford laid a new road from Gardiner’s Creek to Coecles Harbor; presumably it is the Cobbetts Lane of today.       When Waldo Kraemer came to Shelter Island in 1901, at the age of ten, no roads were oiled. The Heights had a watering truck that came around every day. All other transportation was by horse drawn vehicles. The Oxford House had a stage to pick up guests at the ferry.       The side-wheeled ferry, The Menantic, ran a triangle course: From Greenport to the Heights, then to Manhanset, and then back to Greenport. Consequently, if you had a horse drawn vehicle and wished to go to Greenport, you drove on at the Heights slip and then drove off at Manhanset, drove around a circle and then back aboard. Otherwise you would be headed the wrong way in Greenport. Horses are not well equipped with reverse gears, and also would have been head to head with the new arrivals at Manhanset. No matter -- time did not mean so much.     Many of the more affluent residents had horses and carriages. Uniformed coach men, good horse flesh, silver mounted harnesses, etc., so when the Menantic pulled into Manhanset many guests manned the porch in front of the ballroom to comment wisely on the rigs, the horses (to say nothing of the riders) and to  enjoy the excitement as the rigs, in turning the circle, were practically on parade. The Heights had a whole nest of stables back of the Association barns.      Waldo Kraemer remembered when there were no bridges: The creek was our first big find. Mr. Raynor has a livery stable across the creek [Chase Creek]. The office was directly opposite the Post Office. This arrangement necessitated frequent trips across the creek. For this purpose he had a small double-ended row boat, with the ends squared. A perfect ferry -- and we used it as such --- rowing back and forth -- giving engine room signals, etc., but we really learned to row. For instance, to get to the Manhanset, you got a sharpie and rowed. We thought nothing of it .... Later on in bigger sharpies, we graduated to expeditions out in the harbor. The creek had tides. Big panels that swung in with the tide, but then shut to create a dam on the ebb, maintaining a higher level in the creek. To get a skiff over that two to three foot drop was quite a chore.