Homeward Bound

When I first posted this photo, I didn't know where this bridge was located. However, since then, I and others, have figured out that this is the old Rochester Street bridge, before Rochester Street was realigned as Route 31. What is left of this street today is Moore Place.

The above photo of the school group is looking east. The old church steeple can be seen off to the right.
Bill Hecht sent around the bottom photo and I was able to place it as the same bridge. This was taken from the upstream or south side, looking downstream. I believe you can just see the old Erie Canal Aqueduct in the background. This view may have been taken from the first Erie Canal Aqueduct. 

Utica Street bridge

Here is a view of the Utica Street bridge over the old Erie that I have never seen before. Thanks to Bill Hecht for passing it along.

It was taken from the east side of the bridge and is looking west. The towpath is on the right or north side of the canal.

Seeing this, I never realized how much of a bend the canal took at this point. The Main Street bridge can be seen in the background, as can the steeple of the Federated Church.

This post has a look from the other side of this bridge.

More Mosquito Point

This is the old Mosquito Point bridge which has been seen here on this blog before. Don Gallagher made these notes; "Mosquito Point, Port Byron on Route 38. Picture taken looking east. Taken before 1918 when the Barge Canal opened. Hotel in left of picture was owned by Don Gallagher until 1965. This bridge has been torn down and replaced in 1966."

Note the railroad tracks in the fore ground, which was part of the reconstruction of this area. The Owasco Outlet once emptied into the Seneca at this point, but had to be moved in order to allow the canal to be cut across Haiti Island. Before this, Haiti was a three sided island, really a point of land into the river. The barge canal turned it into a true island. Today, this area is covered with trees and camps, and the State boat launch.

Mosquito Point Bridge 1964/65

This was the bridge that once crossed the Seneca River at Mosquito Point. Don Gallagher wrote on this photo that the last span was over the barge canal and that the third span was over the Seneca River, most likely meaning the old branch of the river that went around the island. The bend in the bridge allowed for a side road to connect to Haiti Island. He pointed out that the machine to the left of the photo was starting work on the new Rt 38 bridge.

Once the new bridge was done, the first, second and forth spans were removed, leaving in place the third span to connect Rt 38 to the island. This span failed and was fixed by the addition of a Bailey Bridge fitted inside the old span. When the old span collapsed for good, the Bailey Bridge was left standing alone. It has seen been replaced with a new modern deck span.