Columbia River Park Advisory Committee (CRPAC) has been working to expand River Park beyond the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge. A Master Site Plan for the 10-acre area was created over the course of an 11-month time period and utilized extensive and on-going public engagement throughout the process. In total, more than 1,200 persons participated in the effort. The most popular ideas for historic, cultural, environmental and entertainment features included bridge pier restoration, canal restoration, live outdoor music/performance programming, picnicking, stream restoration and native plant gardens. The final design is visionary riverfront development plan that showcases the convergence of people and nature over thousands of years in a memorable and daring design.
Although this visionary design will take years to complete, the CRPAC is seeking inexpensive and unique ways to make the area more user friendly. Cutting the trail paths created in the design and removing all the invasive species from the forested areas would be a great start. The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps is a crew that can quickly and professionally complete this project.They have a Public Partnership Program that provides municipalities and other non-profits the opportunity to partner with the Corps to undertake recreation and conservation projects on non-DCNR public lands on a cost share basis.
CRPAC is seeking $3,000 in cost-share needed to pay PA Outdoor Corps to complete this project. Part of the project has been funded by the Columbia Park Rangers as well as Mountz and Kreiser and the Foresters of America. We are so grateful for their support but need your help to make it to $3,000 total.
PROJECT DETAILS:
Improve trail paths highlighted in red
10’ – 12’ wide on the primary loop and 6’ – 8’ wide on the auxiliary loops
Level the trail surface, add trail surface material
Remove invasive species from forest area between PA 462 Bridge & Lock Wall Area
We hope you will consider donating to this small but important project!
There is no doubt that the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail is the most popular hiking and biking trail in the Susquehanna NHA. In about a month, the trail will be complete from Columbia to Falmouth for a total of 14 miles. The trail offers trips through wooded areas, rolling farmland, and historic river towns. It also has many remnants from centuries of riverfront industry. Quarries, mills, company towns, furnaces, and lumbering dotted the waterfront until the early 19th century. Ferries, canals, and railroads kept the people and resources moving for the whole system to thrive.
Sharing these stories of the river is our mission at Susquehanna NHA. In normal circumstances, guided walks, bike trips or kayak excursions are our favorite ways to share all the amazing history. As more and more people have turned to local outdoor recreation to stay fit and enjoy nature during these trying times, SNHA has sought creative avenues to connect people to all the river has to offer.
We’ve created this custom GoogleMap featuring 36 heritage stops on the 14-mile trail between Columbia and Falmouth. Click on any red marker to see more information. Some stops include series of images including drawings, historic maps, and photographs. Click on the blue markers for parking and trail amenity information.
This map will immerse you in the river stories that most interest you. Whether you’d just to rediscover the NW River Trail in a new way or you want to plan a detailed homeschool adventure, this map will get you moving! You can start from home clicking through stories and then plan your trail excursion. Then take the map with you on your smartphone using your Google Maps Application. Open the map directly to GoogleMaps on your smartphone: bit.ly/NWRTHeritage
Experience the Susquehanna while supporting local businesses and SNHA’s work to connect people to the river and its history. For a minimum gift of $50, you’ll receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Picnic Passport Pack that includes a special guidebook with suggestions for great picnic locations, delicious menu options from area restaurants, and engaging information and stories about the river and its many attractions.
Donate online and pick up at one of our riverfront visitor centers. Donations in the form of check or cash can be given at either the Zimmerman Center or Columbia Crossing. Get your Picnic Passport while supplies last!
Though we can’t join you on your outing, we’ll be with you in spirit, as your Picnic Passport package also includes this lovely SNHA-branded picnic blanket, courtesy of Donegal Insurance Group. A free Susquehanna River Water Trail Map & Guide and a variety of restaurant information and coupons. Plus a local sweet treat will complete the package.
We hope you’ll enjoy an excursion on the river this summer while supporting SNHA and local businesses through the Picnic Passport!
Susquehanna NHA in partnership with Borough of Columbia’s Parks and Recreation Committee has launched a 2020 Columbia Summer Bucket List. We have all been struggling to keep busy and find new fun during the global pandemic. The Columbia Summer Bucket List is here to keep you exploring whether you live in town or your visiting for the day. It’s the perfect time to discover the unique experiences available right here! With over 35 activities featuring nearly 50 Columbia organizations, businesses and landmarks there’s something for everyone!
Keep Your Kids Busy
Columbia has wealth of free and low cost adventures for all types and tastes. We focused on activities that were readily available and safe during the pandemic. Discover new parts of town, beautiful murals, and silly activities. It’s perfect for families. Like #13: Make a train noise at the Columbia & Reading Railroad Car at Manor & 4th Street. Or #3: Pretend to milk the Turkey Hill Experience Cow.
