wˌɛn ˌɛnwˈaɪ tˈuːhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi wʌz ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəli ɐsˈaɪnd æz pˈɑːɹt ʌvðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi ɹᵻnˈʌmbɚɹɪŋ ʌv stˈeɪt hˈaɪweɪz ɪn nˈuː jˈɔːɹk, ɪt wʌz lˈɪɾəl mˈoːɹ ðˌænə ʃˈɔːɹt spˈɜː ɹˈaʊt ˈɔf ʌv ˌɛnwˈaɪ sˈɛvəntˌiːn ðæt fˈɑːloʊd ðɪ ˈælɪɡhˌɛni ɹˈɪvɚ sˈaʊθ tə ðə hˈæmlɪt ʌv kwˈeɪkɚ bɹˈɪdʒ.
When NY 280 was originally assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, it was little more than a short spur route off of NY 17 that followed the Allegheny River south to the hamlet of Quaker Bridge.