Middlebury Falls provided great power but also obstructed transportation by preventing the movement of goods and customers. The first settlers in Middlebury could cross Otter Creek only on "Hop" Johnson's ferry until mill owner Daniel Foote built the first wooden bridge there in 1787, approximately at the site of the present bridge. Because this busy crossing was so important to the town's commercial and industrial life, its wooden bridges wore out quickly from rot and fire, and the primary bridge had to be rebuilt six times during the nineteenth century. A massive fire in November 1891 burned much of downtown Middlebury, including the bridge. Local philanthropist Joseph Battell then insisted that the replacement be built of stone and offered to pay half the cost himself. The stone Battell Bridge opened in 1893, as the creek's industrial importance was giving way to newer power sources, and a structure that had once been mainly functional also became a beautiful place from which to enjoy Middlebury Falls and Otter Creek.