Explore Local History
Dive into Columbia’s history while you’re here. The Bucket List features historic sites and markers like #24: Find the Lincoln Highway marker on Chestnut Street. Pop into the historic district to stroll down the cobblestones to the Wright’s Ferry Mansion. Check off number #21: with a stop at Zion Hill Cemetery where you can learn about Columbia’s African American residents who fought in the Civil War.
Support Small Businesses
It’s also designed to support the Columbia business community. The Bucket List features all kinds of businesses in Columbia that you may not know existed. From the comic book store to the quaint gift shops, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the variety of shops. Shopping small has a big impact so pick up some Susquehanna glassware, old-fashioned penny candy, or a new-to-you antique while you’re in town. Each stop checks off a bucket list item.
Eat Your Heart Out
Fill your belly too! Columbia Bucket List features old-fashioned favorites like the classic Shifter sandwich to our new obsession: the savory Soul Roll at Cafe 301. Pick your favorite cheesesteak and try some new brews on your quest to conquer the whole list. It’s impossible to leave town hungry!
Download your Bucket List and get started! Or pick up a paper copy at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center: Open Wednesday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm.
Track your efforts by snapping photos of as many of our summer activities in Columbia as you can and share them to social media using #2020ColumbiaBucketList. Complete a short form on the back of your bucket list and return it Columbia Crossing River Trails Center to claim your prize!
For those that complete at least 15 activities, you will receive this unique sticker! This vintage style crimson and gold sticker captures Columbia’s colors and historic Veterans Memorial Bridge. These 3″ circles are durable, weather resistant, premium vinyl stickers. Slap one on your car, bike, kayak, water bottle or laptop and it will last!
For those that complete at least 30 activities, you will earn the sticker as well as a voucher for a small ice cream cone at Hinkle’s Restaurant. Hinkle’s will scoop your choice of vanilla or chocolate into a cone or dish. Enjoy it as you walk around town or devour it at their classic Ice Parlor & Soda Fountain.
Thanks to Hinkle’s Restaurant for supporting the Columbia Bucket List. We also thank Sticker Mule who has great weatherproof stickers. The Columbia Summer Bucket List was created by the Borough of Columbia’s Park and Recreation Committee in partnership with Susquehanna National Heritage Area. Working together to share Columbia’s historic, scenic, and recreational stories and experiences with residents and visitors and support our local business community.
River Roots is Susquehanna NHA’s blog series featuring history from York and Lancaster Counties that showcases the Susquehanna River’s historic, cultural, and natural resources contributions to our nation’s heritage.
This month SNHA is uncovering the details of Benjamin Henry Latrobe’s 18-foot long survey of the Lower Susquehanna River. Although Benjamin Latrobe is remembered as an accomplished architect, in the Susquehanna NHA we honor him for his amazing map of the Lower Susquehanna.
Susquehanna, The Navigable?
Near the turn of the 19th century, water-based transportation was essential to civilization. With no automobiles or trains, land transportation was limited to horse and foot. Across the new United States, surveyors and map makers were seeking to find connective water routes – like the Lewis & Clark Expedition that started in 1803. The Susquehanna’s connection to the Chesapeake Bay made it an obvious target for commerce.
The Lower Susquehanna was swift and rocky. The Susquehanna was only navigable downriver to Columbia, even during spring freshets. There wheat, beef, coal, lumber, and other goods were unloaded and carried via wagon to Philadelphia. Downriver from Columbia, craggy metamorphic ridges rise up between 200 and 500 feet above the water in what is called the Susquehanna Gorge. At the bottom of the gorge, the river was dominated by huge rocks protruding above the waterline. This is no small obstable to overcome as the gorge runs from Turkey Hill to Port Deposit, a distance of nearly thirty miles.
Benjamin’s Survey
In 1801, Pennsylvania Governor Thomas McKean appointed Latrobe surveyor and assistant to his uncle, Frederick Antes, as authorized by a 1799 state statute providing for navigation improvements to the Lower Susquehanna River south of Columbia. Latrobe and Antes represented Pennsylvania in a joint venture with the Susquehanna Canal Company, a Maryland entity building a canal from the Pennsylvania border to tidewater.
With his uncle’s death in September 1801, Latrobe assumed control of the Pennsylvania portion of the project, working with his Maryland partners. Latrobe surveyed the river in October-November 1801 with the help of two assistant surveyors, chainbearers, axemen and canoemen. He completed his map over the winter, including a proposed new route for navigating the rocky river. Latrobe presented his work to the governor in Lancaster (then Pennsylvania’s capital) in March 1802 and lobbied the legislature for project funding. His efforts were successful, and the navigation improvements were completed soon after.
