Portage in Wyoming County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

A Bridge to the Past/A Bridge to the Future

Photographed by Anton Schwarzmueller, October 10, 2026

1. A Bridge to the Past/A Bridge to the Future Marker

Inscription. The Genesee River takes its name from “Gen-nis-eo,” translated as “Beautiful Valley” in the language of the Seneca (Onöndawa’ga:’). This river was an important natural resource long before any bridge crossed the gorge. To avoid the hazardous falls, generations of native peoples navigated the waterway by portaging (carrying) their boats to the opposite side of the river.

At the start of the nineteenth century, new roads and canals has provided access to settlers to the western interior of New York. European descendants seeking new farmland and industry rushed into the traditional homeland of the Seneca people. Through a series of disputed land agreements with the Seneca, the federal and state government wrested control of these lands. The State then opened those central and western regions for purchase by European-American land speculators with the goal of westward expansion.

The steep-sided gorges and rivers of the Genesee Valley presented many obstacles for transporting agricultural goods and lumber to larger markets. Encompassing over 120 miles and serviced by 104 locks, the Genesee Valley Canal served as a major transportation

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hub in the region before the bridge was built. The canal operated between 1840 and 1878 but did not fully open until 1862. The Buffalo and New York City Railroad chose this spot to bridge the gorge, finishing the timber trestle “High Bridge of Porter” in 1852, the longest and highest span of its kind during this period.

1852 wooden bridge. 1875 iron bridge. The Genesee Valley Canal and River as seen from the bridge in 1860. Courtesy Library of Congress.

The Iron Bridge Rises
The wood frame of the trestle made the world-famous bridge vulnerable to fire from coal sparks thrown from train engines, and in 1875, the bridge burned down. The Erie Railway replaced the outdated timber bridge with a new iron viaduct in a remarkable eighty-six days. Setting the standard for bridges of this type, the iron Portage viaduct would remain in daily freight service for 142 years.

In 1999, bridge inspections conducted by Norfolk Southern Railway revealed that despite strengthening projects over the years, the iron bridge needed to be replaced. In cooperation with engineering firm Modjeski and Masters, the railway chose a two hinged, spandrel-braced, steel

Photographed by Anton Schwarzmueller, October 10, 2026

2. A Bridge to the Past/A Bridge to the Future Marker

arch to replace the iron bridge. This would be the first railroad bridge of its kind to be used since WWII.

This style of bridge was chosen for its visual appeal, using a 483-foot long arch to frame the natural beauty of the gorge. Since the bridge design requires no supports in the riverbed itself, the waterway is unobstructed for the first time since the construction of the original timber trestle in 1852.

To learn more about the Portage bridges or to explore other aspects of park history, please visit the William Pryor Letchworth Museum, located across the road from the Glen Iris Inn.

Trestle Bridges are constructed by linking short spans braced by tightly set frames. The Genesee Arch Bridge or Portageville Arch Railway Bridge is a spandrel-braced, steel arch bridge stretching 485-feet and rising over 200 feet above the Genesee River. The weight on an arch bridge is pushed out along the curve to its end. The spandrels extend from the deck to the arch providing support for the deck while the diagonal bracing provides additional support for the bridge deck. The iron bridge in the background was subsequently removed once the arch bridge

Photographed by Anton Schwarzmueller, October 10, 2026

3. A Bridge to the Past/A Bridge to the Future Marker

Southward view from the walking trail towards the parking area.

was completed and put into service.

The Erie’s Many Names The New York & Erie Railroad 1832-1861. Erie Railway 1861-1878. Western New York, Lake Erie & Western Railroad 1878-1895. Erie Railroad 1895-1960. Erie-Lackawanna Railway (merged with Delaware, Lackawanna & Western) 1960-1968. Erie-Lackawanna Railroad 1968-1976. Erie-Lackawanna Railroad (absorbed by Conrail) 1976-1999. Former Erie Conrail Lines (absorbed by Norfolk Southern Railway) 1999-present.

Erected by Letchworth STate Park.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Parks & Recreational Areas • Railroads & Streetcars • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1852.

Location. 42° 34.717′ N, 78° 2.996′ W. Marker is in Portage, New York, in Wyoming County. It can be reached from Park Road 3 miles north of New York State Route 19A, on the right when traveling north. Marker is at the Genesee Arch Bridge Parking in Letchworth State Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Castile NY 14427, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate

The Genesee Arch Bridge image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Anton Schwarzmueller, October 10, 2026

4. The Genesee Arch Bridge

Viewing area a few steps from the marker.

New York,

specifically in Western New York,

and in the Finger Lakes.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Welcome to Letchworth State Park (approx. half a mile away); The Heart of Letchworth (approx. half a mile away); In Grateful Memory of William Pryor Letchworth (approx. half a mile away); Iroquois Clans (approx. 0.6 miles away); Welcome to the Seneca Council Grounds (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Council Grounds Ca. 1907...and Under Restoration (approx. 0.6 miles away); Mary Jemison (approx. 0.6 miles away); This Ancient Seneca Council House (approx. 0.6 miles away).

Other markers no longer nearby. Portage Bridge (was about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been permanently removed); The Railroad High Bridge (was about 400 feet away but

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has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. This is a roofed marker framed and supported in part by structural pieces of the 1875 bridge.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2026, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 11, 2026, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.