Thomas H. Parrott established this ferry crossing in 1860 to connect the mining towns of Tuttletown and Vallecito. The ferry remained in operation until 1903, when the first bridge was built. Its flat-bottom wooden boat was propelled on heavy cables. At low water in 1949, the cable anchorage in a large boulder on the Calaveras side of the river was still visible, and a sandbag dam had been built to form a small lake.