Latrobe’s Susquehanna survey map represents a rare profile of the physical features of a region just beginning to feel the impact of agricultural and commercial development. This landscape has changed drastically since Latrobe’s time, with 60 percent of the river below Columbia now submerged by reservoirs from three 20th century dams. Latrobe’s original 18-foot long survey of the Susquehanna was before Congress for consideration of internal improvements when it was destroyed during the Capitol’s burning by the British in 1814. His personal copy of the 1801 survey, shown below, now resides in the collections of the Maryland Historical Society. A full-size reproduction of this survey copy is on public display at the waterfront pavilion of Susquehanna NHA’s Zimmerman Center for Heritage.
Benjamin’s Map
The river rapids shown by Latrobe reveal that the river’s steepest gradient is near its mouth. Such conditions exist in most of the great African rivers, but they are not found in any other river on our Atlantic seaboard. These circumstances made upstream travel almost impossible. Even downstream travel was made only by arks and rafts which were usually dismantled at their destination and sold as lumber. Latrobe sought a route to take boats northbound but there were many challenges.
Most narrow part of the southern half of the Susquehanna River is at McCall’s Ferry, modern day York Furnace. In Latrobe’s survey it was listed as 16 perches, or 264 feet wide. In 1815, when a bridge was built across the river there it was 360 feet long. After the Holtwood Dam was constructed, the river was widened by the backed-up water, but the spot is still less than ¼ mile wide or 1320 feet. Near this narrow spot in the river were also many deeps.
At a place known as The Neck, Latrobe dropped a 180-foot line with a lead weight, and it didn’t hit the bottom. The weight also didn’t hit bottom along the eastern shore at McCall’s Ferry. During the construction of the Hotlwood Dam (1909), Conowingo Dam (1925), and Safe Harbor Dam (1930), many deep gashes were found in the riverbed. These underwater canyons descend below the surface as much as 200 feet and stretch up to two miles in length. Latrobe was likely puzzled by his observation of such deep water since the levels elsewhere were very low. Latrobe was able to walk across the river south of Turkey Hill. He wrote “I walked dry shod across the rocks from Savers bottom to the channel on the Eastern side, which was then about 100 feet wide.” In the end, Latrobe laid a channel to allow southbound traffic in all seasons. Even with blasting obstructions and clearing a narrow channel, the Susquehanna was still very hazardous.
Enduring Features
Use the slider image above to compare Latrobe’s map to modern Google Earth. Latrobe’s ability to capture the shape and scale of the river with accuracy is impressive. Although many of the river’s islands shown by Latrobe were submerged because of the construction of the hydroelectric dams, some of the islands and their names still endure. South of the Norman Wood Bridge is the Bear Islands. Latrobe described their features as “They are high Rocky masses of great extent, covered chiefly with pines” that “rose from 20 to 30 feet above the water.” Just north of the Pequea Creek outfall is Weise Island. On Latrobe’s Map this is labeled Stoner’s Island and has two small structures on it that may have been part of the local ferry operation. Mud Island near Columbia remains the same while Reed Island, south of Pequea, has shrunk dramatically. Many of the islands are now under the river’s flow which has skewed our vision of the river’s natural state.
The sheer cliffs and peaks along the riverfront also remain. These are helpful to orient the 1802 map with modern maps or other historic maps. Latrobe identified:
• Neal’s Point now Hawk Point Overlook
• Neck Mountain now Pinnacle Overlook
• House Rock now House Rock Overlook
• Raven’s Nest now Safe Harbor Overlook
• Turkey Hill now Turkey Hill Overlook
Although the goal of the survey was to increase navigability of the Lower Susquehanna to the tidewater some of the notes and features expand our understanding of early American life. Latrobe identifies over two dozen riverfront homesteads and farms. There are six ferries listed as well as three sawmills. There’s also a slate quarry near Peach Bottom and a fishery north of Pequea Creek. One enduring structure is “Col. Tritt’s” home, now the Zimmerman Center for Heritage, which still stands as shown on Latrobe’s map, just below “Tritt’s Islands.” Latrobe also made pencil sketches and watercolors along his journey, capturing a scenic natural area just beginning to develop as a corridor of culture and commerce.
Views of Susquehanna from foot of falls above Columbia
George Stoner’s on Pequea Creek, Burkhalters Ferry
The Susquehanna River from Turkey Hill
Anderson’s Mill Below Wright’s Ferry, Susquehanna River
Latrobe’s survey resulted in the blasting of rock to create a 40-foot-wide channel but it would be thirty years until canal companies would make the river easily navigable. The Susquehanna & Tidewater Canal finally carried cargo on the west side of the river between Havre de Grace, Maryland and Wrightsville, Pennsylvania in 1840. Boats were then towed along the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge and entered the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal which traveled up the east side of the river to north of Harrisburg. The advancement of land transportation via railroads would eventually end the age of canals and with it the quest to make the Susquehanna navigable.
