On April 1, 1800 the legislature incorporated the Seneca Road Company to build a highway from Utica to Canandaigua. Here, as in all other public improvements, we find Charles Williamson as one of the incorporators. With this road completed and the bridge finished, transportation facilities were not provided for until 1804.

On March 31, 1804, the legislature granted the exclusive privilege of operating stage coaches over this road from Utica to Canandaigua for a period of 11 years. In this connection, an interesting bit of history is left us by John Nicholas, who came to Geneva by horse and private stages in 1803.

He states, “The two stages were made in Hempstead, Va. by our own workmen from lumber out on the place and after our arrival in Geneva, were sold to Levi Stevens and Jason Parker and were run on the first line of stages from Geneva to Albany.”

The investment and risk were great in those days but monopolies have never been unpopular. The Cayuga Bridge Company was no exception and, until the bridge was finally abandoned in 1857, the people waged a continual contest against the high tariffs and exclusive privileges of the company.

Within a few months after the destruction of the bridge in the winter of 1808, a location was selected about two miles north of the original location, but crossing the outlet instead of the lake and with the same toll charges.

This was essential to the company, as its charter provided that if the bridge was impassable for 80 days or destroyed and not rebuilt within 18 months that the charter would become forfeited.

Fearing this, the bridge was constructed over the narrower outlet and seemed to satisfy both the public and the company that the terms of the charter had been complied with. The location was within the three-mile limit and over the outlet, a choice permitted in the original charter.

With the rapid settlement of the land in the north part of the county, the people sought some means to shorten their travel and in 1821 took the position that the charter had been forfeited and applied to the legislature for sanction to conduct a lottery for funds to build a Free Bridge north of the three-mile limit established by the original bridge and but one mile north of the bridge over the outlet.

The Bridge Company at once raised strong objections and, in order to secure unquestioned rights, appealed to the legislature for an act to accomplish this purpose. Chapter 137, Laws of 1821, revived the old charter or confirmed it, but required the company to rebuild the old bridge and to operate both. The Lake Bridge was rebuilt before Nov. 1, 1813 and was built upon piles. Both bridges were operated until 1825. It appears that there was a toll bridge at Montezuma with the same three-mile monopoly and unless a bridge could be built at the location of the proposed Free Bridge, the entire territory was controlled by these two companies.

In the meantime on April 7, 1815, a charter was granted to a company known as the Junius Turnpike Road Company to build a road from the west end of the bridge over the outlet to Ashabel Bannister's house, east of Vienna (now the east part of Phelps). The road at present (1934) running from the brick school house on the road to Auburn easterly to the bridge near Demonts Crossing is part of this old road.

The approach to the old Outlet Bridge can be located on the bank of the outlet east of Demonts and traces of the old corduroy road over the marsh can also be easily seen.

In 1825, the storm of protest broke again and a proposal was made to construct the Free Bridge to be located three miles and 16 rods north of the original lake bridge and one mile north of the Outlet Bridge.

Funds were raised and labor contributed (Nelson Roosevelt and Thomas Magee agreeing to construct the piers), and the bridge was under construction when the Cayuga Bridge Co. obtained an injunction, claiming that the three-mile limit applied to the Outlet Bridge as well as to the original bridge, thus attempting to enlarge the exclusive territory to eight miles instead of six miles. The Free Bridge was started in 1826.

The material was all on the ground, but the litigation was extended over a period of four years until the injunction was dissolved in April 1830. The citizens then began work in earnest and the bridge was opened and ready for use just prior to the Fourth of July in 1830.

There is no record of a toll road in the early days going east and west at the location of the Free Bridge, yet it seems impossible that the building of the bridge should have been considered such a victory over the old bridge company if no road had been accessible to cross the impassable swamps to what was later Dutcher's Corners.

Ruth Probst is historian for the town of Aurelius.