Delaware Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Darlington's Bridge at Delaware Station was a highway bridge over the Delaware River
in the community of Delaware, New Jersey
(known locally as Delaware Station). Formerly a railroad bridge constructed by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
in 1855, the bridge was sold off when the new one upstream was constructed. Henry V. Darlington, an Episcopal
minister in Delaware and nearby Belvidere
offered to buy the second-hand bridge for $5,000 (1914 USD, equal to $ today). Darlington converted it into a highway bridge, using two fired members of the nearby Meyer's Ferry to be toll collectors. The bridge prospered, becoming a part of State Highway Route 6 in 1927 and U.S. Route 46
in 1936. In 1932, during the massive state takeover of bridges by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
, Darlington refused offers, bargaining his way up to $275,000 (1932 USD, equal to $ today) before accepting the sale. This amount was a far cry from the nearby Belvidere-Riverton and Portland-Columbia Covered Bridge
, which were accepted for $60,000 (equal to $ today) and $50,000 (equal to $ today) respectively. On that moment, tolls along the bridge and Route 6 were eliminated. The bridge prospered toll-free for another 21 years, until the construction of the Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge
upstream at Columbia. Although Reverend Darlington was still alive to see all this transpire, the Commission ceased operations on the Darlington Bridge on April 3, 1954, and the bridge was immediately demolished.
continued westward from Hoboken
, the railroad company saw the need to build a new bridge over the Delaware River
. Reaching the community of Delaware
(named after the river nearby), the railroad had built a train station previously in the community, denoted as Delaware Station. The new wood bridge was constructed on the railroad mainline during 1855. The structure lasted a short time, until the railroad replaced the wooden crossing for a new 740 feet (225.6 m) long iron bridge. The new bridge had two sets of tracks to cross the river, serving the local area with coal cars and boxcars crossing. The new bridge survived the floods in 1903 that destroyed many bridges (including the nearby Riverton-Belvidere Bridge
) along the Delaware and continued to prosper.
However, as trains, cars and locomotives began to get heavier and larger, the Lackawanna needed to build a new bridge across the river to support the heavier weights. In 1914, they built the new bridge just upstream for the reason that it wouldn't have to move much track for better service. As soon as the new bridge was finished, the railroad put the former one up for sale. Demand for second-hand bridges were not high at the time, and when Henry V.B. Darlington, a local Episcopal
minister, put up an offer of $5,000 (1914 USD) for the bridge, the railroad immediately took the money. The railroad did not check on the background of Reverend Darlington or asked what he wanted to do with the iron structure. His money was "as good as anybody's", according to the railroad.
and the Pocono Mountains. Darlington created new roadway approaches (Lackawanna Road and Ferry Lane) to the bridge and even two buildings on the New Jersey
side of the span. One building was for toll collecting while the other was for living quarters. These quarters were soon occupied by Edward McCracken and his wife. McCracken and his wife had come from the Meyer's Ferry, a local ferry service running at that point on the Delaware since the early 18th century. McCracken had been the local ferry operator, but when a large accident occurred during a dinner break killed four passengers, the owner put the ferry under his control and later fired McCracken. Klein later sold the ferry, which Darlington bought and shut down. He immediately hired the McCrackens to work as the toll collectors.
In the meantime, the only other bridge across the Delaware River easily accessible for vehicular use was the covered bridge in Columbia, New Jersey
and Portland, Pennsylvania
. Drivers heading along the local roads (later designated as State Highway Route 5), often came to Darlington's Bridge first. The McCrackens collected tolls in large bushel baskets, which were often filled to the brim of quarters
and half-dollars. Locals said that the McCrackens were sometimes spotted dropping these coins off the bridge and into the river below, although swimmers were never able to find anything of value to support the myth. Even though the bridge made a large sum of a money and the tollhouse was often filled with money, the place was never robbed for the money. This was because the McCrackens kept two Airedale
s in the tollhouse, named Duke and Totsey. They kept the place clear from thieves and to add insult to injury, kept people away from visiting the McCrackens at all. Duke and Totsey often kept people from getting money they may have dropped on the ground for people exiting their cars.