The Latrobe map was pulled from the archives and used by Pennsylvania Water & Power Company as it prepared for construction of the Holtwood Dam in 1909. The map served as a guide to subdue the river just as it had been 100 years earlier. Today, the Latrobe map shows us the power of people to affect the environment, as well as the power of nature to resist those changes. The Susquehanna Gorge has retained its mysterious deeps, its sheer cliffs, and its rocky bottom despite two centuries of human manipulation.
Learn More
Brubaker, J., 2002. Down The Susquehanna To The Chesapeake. University Park, Pa: Pennsylvania State Univ. Press.
View the Susquehanna! Go to the Overlooks noted on Latrobe’s map and see what the river looks like today. Can you imagine where all the rocks, rapids, and homesteads were 200 years ago?
With Lancaster and York Counties entering new phases of PA’s COVID-19 response, Susquehanna National Heritage Area is re-opening our two visitor facilities along the Susquehanna River and launching our second season of River Discovery Boat Tours. York County entered the GREEN phase on June 12th and Lancaster County enters the GREEN phase on June 26th . Here’s what to expect for each facility and our boat tours during re-opening:
ZIMMERMAN CENTER FOR HERITAGE – SNHA owns and manages this historic 18th century riverfront home south of Wrightsville in York County, with visitor services, exhibits, and galleries. With York County in GREEN, the Zimmerman Center re-opened to the public onFRIDAY, JUNE 19TH with regular hours, Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-4pm. New procedures are in place for visitors and staff to comply with CDC and PA Department of Health guidelines. All inside visitors to the building are required to sign-in with contact information. Self-guided tours of the first floor are offered, with no full-house tours or inside programs. Masks are required for visitors and staff inside the building, with disposable masks available.
COLUMBIA CROSSING RIVER TRAILS CENTER – SNHA manages this riverfront visitor education center in Columbia River Park in Lancaster County for the Borough of Columbia, including visitor services, maps and guides, exhibits, programs, and facility rentals. With Lancaster County entering the GREEN phase, Columbia Crossing re-opens to the public on FRIDAY, JUNE 26th, with revised hours, Wednesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm. Restrooms are open with outside access, 6am-6pm daily. All activities will comply with CDC and PA Department of Health guidelines. Masks are required for visitors and staff inside the building, with disposable masks available.
RIVER DISCOVERY BOAT TOURS – SNHA will launch our 2nd season of free pontoon boat tours from the Zimmerman Center on Friday, July 3rd. Tours will be offered Friday/Saturday/Sunday and frequency increased from 3 to 4 per day. Registration will be limited to 8 passengers per tour instead of 10 to allow for social distancing. The boat and equipment will be sanitized between tours. Similar to last year, pre-registration will be required online, but no walk-ons will be permitted to fill no-show seats. All check-in will be done outside in the waterfront pavilion, with Covid-19 screening questions, temperature checks, and face masks required. Disposable masks will be provided to passengers as needed. Online registration for boat tours will be available at this website link starting MONDAY, JUNE 15th: https://susqnha.org/programs/boat-tours/
We look forward to welcoming the public back to the Zimmerman Center, Columbia Crossing, and our River Discovery Boat Tours. For further updates and other information about SNHA and our facilities, programs, and projects, please visit our website and social media pages at the following links:
River Roots is Susquehanna NHA’s blog series featuring history from York and Lancaster Counties that showcases the Susquehanna River’s historic, cultural, and natural resources contributions to our nation’s heritage.
This week we explore dugout canoes on the Susquehanna River. Long before powerboats and jet skis, before mule-drawn canal boats, and before Anderson’s, Wright’s and Cresap’s ferries, dugout canoes were the favored way of navigating the Susquehanna’s shallow waters.
Dugout Canoes on the Susquehanna
Indians Fishing, Theodor de Bry engraving after John White watercolor, c.1590. This hand-colored engraving is from The Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia…, Thomas Hariot, 1588. (The Mariners’ Museum Library, Newport News, Virginia)
Unlike the birchbark canoes used by many northern American Indians, dugouts were heavy, slow, and unsuitable for long distance travel. But the swift, rocky, Susquehanna was not suited for travel in more fragile birchbark canoes, and birch trees with suitable bark were not found here. So, the lower Susquehanna’s native peoples relied on their network of footpaths to traverse the land. However, for fishing and carrying cargoes of meat and hides, and people, across the river, dugouts were ideal.
Dugout canoes have been used by indigenous peoples worldwide for thousands of years. Specimens recovered in the northeast United States have been found dating as far back as 6,000 years before the present. They were undoubtedly being constructed thousands of years earlier.
