During WWII, the ferry was a bottleneck for workers communing to an ordnance plant in Baraboo. The US Government offered to pay half the cost of a bridge, but the governor vetoed the idea, saying that if the US Government wanted a bridge here, they could pay for the whole thing.
In the 1960's, service complaints stacked up because the original Colsac, built in 1924 for cars the size of a Model T Ford, could only carry six modern cars. I-94 crossed the Wisconsin River just 12 miles up the road, and it was thought that most tourists would rather travel the Interstate than the anachronistic ferry. The state proposed building a bridge here. Local interests had seen how tourists gladly traveled 12 miles out of their way to take the ferry, so they started a local protest.
Buttons proclaiming "I believe in ferries" was the basis of the campaign. The state gave in, and the Colsac II went into service in 1963.
According to the Wisconsin DOT, the ferry continues to carry over a quarter of a million vehicles each year, including 316,819 in 2004. Link: http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/water/merrimac-history.htm
The Colsac III is a nostalgic trip across the river, the last ferry on the state trunk highway system. At one time, there were over 500 ferries in operation in Wisconsin. Ferries carry cars and people into the state but this is the last ferry operating within the state of Wisconsin.
Webmaster's note: The photo that was here has been incorporated into the main site.