In the time of the bridge prospering, Reverend Darlington was wed to Dorothy Stone Smith at the Trinity Chapel in Newark
. The wedding, which occurred in November 1920, made the local news and the ceremony was performed by Darlington's father, a big-name bishop. Two years later, Darlington made the news again, this time with the birth of he and his wife's first child (a son) in Orange, New Jersey
at Orange Memorial Hospital.
coming along the bridge from the junction with State Highway Route 8 coming across the bridge since 1927. During the 1920s and 1930s, the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania began to buy out bridges along the Delaware River under the Joint Commission for the Elimination of Toll Bridges. The reconstructed bridge at Belvidere
was bought by the commission for $60,000 (1920s USD) and the covered bridge at Columbia for only $50,000. Although the commission tried to buy the second-hand railroad bridge for a lower, unspecified amount, Darlington used his strong bargaining skills to raise the amount to $275,000, a far cry from the other local bridges. Residents of Knowlton Township, New Jersey
rejoiced at the fact of when the bridge was bought, tolls were eliminated from the crossing. The new generation of people prospered at the thought that the crossing the Delaware would be forever free.
Although the bridge remained in service for another 21 years as a free crossing, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
constructed a brand new bridge at the Portland-Columbia. The new toll bridge was constructed in 1953 for $4 million (1953 USD, equal to $ today), but the toll was only one quarter (equal to $ today), like the former price of the Darlington's Bridge. Darlington, who had retired from his job in Orange in 1950, was alive and was in disbelief. The next April, the Toll Bridge Commission went ahead and dismantled the bridge made useful by Darlington, which was fought by several legal actions. The bridge ceased operations on April 3, 1954, being demolished soon after. The covered bridge at Columbia was destroyed during Hurricane Diane
the next August. Just before the demolishing of the Darlington's Bridge, the approach on the New Jersey side had been renumbered to State Highway Route 163
, which remains in condition from when the bridge was in use.
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in the community of Delaware, New Jersey
Delaware, New Jersey
Delaware, New Jersey could refer to:*Delaware, Warren County, New Jersey*Delaware Township, Camden County, New Jersey, the name of Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey prior to November 7, 1961*Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey...
(known locally as Delaware Station). Formerly a railroad bridge constructed by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
in 1855, the bridge was sold off when the new one upstream was constructed. Henry V. Darlington, an Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
minister in Delaware and nearby Belvidere
Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere is a Town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 2,681. It is the county seat of Warren County....
offered to buy the second-hand bridge for $5,000 (1914 USD, equal to $ today). Darlington converted it into a highway bridge, using two fired members of the nearby Meyer's Ferry to be toll collectors. The bridge prospered, becoming a part of State Highway Route 6 in 1927 and U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46 is an east–west U.S. Highway, running for , completely within the state of New Jersey. The west end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and Route 94 in Columbia, Warren County on the Delaware River...
in 1936. In 1932, during the massive state takeover of bridges by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is a bistate, public agency charged with providing safe, dependable and efficient river crossings between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The DRJTBC was established under legislation enacted in the two states in 1934. The federal Compact for the...
, Darlington refused offers, bargaining his way up to $275,000 (1932 USD, equal to $ today) before accepting the sale. This amount was a far cry from the nearby Belvidere-Riverton and Portland-Columbia Covered Bridge
Portland-Columbia Pedestrian Bridge
The Portland–Columbia Pedestrian Bridge is a footbridge that crosses the Delaware River, at Portland, in Upper Mount Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, connecting to Columbia, in Knowlton Township, New Jersey...
