Mollie Sneden facts for kids

Mollie Sneden (born Mary Dobbs on January 13, 1709 – died January 31, 1810) was a brave woman who ran a ferry service in Palisades, New York. She operated this ferry both before and after the American Revolution. During the war, she was not allowed to run the ferry because she supported the British side. Mollie Sneden is recognized as a "Woman of Distinction" by the New York Senate for her important role in history.

Mollie Sneden's Early Life

Mollie Sneden was born Mary Dobbs in Westchester County, New York in 1709. Her parents, John and Abigail Dobbs, had her baptized in Tarrytown, New York. Mollie grew up in a big family with several half-brothers and siblings.

Her family, the Dobbs, ran a ferry across the Hudson River. This ferry started in 1730 with Mollie's half-brother, William. It left from an old Indian village, which later became known as Dobbs Ferry. This route was one of the first ferry services on the Hudson River.

Mollie's husband, Robert Sneden Jr., was a carpenter and farmer. But he also helped William with the ferry. We don't know for sure if Mollie helped with the ferry when she was young. However, since her family and husband were involved, it's likely she learned a lot about it. Mollie and Robert had their first child in 1733. They had four more children while living on the east side of the Hudson River.

Moving West of the Hudson River

Around 1740, Mollie and Robert moved with their five children to the other side of the Hudson River. They settled directly across from Dobbs Ferry. They rented land from a man named Robert Corbett. Their new home was in an area that both New York and New Jersey claimed. This border dispute wasn't fixed until 1769 by the King of England. Their property ended up being in New York.

Even though this was a new home, Mollie and Robert knew the area well. It was the landing spot for the Dobbs's ferry. While living on the west side of the Hudson, Mollie and Robert had four more children. This brought their total number of children to nine.

Mollie Becomes a Ferry Mistress

After their move in 1740, Robert worked as a farmer. Mollie helped him by taking over the ferry landing. She might have started running the ferry as early as 1745. An old map from that year shows "Sneedings house the fferry." The ferry service got better when a new road was built down to the landing in 1745. By 1753, Mollie Sneden was definitely in charge of the ferry.

The first Dobbs ferry boats were likely "periaugers." These were small boats that could be rowed or sailed. They were good for shallow water and carrying heavy loads. Mollie probably started with these boats. She also used larger boats because she ferried wagons as well as people. Some larger ferries used during this time had paddle wheels. These wheels were turned by horses or mules walking on a treadmill.

Mollie even ferried Martha Washington and her son, John, in 1775! Martha was traveling to visit George Washington. The Hudson River is wide here, so crossings could take different amounts of time. It depended on the wind and the strong tides. Besides crossing the river, Mollie's ferry also transported goods south to New York City.

Sneden's Landing and a New Business

In 1752, Robert and Mollie bought 120 acres of land. This land included the ferry site and the Corbett house. Robert died in 1756 when he was 46 years old. Their oldest son, Abraham, inherited all the property. This was the rule under English law at the time.

In the same year, Mollie Sneden was given a license to run a tavern. The ferry continued to operate with the help of other Dobbs family members and her seven sons. Until this time, the landing on the west side of the river had different names. But from this period, it became known as Sneden's Landing. So, the Dobbs family gave their name to Dobbs Ferry, and Mollie's married name was given to Sneden's Landing. For many years, Sneden's Landing was a busy place for river activities. Today, this area is called Palisades.

Mollie also got a license in 1763 to run a public house from her home, serving "strong Liquors." Two years later, Mollie Sneden was granted a marriage license to marry George Calhoun. However, it's not clear if she actually married him. She was known to live with her unmarried son, Dennis, not with George Calhoun. In 1765, her son Abraham divided his father's property. Mollie received one portion.

Mollie Sneden During the Revolutionary War

When the Revolutionary War began, communities were divided. Most of the Sneden family, except for Mollie and Robert's son John, were called Tories. This meant they supported the British. Because of this, all of them except John were forbidden from running the ferry during the war.

There's a famous story about Mollie Sneden saving a British soldier during this time:

• A British soldier was being chased by American patriots.
• Mollie hid him in a large chest in her house.
• She put pans of cream on top of the chest to make it look normal.
• When the patriots arrived, she told them the soldier wasn't there.
• She offered them milk but warned them not to disturb the cream.
• Later that evening, she ferried the soldier across the river to safety.

Mollie Sneden would have known about the big events happening nearby. For example, in 1776, General Cornwallis and his British and Hessian soldiers crossed the Hudson River from Dobbs Ferry. They were trying to trap George Washington's army. Later, in 1781, Mollie would have heard that General George Washington had set up his headquarters in Dobbs Ferry. Here, he planned the Yorktown campaign with Marshal Rochambeau. This battle helped end the Revolutionary War.

After the British surrendered, Mollie would have seen the first naval salute to General Washington. A British warship, H.M.S. Perseverance, fired 17 guns from the Hudson River.

Life After the Revolutionary War

After the war, Mollie left Sneden's Landing. She moved to New York City with her son, Dennis. Her son John, "The Patriot," took over running the ferry. Other sons moved to British colonies like Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Around 1788, when she was about 79 years old, Mollie returned to Sneden's Landing with Dennis. She lived in a house near the landing, known as the "Mollie Sneden House." She started helping with the ferry again and continued to work until shortly before she died. Mollie Sneden passed away on January 31, 1810. She was 101 years and 18 days old, outliving her husband by 66 years!

She is buried in the Palisades Cemetery in Palisades, New York. Her original grave marker was replaced in 1982 by the local historical society because it was old and hard to read.

Images for kids

• 

  Sneden's Landing by Robert Knox Sneden, 1858

• 

  Old postcard showing Sneden's landing with Mollie Sneden's house indicated. By permission of Palisades Free Library

• 

  Sneden's Landing today from opposite direction.

• 

  Molly Sneden's grave marker