Looking Back 10/27/16

ANN O'HARA
Posted 10/26/16

Early settlers along the Delaware often crossed the river in the course of their daily lives. For them, the river was not a state boundary but just one more obstacle to overcome to get where they …

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Looking Back 10/27/16

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Early settlers along the Delaware often crossed the river in the course of their daily lives. For them, the river was not a state boundary but just one more obstacle to overcome to get where they wanted to go. For residents of Wayne County and the New York counties of Sullivan and Delaware, boats and ferries were the earliest means of crossing the river. Tolls were first charged to travel by ferry and carried over to bridges, which needed the approval of the state legislature to be built but were privately owned. The Narrowsburg Bridge was the first to be constructed. A charter was granted in 1810. The bridge was 25 feet wide and the tolls were $1 for a four-horse carriage, 75¢ for a two-horse carriage and 37½¢ for a 1one-horse carriage. Foot passengers and cattle were 6¢ each. It was destroyed in an ice storm and replaced in 1846. Another replacement bridge built in 1848 stood until 1899, when the iron bridge was built, which was replaced in 1970. 


From the collection of the Wayne County Historical Society, 810 Main St., Honesdale. The museum and research library are open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a. m. to 4 p.m.

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