This is a list of the only bridge from the suspension bridge inventory crossing Chenango River. Please note that different rivers with the same name will be grouped together. For example, selecting 'Bear Creek' shows bridges across several different Bear Creeks. Also, similarly named rivers are grouped separately. For example, 'River Dee' (UK) bridges are grouped separately from 'Dee River' (Australia) bridges. Wherever you see a Bridgemeister ID number click it to isolate the bridge on its own page.
This bridge was close to the alignment of Binghamton's present E. Clinton Street bridge. It replaced a bridge that was destroyed by flood in 1865. It was condemned in 1896 and removed in 1897. History Of Broome County indicates an act was passed March 13th, 1871 authorizing the bridge with the contract let to "W.A. Roebling & Son" each cable consisting of seven steel wire ropes, each two inches in diameter.
An article from the Binghamton Democrat, July 20, 1871: "The Suspension Bridge -- The work on the west abutment of the suspension bridge has been commenced and will be rapidly as advisable pushed forward to completion, and soon thereafter the wire cables will be placed in position, the stays, supports and girders made fast, and ready for the flooring. In the course of six or eight weeks it is hoped that the bridge will be completed, and our people given another way of passing from the 1st to the 2nd wards, and the old-pleasant driveway re-opened, of which we have been debarred since the flood of St-Patrick's Day in the morning in [1865]. Upon the completion of this enterprise, surely no one will ever regret having voted in favor of the free suspension bridge."
An article from the Binghamton Democrat, Nov. 30, 1871: "The New Bridge -- Its Cost -- For the suspenssion [sic] bridge, the tax-payers voted $28,000. It is finished, and in the Common Council last evening it was asserted that it cost over $30,000 and still all the claims are not satisfied. Mr. Jas. Fanning, contractor for building abutments, seeks relief for $1,000 or upwards which he is out no account of his contract. His petition was after considerable skirmishing finally referred to a committee. We hold that this is wrong, the Common Council has nothing to do with this matter. Mayor Dwight published a card binding himself to pay all over $28,000 that the bridge would cost. The people voted that amount and their representatives have nothing to do with any further cost or expense arrising [sic] from that source."
Internet searches for this bridge often lead to an image on page 32 of the book "Binghamton", from the "Images of America" series, by Ed Aswad and Suzanne M. Meredith. However, that image is of the Warren Pensylvania suspension bridge and is erroneously captioned as the Binghamton Ferry Street bridge. The bridges may be sometimes confused because of similar surroundings and similar towers. Both are often depicted with a large warehouse building on the far side of the bridge, to the right. Both had "walk-through" towers where the pedestrian walkway passed through portals in the towers. Closer comparisons reveal the Warren towers are substantially larger than the Ferry Street towers. This is not surprising given the Warren bridge was substantially longer than the Ferry Street bridge. All this being said, there are different images purporting to be the Ferry Street bridge that show different towers. The stereoview image linked here appears to show the original towers. Later photos appear to show either replaced towers or, perhaps, the original towers clad in protective housing.