A ferry near here crossed the Catawba River between Lancaster County and York County for more than 30 years and was the last state-run ferry in South Carolina. It was built in 1927-28 by William N. Ashe (1862-1932), owner of the nearby Ashe Brick Company, to transport bricks and crops. As a private ferry it charged 25 cents for buggies and 35 cents for cars, but it was free after it became a public ferry. The South Carolina Highway Department took it over in 1944. It was operated for many years by Early Morgan Brown (1891-1963), a Catawba Indian who lived on the York County side of the river. The ferry was pushed by poles until a small motor was installed in 1955. It closed in 1959 after a bridge on South Carolina Highway 5 was built across the river.