Bainbridge Ferry Landing. These ferries changed hands frequently and lawsuits were not uncommon as ferry
operators on both sides of the river competed to transport travelers across the river.
The earliest ferry known to exist at Bainbridge was established by Medad Randol ca. 1805. Medad Randol was the
son of Enos Randol who moved to Missouri from Pennsylvania in 1797 and was a prominent farmer in Cape
Girardeau County. His son, Medad married Deborah Waller, daughter of Joseph Waller, in 1798.2 Joseph Waller
also operated a ferry in the early 1800s at what became known as Green's Ferry site two miles to the north of
Medad Randol's ferry at Bainbridge. On November 22, 1808 the Cape Girardeau Court issued a petition allowing a
road from "Medad Randol's Ferry on the Mississippi River to John Byrd's Place." During the 1810s, Medad
Randol was also listed as operating a tavern and selling liquors at Bainbridge.4 In 1816, Samuel Penrod was granted
a license to operate a ferry at the Upper Hamburg Landing in Union County, Mis~ouri.~ This ferry may have
superseded Randol's Ferry or been in competition with him. In 1820, Medad Randol and three other investors
platted the town of Bainbridge which was described as containing "a single warehouse for many years. "6
The actual Bainbridge ferry site on the west bank was owned by Randol until 1826 when he and other investors
were sued and two tracts containing 160 acres were purchased by Johnson Ramey.' Ranney owned the roperty 1P until 1830 when it was sold to Moses Harris, who in turn sold the property to William L~ttleton in 1832. From
1821 until 1838, the ferry license for the Upper Hamburg Landing was held by Jacob Littleton who operated a
"horse ferry" at this location until June of 1838.~ In August of 1838, Jacob Littleton purchased the ferry landing site
from William Littleton and the ferry license was transferred to James Wilborn.1° Wilborn operated the ferry from
August of 1838 to September of 1839 when the license was then transferred to Obey Roberts.
