BARRYVILLE — Another piece of history has been conserved in Barryville, this time in the front yard of Matthew and Leslie Smith, whose house overlooks the Delaware River.
On Saturday, June 12, Town of Highland Co-Historian Debra Conway and Sullivan County Historian John Conway thanked the Smiths as a new historic marker was dedicated, remembering the former Barryville-Shohola suspension bridge at this place. Nearly 30 people joined in the celebration. Credit was also given to Highland's Town Highway department for installing the marker, which was funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
The historic marker was obtained by the non-profit history education group, The Delaware Company, of which Debra Conway is Executive Director.
July 12 is also the birthday of John A. Roebling, the man who is credited with providing plans for this bridge that linked Barryville with Shohola, Pa. Debra Conway mentioned that the bridge's builder, Chauncey Thomas of Shohola, is a direct descendant of Moses Thomas, a member of the original Delaware Company. The elder Thomas hailed from Preston, Connecticut. These settlers are said to be the first permanent English settlement in the Upper Delaware region (1754-1764).
John Conway said that researching the Delaware River ferry that connected the two communities drew his attention to the bridge. The growth of Sullivan County, and Barryville in particular, increased after the D&H Canal was built in 1828. The nearby community of Shohola, Pa. also began to be more developed after the arrival of the Erie Railroad in 1849. Conway explained that because of the influx of people and the need to bring more goods into the area, the river ferry that previously connected Barryville and Shohola was no longer sufficient. The need for a bridge connecting the communities was evident.
In 1855, when the Barryville-Shohola bridge was erected, it was a single span nearly 500 feet in length. But it was repeatedly battered by the elements of nature, until it was finally destroyed in 1866. The next bridge that followed, built with a center pier, lasted until 1941. The historical marker's location is at this final bridge's abutment, and the bridge’s cable anchors remain in place in the Smiths' lawn, even though the bridge was dismantled nearly 80 years ago.

FORT DELAWARE PLANS
After seven years of preparation, John Conway has announced that The Delaware Company recently signed a contract with Sullivan County to take over operation of the Fort Delaware Museum at Narrowsburg. Founded in 1957 by the county’s second historian, James Burbank, the fort and museum were created to assist in explaining our colonial history.
While Covid-19 delays and uncertainties hampered The Delaware Company’s planning for a full program at the museum for 2021, Conway stated that special events are being planned. These will include the popular Haunted History Lantern Tours at Halloween, which have previously drawn hundreds of participants.
A special Saturday, July 10 Independence Day fundraiser for The Delaware Company will kick off at the fort, continuing the tradition of reading aloud the Declaration of Independence. The date chosen is historically approximate, because it took days for news of the declaration’s signing to arrive at the outpost of the Cushetunk settlement, after being ratified on July 2, 1776 by the Continental Congress.
Since Cushetunk was primarily a Tory stronghold and loyal to the British, this year the ceremony at the fort will also include a reading of the Tory response to the declaration.
There will be other demonstrations of colonial life at the venue, and Linda Russell, who has worked for the National Park Service as the official balladeer at Federal Hall, will perform colonial tunes.
There will be activities on Sunday, July 11 as well, but the main celebration will take place on Saturday. Conway urged everyone to save the date, with the promise that next year the fort will offer consistent programming "the likes of which you've never seen before."

Minisink Memorial Planned
The annual commemoration of the Battle of Minisink will be held on Saturday, July 24th at 4 p.m. It is open to the public at no charge. Plans for history hikes at the colonial battleground are also in motion for this year. The popular events have drawn more than 100 participants in the past.
For more information, visit The Delaware Company's Facebook page. You can also support the non-profit organization's programs by mailing a check to The Delaware Company, P.O. Box 88, Barryville, NY 12719.