The piece of NY 167 between Richfield Springs and Paines Hollow, New York a small hamlet southwest of Little Falls, was originally part of an unsigned legislative route in the early 20th century.

NY 167 begins at an intersection with US 20 (West Main Street) near the northern tip of Canadarago Lake in the village of Richfield Springs.

The route proceeds north as a two-lane highway along Church Street, passing through the village's residential northern portion before leaving Richfield Springs and crossing the Otsego–Herkimer county line just a half-mile (0.8 km) from the junction with US 20.

Just under 2 miles (3.2 km) from Paines Hollow, the highway briefly curves to the southeast ahead of a hairpin turn that leads northward to a junction with Newville Road (CR 45).

About 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the city of Little Falls, the highway passes under the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90 or I-90) with no connection to the road.

The two routes briefly overlap before NY 167 turns north into a less populated, mostly wooded area along the southern bank of the Mohawk River (here part of the Erie Canal).

[3] Now known as Dolgeville Road, NY 167 heads northeastward through dense forests to the hamlet of Manheim Center, a small residential community 3 miles (4.8 km) from Little Falls.

After leaving Manheim Center, the route becomes rural again, heading northward for several miles past farms, power lines, and the terminus of Snells Bush Road (CR 23).

North of Snells Bush Road, NY 167 trends to the northeast, loosely paralleling East Canada Creek as it heads toward the village of Dolgeville as South Main Street.

From Richfield Springs to Paines Hollow, it was designated as part of Route 5, which continued southeast to Kingston via Oneonta and northwest to Mohawk.

At 1 p.m. (1800 UTC) that day, a convoy of vehicles drove the route south from Little Falls, with a band on a large truck and a coach with six horses.

The new bridge also eliminated a dangerous at-grade crossing at the CSX Railroad where low profile vehicles frequently got stuck.