At Biery's
Port, now Race Street, a company was
formed and a chain bridge was built
according to an act of Assembly of the
State Legislature, passed March 5, 1824.
Stocks were sold at twenty-five dollars
per share. At a stockholders' meeting,
held July 24, 1824, the following officers
were elected:
President
-- Owen Rice of Bethlehem.
Managers
--
Frederick
Biery,
Philip Faust, Charles D. Bishop and
George Helfridge.
Treasurer
-- Joseph Biery.
Secretary
-- On the 26th of July, Jacob Blumer was
appointed.
The west
bank of the river was known as
"Pennsylvania Shore;" and the east bank,
the "Jersey Shore."
In
consideration of a cash payment of ten
dollars ($10), and free passage across the
bridge for himself and wife during their
natural lives, Peter Miller granted
sufficient land to form a proper approach
to the bridge on the "Pennsylvania Shore."
Frederick Biery did the same on the
"Jersey Shore" in consideration of free
passage for himself, his family and his
employees for a term of twenty years. The
bridge was suspended on two chains and
afforded a clear passage way of thirteen
feet.
Toll rates
were fixed as follows:
A
four-horse pleasure conveyance,
twenty-five cents.
A
two-horse conveyance, eighteen and
three-fourths cents.
A
two-horse wagon load, twenty five cents.
A single
horse and rider, six and one-fourth
cents.
A horse or
mule, four cents.
Horned
cattle per head, two cents.
Foot
passers, one cent.
Annual rates
ranged from one to over four dollars per
year. Special rates were charged for extra
heavy loads. The Crane Company paid as
high as three dollars for a single team.
The weight limit was fixed at fifteen
thousand pounds.
This bridge
was swept away by the freshet of 1841; but
a new chain bridge was built immediately.
When business had multiplied and traffic
increased during the early eighteen
fifties, the swinging chain bridge was
regarded too frail for the burdens that
were imposed upon it.
According to
an act of Assembly, a new company, known
as the Lehigh County Bridge Company at
Biery's Mills, was formed, July 26, 1852.
The new bridge was a covered, wooden
construction supported by massive arches
resting on a heavy stone piller in the
river and firm abutments on either bank.
The total cost of this bridge was $14,954.
After the
flood of 1862 had wrecked this bridge, it
was re-constructed and strengthened at a
cost of $5,161. Dividends ran up to 12%,
per annum.
In 1892, the
County bought the bridge, tore it down and
replaced it with an iron structure. The
cost of $19,000. was shared with the
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, and the
Rapid Transit Company, so that the former
paid $8,000, the latter $500 and the
County $10,500.
In the
spring of 1997 the bridge will again be
closed for the construction of a new
bridge.
