48 



THE BOROUGH OF THE BRONX 



man's Bridge," and afterwards as "Hadley's Bridge"; the latter 

 name after George Hadley who purchased this section in 1785 

 from the Commissioners of Forfeiture. The bridge was destroyed 

 during the Revolution, but rebuilt after the war. In 1911 it was 

 replaced by a steel structure. 



In 1795 the State Legislature granted a franchise to John B. 

 Coles to build a dam bridge across the Harlem River. This is 

 known as the first Third Avenue, or Harlem, Bridge. Heretofore 

 all persons going from Manhattan to the mainland, and vice versa, 



Free or Farmer's Bridge in 1910 



were obliged to travel in a round about way across Spuyten Duyvil 

 Creek by ford or ferry or bridge. The bridge was to be constructed 

 within four years, and the ownership was to be vested in Coles 

 for sixty years, after which period it was to become the property 

 of the State. A lock, attended by a lock-keeper, was to permit the 

 passage of vessels. 



The tolls which Coles was authorized to collect, provided he 

 kept the bridge in repair, ranged from one cent for every ox, 

 cow, or steer, and three cents for every pedestrian to thirty-seven 

 and a half cents for every four-wheeled pleasure carriage and 

 horses that passed the bridge. At the expiration of the sixty years, 



