Named after the operator of a primitive ferry that in Colonial and
Revolutionary days transported citizens across the Hudson, Dobbs Ferry
is an integral piece of New York City history.
Dobbs Ferry takes its name from the operator of a primitive ferry that
in Colonial and Revolutionary days provided the first passage across the
Hudson River north of New York City. In the 19th century, the river and
the new castles built on its banks attracted tourists who christened the
area "the heart of the American Rhine." Judith Doolin Spikes, writer,
and Anne Marie Leone, photographer, coauthor a weekly then-and-now
column in the Rivertowns Enterprise.