The river at Shohola, which means "place of peace," widens perceptibly above the falls, allowing for a natural, shallow crossing.

In 1856, a bridge company, under the leadership of Chauncey Thomas, constructed a span between the two communities, but it was poorly designed and collapsed during a windstorm in 1859.

In 1866, the bridge was reconstructed as a two-lane, single span wooden suspension structure and remained in use for over seventy years.

Originally the site of a ford, the area was used by the Lenni Lenape and Delawares on their way to and from the shores of present-day Long Island Sound.

By the end of the 18th century, European settlers operated a ferry near the current span, crossing between Shohola to a settlement on the opposite bank, that later became Barryville.

The result of the construction was a 10-foot (3.0 m) wide, double-span bridge that was 495 feet (151 m) long but which had no underlying span support.

The bridge stood 25 feet (7.6 m) above the waters of the Delaware to avoid flooding, and cost a total of $9,000 (1856 USD ($305,200 in 2025).

[1] The rapid growth of the area due to the construction of the Canal and the Erie Railroad meant the bridge was immediately in heavy use.

[1] Thomas' wire-rope span bridge was damaged by a severe wind storm on July 2, 1859, exactly three years after it opened.

The local ferry, which had been out of commission for only three years, was still in good condition and re-fitted for use in 1859, to operate along the remaining abutments and piers that survived the storm.

Thomas was able to complete the bridge, and ended up raising a total cost for construction of $4,000 (1859 USD ($135,600 in 2025))), an expedient necessitated by the lack of funds in the company treasury.

The bridge was much better cared for this time around, as it also survived a local flood in 1903 and an icestorm in the early months of spring 1904.

Shohola and Barryville had become summer resorts and the now-aging antique bridge had become a local picturesque attraction for out-of-town visitors.

[1] The bridge lasted for several decades, until the start of the 21st century, when plans were made to replace the deteriorating truss structure.

The bridge was expected to have resemble the Roebling Aqueduct, which lay to the north in Minisink Ford, New York.

First, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission had been conducting archaeological digs in the area since 1996, and had found a variety of artifacts dating from the Clovis period, with radio carbon age dating around 10,900 BCE, making them one of the oldest sites in the eastern United States; the sites also includes evidence of food, making it one of the rarer paleolithic finds.

When Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004, the water level rose, allowing for the use of the barges, but destroying several construction items used for the bridge in the process.

[7] The bridge, which had an estimated completion in the autumn of 2006 according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, was opened on-time on October 26, 2006.

[13] The bridge had temporary fencing and new walkways along a six-lane span, with locals saying that the stone structure fitting into the looks of the scenic Delaware River Valley.