, which were accepted for $60,000 (equal to $ today) and $50,000 (equal to $ today) respectively. On that moment, tolls along the bridge and Route 6 were eliminated. The bridge prospered toll-free for another 21 years, until the construction of the Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge
Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge
The Portland–Columbia Toll Bridge is a toll bridge that carries New Jersey Route 94 over the Delaware River, between Pennsylvania Route 611 at Portland, Pennsylvania and Columbia in Knowlton Township, New Jersey. It is owned and operated by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. U.S....
upstream at Columbia. Although Reverend Darlington was still alive to see all this transpire, the Commission ceased operations on the Darlington Bridge on April 3, 1954, and the bridge was immediately demolished.
Railroad bridge
As expansion of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
continued westward from Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, the railroad company saw the need to build a new bridge over the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. Reaching the community of Delaware
Delaware, New Jersey
Delaware, New Jersey could refer to:*Delaware, Warren County, New Jersey*Delaware Township, Camden County, New Jersey, the name of Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey prior to November 7, 1961*Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey...
(named after the river nearby), the railroad had built a train station previously in the community, denoted as Delaware Station. The new wood bridge was constructed on the railroad mainline during 1855. The structure lasted a short time, until the railroad replaced the wooden crossing for a new 740 feet (225.6 m) long iron bridge. The new bridge had two sets of tracks to cross the river, serving the local area with coal cars and boxcars crossing. The new bridge survived the floods in 1903 that destroyed many bridges (including the nearby Riverton-Belvidere Bridge
Riverton-Belvidere Bridge
The Riverton–Belvidere Bridge is a bridge crossing the Delaware River. It connects Belvidere, New Jersey with Riverton, Pennsylvania. There is no toll for crossing on either side, after tolls were abolished by the Joint Commission for the Elimination of Toll Bridges in 1929...
) along the Delaware and continued to prosper.
However, as trains, cars and locomotives began to get heavier and larger, the Lackawanna needed to build a new bridge across the river to support the heavier weights. In 1914, they built the new bridge just upstream for the reason that it wouldn't have to move much track for better service. As soon as the new bridge was finished, the railroad put the former one up for sale. Demand for second-hand bridges were not high at the time, and when Henry V.B. Darlington, a local Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
minister, put up an offer of $5,000 (1914 USD) for the bridge, the railroad immediately took the money. The railroad did not check on the background of Reverend Darlington or asked what he wanted to do with the iron structure. His money was "as good as anybody's", according to the railroad.
Henry Darlington's ownership
After Darlington bought the railroad bridge from the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, he made his intentions with the five decade-old bridge clear. He took out the tracks, replacing them with a paved roadway. Darlington knew the automobile was becoming a big entity in the 1910s and 1920s, turning the bridge into a vehicular bridge was an important decision to make the most out of the crossing. He also figured that the bridge would make a good approach for drivers coming to visit the local natural attractions, such as the Delaware Water GapDelaware Water Gap
The Delaware Water Gap is on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains...
and the Pocono Mountains. Darlington created new roadway approaches (Lackawanna Road and Ferry Lane) to the bridge and even two buildings on the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
side of the span. One building was for toll collecting while the other was for living quarters. These quarters were soon occupied by Edward McCracken and his wife. McCracken and his wife had come from the Meyer's Ferry, a local ferry service running at that point on the Delaware since the early 18th century. McCracken had been the local ferry operator, but when a large accident occurred during a dinner break killed four passengers, the owner put the ferry under his control and later fired McCracken. Klein later sold the ferry, which Darlington bought and shut down. He immediately hired the McCrackens to work as the toll collectors.
