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Connecticut River Bridges

In 1802, William Simpson obtained a charter to have the first bridge constructed between Fairlee and Orford. The toll rate was 20 to 25 cents for a team of horses or oxen to cross the river. This painting by Henry Cheever Pratt, reveals that the earlier bridges between Orford and Fairlee were uncovered.

As a side note, Henry Cheever Pratt was born in Orford in 1803 and is most well known for the drawings and paintings he created when hired to explore the US-Mexican border in 1850. Henry Cheever Pratt’s grandfather, Captain Joseph Pratt was a British POW before becoming a commander of the Revolutionary warship, The Grand Turk. He was responsible for the capture of numerous British warships. Captain Pratt settled in Orford in 1791.

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