Narrowsburg-Darbytown Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Narrowsburg–Darbytown Bridge spans 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...

 between Darbytown, Pennsylvania and Narrowsburg, New York
Narrowsburg, New York
Narrowsburg is a hamlet in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 414 at the 2000 census.Narrowsburg is in the western part of the Town of Tusten at the junction of Routes 52 and 97...

. Narrowsburg is located in the town of Tusten, but the hamlet along the river's edge is known as Narrowsburg because it is the narrowest part of the River.

In either 1810 or 1830, the Narrowsburg Bridge Company obtained a charter to construct a 25 feet (7.6 m) across the narrows, and to charge a toll for its use. The rates of passage were 37 ½ cents for a one-horse wagon, $1 for 4 horses, and 6 cents for a person walking: to put this in perspective, a good laborer could earn one dollar for a full day's work (12–15 hours). The bridge became part of a transportation system, which included the Mount Hope–Lumberland Turnpike, chartered in 1812. This pike ran from Orange County, New York
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...

 to Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale is a borough in and the county seat of Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Scranton. The population was 4,874 at the 2000 census....

 and in many places was reinforced by a plank road. Ice and high water apparently took out at least two bridges before 1848.

In 1899, the Oswego Bridge Company constructed an iron structure, which lasted until the present interstate bridge was completed in 1953. It was not until January 12, 1927, that the bridge became toll free, after being purchased by the New York-Pennsylvania Joint Bridge Commission for $55,000.

See also

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