The Real Ushers Ferry
The "real" Ushers Ferry was not actually a town, but a ferry boat crossing located approximately a quarter of a mile up river from the current village site. The Usher family was among the earliest settlers in Linn County, with Dyer Usher arriving in the valley as early as 1836. He established a ferry across the Cedar River that operated until the 1860's. The Village features the home of Dyer's cousin, Henry A. Usher, the first landholder of the ground the village sits on today. Originally built near the site of Dyer's ferry landing, the house was moved to farmland Henry owned across the river near Covington. It was moved back to become part of the historical village in 1983.
Ushers Ferry Historic Village
Ushers Ferry Historic Village is a facility operated by the Cedar Rapids Parks & Recreation Department. It was created in 1973 by Cedar Rapids Parks Commissioner Stanislauv Reinis and opened to the public in 1975 as "Pioneer Village." It was renamed "Ushers Ferry Historic Village" in 1986. The Village operated as a Department of the City of Cedar Rapids under the Parks and Recreation Commissioner and was governed by a six member volunteer commission until 2007, when the City of Cedar Rapids restructured from a Commission to a City Manager form of government.
Our Story
The village that you see today was not an actual town site, and all of the historic buildings featured here were relocated from other places. However, the close proximity of the Cedar River would have made this a likely place for settlement. Historically, this ground was a favorite camp site of Native Americans both before and after the arrival of white settlers. Rivers were an essential component to the development of many early Iowa communities as they provided not only water for agriculture, but power for mills and a natural transportation route in a time when roads and bridges were still being built.
Ushers Ferry has taken the opportunity to revisit the days of rural “Township” governments, when farmers graded their own roads, and the nearest law or jail might be hours away at the county seat. Take a step back to a time when the most basic elements of a community were forged together by the presence of a church, a school, a business or two, and a few simple homesteads from which citizens practiced their trades.
Contact Information
Ushers Ferry Historic Village
5925 Seminole Valley Trail NE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52411
Phone: 319-286-5763
Fax: 888-423-2122
Office Hours
Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