Columbia, New Jersey
Columbia is a census-designated place within Knowlton Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07832.As of the United States 2010 Census, the population for Columbia was 229....
and Portland, Pennsylvania
Portland, Pennsylvania
Portland is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Portland is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.The population of Portland was 579 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. Drivers heading along the local roads (later designated as State Highway Route 5), often came to Darlington's Bridge first. The McCrackens collected tolls in large bushel baskets, which were often filled to the brim of quarters
Quarters
Quarters is a popular drinking game which involves players bouncing a quarter off a table in an attempt to have the quarter land in a certain place, usually into a shotglass on that table. The game is popular at parties, especially in colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, as...
and half-dollars. Locals said that the McCrackens were sometimes spotted dropping these coins off the bridge and into the river below, although swimmers were never able to find anything of value to support the myth. Even though the bridge made a large sum of a money and the tollhouse was often filled with money, the place was never robbed for the money. This was because the McCrackens kept two Airedale
Airedale Terrier
The Airedale Terrier is a breed of the terrier type that originated in Airedale, a geographic area in Yorkshire, England. It is traditionally called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds...
s in the tollhouse, named Duke and Totsey. They kept the place clear from thieves and to add insult to injury, kept people away from visiting the McCrackens at all. Duke and Totsey often kept people from getting money they may have dropped on the ground for people exiting their cars.
In the time of the bridge prospering, Reverend Darlington was wed to Dorothy Stone Smith at the Trinity Chapel in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. The wedding, which occurred in November 1920, made the local news and the ceremony was performed by Darlington's father, a big-name bishop. Two years later, Darlington made the news again, this time with the birth of he and his wife's first child (a son) in Orange, New Jersey
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
at Orange Memorial Hospital.
Buyout and dismantling
The bridge continued to prosper through the 1920s and 1930s with a toll of one quarter to cross the bridge, with drivers of State Highway Route 6U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46 is an east–west U.S. Highway, running for , completely within the state of New Jersey. The west end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and Route 94 in Columbia, Warren County on the Delaware River...
coming along the bridge from the junction with State Highway Route 8 coming across the bridge since 1927. During the 1920s and 1930s, the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania began to buy out bridges along the Delaware River under the Joint Commission for the Elimination of Toll Bridges. The reconstructed bridge at Belvidere
Belvidere, New Jersey
Belvidere is a Town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 2,681. It is the county seat of Warren County....
was bought by the commission for $60,000 (1920s USD) and the covered bridge at Columbia for only $50,000. Although the commission tried to buy the second-hand railroad bridge for a lower, unspecified amount, Darlington used his strong bargaining skills to raise the amount to $275,000, a far cry from the other local bridges. Residents of Knowlton Township, New Jersey
Knowlton Township, New Jersey
- Local government :The Knowlton Township Committee consists of Mayor Frank Van Horn , Deputy Mayor Ronald Farber , Theresa Capriccio , René Mathez and Scott Odorizzi ....
rejoiced at the fact of when the bridge was bought, tolls were eliminated from the crossing. The new generation of people prospered at the thought that the crossing the Delaware would be forever free.
Although the bridge remained in service for another 21 years as a free crossing, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is a bistate, public agency charged with providing safe, dependable and efficient river crossings between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The DRJTBC was established under legislation enacted in the two states in 1934. The federal Compact for the...
constructed a brand new bridge at the Portland-Columbia. The new toll bridge was constructed in 1953 for $4 million (1953 USD, equal to $ today), but the toll was only one quarter (equal to $ today), like the former price of the Darlington's Bridge. Darlington, who had retired from his job in Orange in 1950, was alive and was in disbelief. The next April, the Toll Bridge Commission went ahead and dismantled the bridge made useful by Darlington, which was fought by several legal actions. The bridge ceased operations on April 3, 1954, being demolished soon after. The covered bridge at Columbia was destroyed during Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane
Hurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, striking an area that had been hit by Hurricane Connie five days earlier...
the next August. Just before the demolishing of the Darlington's Bridge, the approach on the New Jersey side had been renumbered to State Highway Route 163
New Jersey Route 163
Route 163 is a short long state highway in the county of Warren in New Jersey. The route, which is currently a stub, used to be the approach to the destroyed Delaware Bridge, which was a road bridge over the Delaware River, connecting the settlement of Delaware, New Jersey with Portland,...
, which remains in condition from when the bridge was in use.