The old ferry slip at Perth Amboy, NJ – 1909 A postcard of the old ferry slip at Perth Amboy, NJ. The card is postmarked July 23, 1909. The ferry ran until 1963 and took both pedestrians and automobile traffic to Tottenville, Staten Island, NY. Perth Amboy is located at the far western end of Raritan Bay at the mouth of the Raritan River. The city was founded in 1683 and has a long maritime and fishing history. Until the end of the proprietary government in 1702, Perth Amboy was the capital of the province of East Jersey, and during the period of royal government the general assembly and supreme court of New Jersey met alternately here and at Burlington. Nearby still stands Franklin Palace, the home of William Franklin (1729—1813), a natural son of Benjamin Franklin and the last royal governor of New Jersey. New Jersey was the first state to ratify (sign) the United States Bill of Rights and it took place in Perth Amboy's City Hall on November 4, 1789.