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In the fall of 1840 Col. Sarshel Woods, of Carroll county, built a bridge across Shoal creek at Whitney's mill and this was probably the first bridge built in the county. In March, 1841, the county court appointed Joseph Harper and Thomas Carter to examine the cost of this bridge, and on their report and recommendation Col. Woods was allowed $140 for its construction.

At the same time John C. Orem, Joseph Harper and Simeon Miller were appointed commissioners to examine all the crossings of the streams in the county, and report at what points bridges should be built. In May $400 was appropriated to build a bridge across Medicine creek at the crossing of the Bloomington and Plattsburg road. This bridge was built by Zadoc Holcomb, and completed in 1842.

The first bridge across East Grand river was completed in the winter of 1843, at Graham's mill. Jesse Nave was the contractor and Levi Cox the commissioner. The structure gave way in a few years. Soon after it was built James Martin and the horse that he was riding both fell off of it into the stream, a distance of thirty feet. The horse was killed, but the man was not injured.

The second bridge on Medicine creek was built at the site of Cox's (Slagle's) mill, in 1843. Numerous other bridges were established in 1843-44.

Perhaps the first ferry in Livingston county was established over the east fork of Grand river, five miles northwest of Chillicothe, west of Joseph Cox's, in 1835, by Wm. McGee. The first across Grand river below the forks was put in by a man named Murphy in the summer of 1838; he also had a ferry across Shoal creek the same year. Joshua Whitney had a ferry at his mill on Shoal creek near Dawn, in 1838. Elisha Hereford had a ferry across Grand river, six miles south of Chillicothe, in 1839. Hargrave's ferry over Grand river, west of Chillicothe, was operated in 1839, and the same year C. H. Ashby established one across Grand river at the present site of the old Graham's mill.

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