Based on historic accounts, most dugouts were less than 20 feet long, but some were reported to be 50 feet or larger. In the southeastern United States, 16th century Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto encountered dugouts on the Mississippi River carrying 75 to 80 warriors with 25 paddlers on each side. These vessels may have approached 100 feet in length. Some southeastern dugouts were painted, and some were carved with designs of snakes and fishes. Dugouts from the Mississippi Valley sometimes had decks, seats, or awnings. Early English reports from the Chesapeake mention canoes 40-50 feet long able to carry about one passenger per foot of length. English explorer John Smith reported some in the Chesapeake as being 3-4 feet deep.
Mud Pond dugout on display at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg
Nearly 20 dugout canoes have been found in bogs and lakes in Pennsylvania, primarily in the Pocono region. No archaeological evidence of dugouts has been found along the Susquehanna, but Smith’s journal of his travels on the Chesapeake Bay does mention Susquehannock “canowes”:
“Five of their chiefe Werowances came boldly aboord us to crosse the Bay for Tockwhogh, leaving their men and Canowes…”
We assume the canoes were dugouts, as he describes the canoes of another, distant tribe as being “small boats, made of the barkes of trees”. We can also make the argument that the Susquehannocks didn’t paddle their canoes from their town at today’s Washington Boro to the mouth of the Susquehanna. Paddling down the Susquehanna would be possible, but paddling back through rapids, or portaging around them, would have been an ordeal. Walking, at least upriver, would be faster, and leaving their dugouts at the bay wouldn’t make sense. Finally, Smith makes no mention of them arriving to the river’s mouth in canoes.
Dugouts were typically left where they were used, be it lake or river, and the Susquehannock frequented the Bay, so no doubt they kept dugouts along its shores for their use. There is evidence to suggest that they may have been sunk with rocks when not being used to keep them from drying out and cracking, and perhaps to hide them from potential thieves.
Making the Dugout
Most simply put, a dugout canoe is just a hollowed-out log. But the process for making one isn’t quite so simple. Consider the work involved. First, tools for the job need to be fashioned. Although by the time the Susquehannock tribe arrived on the lower Susquehanna, metal tools were being obtained from European traders, stone tools were still in use. Several types of tools may have been used in dugout canoe construction – axes, handled adzes, hand adzes, and smoothing stones, for example. For a cutting tool, the proper type of stone (meta-basalt and meta-rhyolite work well) must first be found. Working the rough stone into a sharp tool required flaking, pecking, grinding, and polishing to the proper shape and edge, a process that could take in excess of eight hours. Axes and adzes had to be hafted onto a wooden handle, a technical process in itself. Next, a tree, of the proper size and type (commonly, white pine), must be selected. Felling the tree could be accomplished by chopping, but burning a controlled fire at its base may have required less labor.
Tools used in dugout canoe construction (Clockwise from bottom: hafted scraper, adze, hand axe, finishing adze)
In order to better understand the effort, tools, and techniques required to create a dugout canoe, archaeologists from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) have employed experimental archaeology to produce several full-size replicas using the same tools and techniques American Indians used those many years ago. One of the dugouts is a popular annual attraction at the Pennsylvania Farm Show and has also been on display at SNHA’s Columbia Crossing River Trails Center. The archaeologists based their design on a dugout discovered in 1935 by a group of boys in Mud Pond near Pleasant View Summit, in eastern Luzerne County, and donated to the State Museum of Pennsylvania in 1968. The dugout, dating to circa 1250 AD, is now exhibited in the museum’s Anthropology Hall.
The archaeologists were aided by early descriptions and illustrations of Native American vessels, including the well-known 16th century accounts by British explorers John White and Arthur Barlowe of dugout canoes used in what would become Virginia and North Carolina. Both White and Barlowe describe a process of burning and scraping with shells to fashion dugouts. Other than for cutting down the tree, they do not reference the use of stone axes or adzes. In his report of the 1584 reconnaissance of what is now coastal North Carolina, Arthur Barlowe described the process this way:
“Their boates are made of one tree, either of Pine, or of Pitch trees: a wood not commonly knowen to our people, nor found growing in England. They have no edge tooles to make them withall…they burne downe some great tree, or take such as are winde fallen, and putting myrrhe [sic], and rosen upon one side thereof, they sette fire into it, and when it hath burnt it hollowe, they cutte out the coale with their shels, and ever where they would burne it deeper or wider, they laye on their hummes, which burneth away the timber, and by this meanes they fashion very fine boates, and such as will transport twentie men.”
