[4] It began in the mid-19th century, when the local Milford and Matamoras Railroad settled a dispute with the larger, growing Erie Railroad with the latter's assent to a law requiring that it construct a bridge across the Delaware at Matamoras that could carry both road and rail traffic.

It was supposed to have been completed by 1852, but due to the railroad's unsuccessful efforts to have the law requiring the bridge declared unconstitutional it only began building it that year.

Directors of the Milford and Matamoras confronted Jay Gould about this in New York when the Erie showed no apparent interest in immediately rebuilding it.

He told them the railroad had sold its interest in the bridge to another company, which turned out to be a dummy corporation.

Rising waters tore the bridge away from the Matamoras side at 8:30am due to pier damage.

Theodore Durant, a local resident, managed to acquire a board from the collapsing bridge and rode it until he got to a nearby tree, climbing it.