The business was later sold to Tim Wells in 1915 who installed a gasoline engine with an underwater cable to power the ferry. Wells charged 35 cents per vehicle to cross the Wisconsin River. The ferry later closed due to a power dam approximately six miles down stream across the Wisconsin being constructed in Prairie du Sac which formed the artificial Lake Wisconsin. In 1924 Sauk and Columbia Counties took over the operation of a wooden ferry, Colsac I, carrying eight cars across the Wisconsin River, charging 35 cents per car and 5 cents for pedestrians and 75 cents for trucks. Although a number of Merrimac residents would prefer a bridge, the ferry has become quite the tourist attraction - even at the expense of waiting in line for an hour or more on a busy summer day.
People also fish from the landings and explore the area.
The ferry runs 24-hours a day from April to December, transporting some 200,000 vehicles during those eight months. The State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation took charge of the ferry operation in 1933, allowing all passengers and vehicles to cross the Wisconsin River free of charge. Colsac II has the capacity to carry 12 vehicles linking Sauk County with Columbia County. No part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or reproduced in any way including but not limited to photocopy, photograph, magnetic or other record, without the prior agreement and written permission of the publisher.