“There was no regular ferry established across the river at Kingston until the year 1752, and at that time the nearest established ferry north across the Hudson was at Albany, and toward the south at Newburgh. Jacob Kipp, who settled at Rhinebeck about 1680, owned a large tract of land there extending for a considerable distance along the river. He, after his settlement there, and until his death, was accustomed to carry passengers across the river without any permit or license. After his death, his son Abraham did likewise.
Moses Cantine, who owned Columbus Point on the Kingston side of the river from about 1740 onward, had also built a dock and furnished boats to transport travelers across the river.
On the 5th day of August in the year 1752, Governor Clinton, in accordance with the prayer of their joint petition, issued a patent to the said Abraham Kipp and Moses Cantine, granting to them, the heirs, and assigns forever, “the full free sole and whole power and liberty and authority, privilege and right of setting up, establishing, using, keeping and enjoying a public ferry to be duly kept and attended for the convenience of passing and repassing with travelers and their horses, cattle and goods whatsoever, to and from the said landings of the said Abraham Kipp and Moses Cantine, exclusive of all others to keep and ferry within two miles above and below the said landings,” with the right to charge fees as therein particularly specified, except that they were not obliged to transport any person, cattle or goods from the first day of November to the first day of March, after sunset or from the first day of March to the first day of November after 8 o’clock at night, without double fees, and then only during that part of the year when boats could pass over the river without apparent danger from the ice.
The ferry then established has ever since been conducted and maintained under the old charter with changes in the character of the boats and their propelling power in accordance with the improvements of the times, and changes of location of termini as demanded for the public convenience.
The first ferry boat seen by the writer upon that ferry was a per auger, then the horse-boat was substituted, using horse-power to turn the wheels, and the next change was to the steamboat.”
Excerpted from the “History of Kingston,” by Marius Schoonmaker (1888)
The Squaredealer 
Interesting! I gather that a “per auger” was some kind of sailboat or row boat. Didn’t know that there were (real) horse-powered boats. Thank you!