Then….and Now

One of several versions of the Sharpes Ferry bridge is shown in this undated photograph. The crossing, at what is now County Road 314, has been around since the 1800s when a ferry shuttled people and cargo from one side of the Ocklawaha River to the other. [Marion County Clerk of Court]

In 2012, a new bridge replaced a 1920’s era bridge that spanned the river. A few months later, however, part of a supporting wall collapsed after heavy rains forcing repairs. The new bridge incorporated a part of the original structure, which now serves as a walkway.
[Bruce Ackerman/OG]

A Marion County plaque is shown on the Sharpe’s Ferry Bridge. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]