Near this location, the earliest transportation across the Susquehanna River was a ferry owned and operated by the pioneer Robert Clark. In 1828-29, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania replaced the ferry with a dam and a highway toll bridge supporting a towing-path, constructed and operated as part of the state's canal system to transport canal boats across the river. In 1857, the Commonwealth sold its entire canal system to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which in 1867 organized the Pennsylvania Canal Company and transferred this property to it as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad transportation system. In 1915, after canal operations had been abandoned and entirely replaced by the railroad system, the Pennsylvania Canal Company sold the bridge to The Clark's Ferry Bridge Company. In 1924-25, to meet increasing demands of motor vehicular traffic, The Clark's Ferry Bridge Company replaced the original structure with the bridge.