The manner of makinge their boates, Theodor de Bry engraving after John White watercolor, c.1590. This hand-colored engraving is from The Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia…, Thomas Hariot, 1588. The Mariners’ Museum Library, Newport News, Virginia)
For the replica, a 20-foot long white pine log measuring nearly three feet in diameter was secured. The log came from a tree in Michaux State Forest that had been blown down in a storm. Over the course of seventeen days a crew of at least three people worked six to eight hours a day to complete the task. Each morning, a fire was started the length of the dugout and allowed to burn for two to four hours. Clay was applied around the fire to control the burn. When the fire was extinguished, the charred material was completely removed by scraping with beveled pieces of wood and finally with the stone adzes. The worked progressed slowly, with less than one inch of material being removed each day. After the interior was finally roughed out, it was rubbed with pieces of sandstone to reduce splinters and increase comfort. The last step was to apply a coat of pine tar mixed with hot wood ash to serve as a sealer. The maiden voyage for the dugout came on October 2, 2005, when a crew of four archaeologists paddled down the Susquehanna from Fort Hunter to City Island in Harrisburg. They described the canoe as stable, but not agile. Although it took some work to get it moving, once underway its momentum kept it going without undo effort.
PHMC archaeologists making replica dugout (left) and taking on its maiden voyage. (right)
Dugouts after European Arrival
Native American and dugout on the Columbia River, 1897. (Library of Congress)
Dugout canoes were so sturdy, dependable, and well-suited to their purpose that the coastal Indians were slow to adopt white settlers’ planked boats. With a full complement paddling, a canoe could overtake or pull away from an English boat of comparable size under oars. Additionally, because of their narrow beam and shallow draft, canoes could easily ply waters closed to many of the small crafts used by the English. Colonists quickly adopted the canoe and even adapted it to sail. On the Susquehanna, John Wright’s ferry operation used dugout canoes lashed together to transport wagons across the river, and dugouts continued to be made and used by European settlers well into the 1800s.
To Learn More
Check out the The 2005 Pennsylvania Dugout Canoe Project. This detailed PowerPoint Presentation shows images and details about the tools and process used by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.
Resources
Carr, Kurt W., et al. The Pennsylvania Dugout Canoe Project Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Bureau for Historic Preservation, 2006
Partner Spotlight: Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority
We’ve all become more grateful for the outdoor recreation spaces since the global pandemic shuttered our favorite restaurants, businesses, and community spaces. Maybe you’ve never visited these trails before, or you’ve just recently realized their significance. Outdoor recreation spaces, natural habitats, preserves, and trails have greatly expanded along the Susquehanna over the past 20 years. At SNHA, we work with great organizations to grow outdoor recreation opportunities and preserve our natural and cultural heritage. We want to share with you our SNHA partners and their great contributions to our Heritage Area. Partners bring funding support, unique talents, and a collaborative passion for the river.
The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) has committed to enhancing the recreational opportunities and quality of life in areas where LCSWMA has major facilities. There are two LCSWMA facilities along the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, which include the Lancaster Waste-to-Energy Facility in Bainbridge that combusts waste to make electricity for our community and the Frey Farm Landfill in Manor Township. LCSWMA has made a proactive commitment to the river and its assets for over a decade. SNHA’s ten-year partnership with LCSWMA has focused on enhancing the heritage, outdoor recreation, and environmental qualities of the Susquehanna River as it flows through our region. LCSWMA’s financial investment and professional support for SNHA’s vision and mission has been vital for our efforts to connect people to the river and its history. With LCSWMA as a partner, SNHA has been able to promote the heritage and economic vitality of the Susquehanna River corridor.
Lancaster’s Riverfront Projects
LCSWMA owns over 1,000 acres of land, most of which is along the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County. The land is used to manage waste in a sustainable and an environmentally safe manner, as well as utilized to increase the livability of our community. Let’s explore some of their projects along Lancaster County’s riverfront.
Northwest Lancaster County River Trail – LCSWMA helped develop the trail, including constructing the Shock’s Mill Bridge river walkway. The walkway was renamed in 2019 to honor retired LCSWMA CEO James D. Warner. Warner transformed the county’s waste authority by expanding its renewable energy footprint and building quality-of-life projects for the community.
Since trail planning began, LCSWMA has provided financial and professional support. They also committed funds to develop the Rt.441 truck bypass in Columbia, which brought the NW River Trail into town. As the trail nears completion, LCSWMA continues to support final construction efforts, public community events on the trail, and future trail expansion efforts. They recently partially funded a study for a trail connection to the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail.
Chestnut Grove Natural Area – Near the Frey Farm Landfill in Manor Township, the Chestnut Grove Natural Area is an impressive restoration project completed by LCSWMA. LCSWMA transformed this previous farmland into a 170-acre nature preserve. This scenic preserve offers 4.5 miles of walking, hiking, and equestrian trails that explore wetlands, grasslands, wildflower meadows, and the River Hills. The area also connects to regional trails including the Turkey Hill Trail and the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail.
