06/11/2026
Welcome to this week's installment of our Throwback Thursday series. Today's pics take us back to 1983 and the demolition of a bridge that once carried traffic over the Oneida Street train crossing.
For the better part of the 20th century, New York State Rout 8 ran through Chadwicks on the same path that is now called Oneida Street. (Over the years the road went by several names). Sometime around the 1960's, the "Sauquoit Valley" arterial was constructed. Its 4-lane divided highway stretched from NY Routes 5 and 12 to the area of Holman City Road in Sauquoit where it would switch to 2-lane. The new arterial "bypassed" the "city streets" reducing congestion. Because the road was heavily traveled and the railroad tracks that run parallel also saw much more use than we see today, the road went up and over the tracks to eliminate the need for a grade crossing.
Around 1982, the then 60+ years old bridge that carried the road over those tracks was showing serious signs of deterioration. Replacing the bridge was deemed too costly. Instead, the Town decided to remove the bridge and bring the roadway down to grade.
Many people who travel that roadway between Washington Mills and Chadwicks may not know the road once went above the trains. Today a few minutes delay waiting for a train to pass at that crossing may seem a nuisance but just imagine, the delay a detour of nearly 2 years must have felt like an eternity!
One final note: Today's information and much, much more, came to us via a scrapbook binder with wonderful post cards and newspaper clippings about not only Chadwicks but New Hartford as a whole. It was donated by Scott and Lynne Dillenback in Memory of Lynne's parents Melville & Evelyn Edwards. Evelyn and Mel both grew up in Chadwicks and graduated from Chadwicks High School. They shared love of local history and over the years collected many wonderful postcards and other memorabilia about Chadwicks and New Hartford. We are truly thankful for the kind and generous gift!
