[1] John Craig, a Virginia veteran of the Revolutionary War, acquired land in the area in 1780 through a military warrant.

In 1785, the Virginia General Assembly granted Craig "a perpetual and irrevocable" franchise to operate a ferry.

[3] The ferry remained a privately owned business for more than 200 years, passing through the hands of seven successive families until 1991.

Two years later, the ferry authority received a federal grant allowing an upgrade of the barge.

The new vessel, longer than its predecessor by ten feet, enables the ferry to carry three cars instead of two.

[3] There are 2 captains: Clayton Embly, a long time mariner in the Military Sealift Command; and Shane Toomey, who started his young career on the Valley View Ferry, working the way up to his license.

The paddle wheel is controlled by hydraulic motors which with the new rework in 2023 moves the boat across the river in about 2 minutes 30 seconds with a full load.

This setup allows the engines to run at a low RPM, extending their lives and making them more fuel-efficient.