OXFORD — The Oxford Bellevue Ferry will be opening seven days a week for the 2024 season on Saturday April 27, according to captains Judy and Tom Bixler.
This “Icon of Talbot County” provides service starting at 9 a.m. in Oxford, then shuttles back and forth with traffic, closing before sunset. The ferry opens just in time for the town’s celebration of Oxford Day, a fun-filled family day when town will be buzzing with activities, including a parade.
Service will continue now through October, then the first two weekends in November.
America’s oldest privately-owned ferry, the Oxford Bellevue Ferry, was established in 1683. As its name implies, the ferry provides transportation service for vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles and lots of passengers between the incorporated town of Oxford and the historic working community of Bellevue.
It has plied the waters of the Tred Avon River for over three centuries, providing another entrance into Oxford by water and also a short cut to St. Michaels and Tilghman when leaving Oxford.
It has been named one of the top 25 bicycle routes in the USA for many years.
Thanks to the Oxford Museum and a grant from Maryland Humanities, signs depicting the 341 year-long history of the ferry are displayed along the bulkhead, educating the boat’s passengers about this history.
“People often ask us if we get bored going back and forth across the river… but no two trips are ever the same,”Judy Bixler said. “Things are always changing, the wildlife we encounter, the watermen’s boats we dance with and the passengers we welcome aboard vary with each trip. It is never boring. It should be a priority on your bucket list.”
“The ferry was referred to as the ‘Crown Jewel of Talbot County’ when we bought it and we have worked hard to maintain that image,” she continued.
Judy Bixler is no stranger to tourism. She has served as chairperson of Maryland’s Tourism Development Board and continues to lead the Talbot County Tourism Board.
Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism Director Cassandra Vanhooser echoes those sentiments.
“The Oxford Bellevue Ferry is one of our top attractions for visitors,” she said. “It’s an asset we are proud of, a wonderful piece of the fabric of Talbot County. It’s an attraction for people from all over the world — a throwback to another time but greatly cherished and for folks who look for an adventure closer to home, it should be at the top of their list.”
As they begin their twenty-third season of ownership, preserving the legacy of the ferry continues to be a priority for the Bixlers. The vessel, “TALBOT,” has undergone an extensive renovation in the last few years.
In order to preserve the 65 ft ferry, sandblasting and repainting from stem to stern occurred at Yacht Maintenance Company, the only nearby shipyard with a railway that can haul the 30-foot wide ferry. Captains Tom Bixler, Eric Neustadt and John Pepe continue the maintenance each winter when the ferry is at the Oxford Landing.
“Our tenure is a very small fraction in the history of the Oxford Bellevue Ferry,” Tom Bixler said. “... The ferry began with sails and sculling, next came a wooden scow towed by a coal fired steam tug, then a larger scow was pushed by a gasoline powered tug. The first self-propelled ferryboat was built in Oxford in 1931. It has later extended from 2 to 3 cars, then converted to diesel fuel. Modernization continued as wooden six car ferry was brought to the area in 1974 and now the current ferry Talbot is built of steel. She is in great shape, with perfect USCG inspections every year since we began. Now is the time for us to find the right successor.”
“Please contact the Bixlers as they are ready to retire,” he said.
The Blessing of the Ferry will be held on Friday, April 26, to help kick off the Oxford Day activities. The event will take place at the ferry dock around 6 p.m. Rev Kevin Cross of the Holy Trinity Church in Oxford will officiate the blessing, followed by a cocktail party. The event is free.
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