Rieber House – This family farmhouse played a significant role in founding the United Brethren Church in Pennsylvania, likely built around 1750. The Germanic-style home, which sat in a small hollow, was in severe disrepair. Instead of tearing it town, LCSWMA partnered with the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster to move the structure—stone by stone—to a new location. LCSWMA then restored the structure and uses it to welcome visitors, as a public meeting space, and to exhibit the Rieber Family story.
Transforming Waste into a Resource
LCSWMA has tackled green energy projects in amazing ways and taken innovative steps to reduce the impact of our community’s waste on the environment. One of the ways they succeed is by extracting the most value from our waste. For example, LCSWMA’s Lancaster Waste-to-Energy Facility combusts waste and creates electricity—enough to power the equivalent of 1 in 5 area homes. The facility also recovers and recycles valuable metals from the post-combusted waste. Additionally, the Lancaster WTE Facility produces steam for the neighboring Perdue Soybean Processing Facility, which is used to power some of their operations instead of fossil fuels.
LCSWMA has also taken the initiative to green its operations. The authority converted its fleet of trash-transfer trucks to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and provide CNG refueling to area fleets as well. This project reduces over 10 million pounds of air pollutants each year! Additionally, over 2,000 solar panels on four buildings at LCSWMA’s Transfer Station creates enough renewable energy to offset 80% of the site’s annual electric needs.
At the Frey Farm Landfill, LCSWMA captures gas from landfilled waste and combusts it to create electricity. Additionally, two GE wind turbines on nonoperational portions of the landfill site generate power for the neighboring Turkey Hill Dairy manufacturing plant. Installed in 2010, the turbines overlook the Susquehanna River, catching the prevailing winds from the northwest. These wind turbines power nearly a quarter of Turkey Hill’s annual electric needs. How much is that in ice cream? About 5-6 million gallons.
These are just some of the projects that LCSWMA has completed along the river in Lancaster County. To see their recreation projects throughout Lancaster and in Dauphin Counties, visit their Waste Give Back – Public Recreation page. Visit www.lcswma.org to learn more or follow LCSWMA on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
River Roots is Susquehanna NHA’s blog series featuring history from York and Lancaster Counties that showcases the Susquehanna River’s historic, cultural, and natural resources contributions to our nation’s heritage.
This week we are featuring the rise and fall of the Susquehannock culture on the lower Susquehanna. Historians and archaeologists have spent generations learning and understanding this formidable tribe and their important relationship to the river, the fur trade, and European settlement.
Susquehannock Landscape
Archaeology of the Lower Susquehanna River reveals that American Indians had utilized its resources for thousands of years. Around 1550 AD, the people we know as the Susquehannock moved from higher up the river to the Lower Susquehanna Valley. The Susquehannock were Iroquoian speakers and shared many similarities with the Iroquois in New York. The Shenks Ferry people, who had occupied the region for more than five hundred years prior to their arrival, were absorbed into their culture. Whether this union came about through force or free will is not known.
It is probable that the Susquehannock moved south in order to better control the fur trade. However, they quickly trapped out the Susquehanna valley and became a ‘middle-man’ for furs from Native groups in the areas of New York, Ohio, and Canada. Tensions between tribes over the fur trade were fierce throughout the 17th century.
Susquehannocks traveled to trade with Europeans on footpaths and using their dugout canoes. The Susquehannock’s canoes were heavy and strong. The weight and bulkiness made it extremely difficult to transport the canoes over land. It is likely that dugouts were used primarily for fishing, ferrying cargo, and crossing the river. For travel up or down the river, Susquehannocks used an extensive system of walking paths.
Map of Native American footpaths between the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers
Susquehannock People & Culture
John Smith’s depiction of a Susquehannock
In 1608, Captain John Smith and his small crew of adventurers set out in an open boat to explore the Chesapeake Bay. They mapped and documented nearly 3,000 miles of the Bay and its rivers. Along the way, they visited many thriving Native American communities and gathered information. Smith only traveled up the Susquehanna a few miles, where he met a delegation of Susquehannock representatives just north of the river’s mouth.
Smith described the Susquehannocks “as great and well-proportioned men” who “seemed like Giants to the English.” Based on archaeological evidence, they were no taller than the average modern day American but more robust than Smith’s explorers. Smith’s fascination with the Susquehannock is reflected by the prominent figure of the Susquehannock man included on his map of the Chesapeake Bay.
The Susquehannock lived in large fortified towns, the largest of which may have had a population of nearly 3,000 people. Their communities were located along the Susquehanna, especially in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, and York counties. They established their towns along the Susquehanna because of the fertile soil and waters that facilitated travel and trade and provided them with a constant supply fish and waterfowl. Towns were composed of longhouses that were 60 – 80 feet in length and housed a number of nuclear families related through the female line. The stockaded communities were surrounded by large fields of corn, beans, and squash.
Susquehannock Fort as depicted by map maker, Herman Moll, in 1720
The Schultz site is the earliest known Susquehannock town in the lower Susquehanna River Valley. Located just south of Washington Boro, it appears to have been occupied between 1575 and 1600 by as many as 1,300 people. Archaeological evidence from trash and burn pits shows that the Susquehannock had a diverse diet. Corn, beans, and squash were staple foods, with corn-based meals making up nearly half of their diet. Deer was the most common protein but bear, elk, and fish were also popular. Wild plants, fruits, and nuts supplemented their diets.
The Susquehannock were large scale agriculturalists. They practiced ‘slash and burn’ agriculture. This involved clearing the forest by burning down trees and planting crops in their ashes. As nutrients in the soil were depleted, productivity decreased forcing the Susquehannock to move their towns about every two decades.
Susquehannock Face Pot at Pennsylvania State Museum
The Susquehannock created a distinctive vessel known as the Face Pot. The hallmark of this pottery type is its high decorative collar adorned with human faces. Pottery of this form and size were used by the Susquehannock as common food vessels at meal time and as containers to store small personal items such as needles, fish hooks, spoons and other items made of antler, bone and wood. Goods such as glass beads, iron axes, metal harpoons, and flintlock muskets were obtained through fur trade with Europeans. As this trade expanded, native made items were replaced with European equivalents like the brass kettle.
Although the Susquehannock controlled the fur trade for nearly a century, they were in constant conflict with other Indian tribes, especially the Seneca of western New York State. Large scale battles took place with the Seneca in Washington Boro and across the river in York County. Warfare and disease eventually overwhelmed the Susquehannock. In 1675, approximately 500 survivors fled to an abandoned Piscataway fort along the Potomac River. However, this arrangement also ended in disaster, and with permission of the Seneca, they eventually returned to the Lower Susquehanna Valley, establishing a settlement on land set aside for them by William Penn. They became known as the Conestoga Indians and they lived more or less in peace with their European neighbors through the end of the French and Indian War.
A tragic end came to the Conestoga, when two weeks before Christmas, in 1763, they were attacked by a group of vigilantes from the Harrisburg area. Known as the “Paxtang Boys”, the group was upset by the Indian incursions of Pontiac’s Rebellion. The survivors were placed in the Lancaster jail for their own protection but two days after Christmas, the Paxtang Boys returned and killed every man, woman, and child, in what an observer call “the most horrible massacre that was ever heard of in this, or perhaps an other province.”
Read Barry Kent’s 1984 publication Susquehannan’s Indians, which uses archaeological and historical records to tell the story of the Susquehannock and other native tribes from 1450 to 1750.
Follow that up with The Susquehannocks, edited by Paul Raber. This work is by a group of authors who add to Kent’s analysis and assessments of the culture 35 years after Susquehanna’s Indians was written.
Learn about the Susquehannock Face Pot from the Archaeology Department at the Pennsylvania State Museum.
Explore the archaeological digs that help us understand the Susquehannock culture from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission Native American Archaeology – Contact Period.
Give Local York is a tremendous opportunity for our community to collectively show support to local non-profit groups that do great work across York County – including Susquehanna National Heritage Area! From helping those in need to helping enrich our quality of life for all, these organizations help make York County a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
In a sense, today is a day of hope. Hope that the current crisis will soon be behind us and we can all get back to living, working, and just being together.
Susquehanna National Heritage Area encompasses and represents the rich cultural and natural resources of our region that make it such a unique place for residents and visitors alike.
Today we urge you to consider a gift to support our efforts to connect more people to the Susquehanna River and its environs through our educational programs and activities designed for all ages.
Through your gift today, a portion of your donation will be matched by the Cultural Alliance of York County. Also, if you give at least $10 to SNHA during special times we’ll send you a bridge sticker! It’s great for your kayak, bike, car or water bottle and is another fun way to show your love for the river.
► Give between 3 PM – 4 PM, if SNHA has most individual donors we’ll win $1,000!!
► Give the first donation at 5:41 PM (17:41) for SNHA to win $500 in honor of York’s founding in 1741!
► Give between 7 PM – 8 PM, ALL GIFTS up to $50 will be matched by the York Revs until the $1,000 Match Pool is gone!
Thank you so much for your support of Susquehanna National Heritage Area and all York non-profit organizations. Hope to see you on the river, SOON!
Though we can’t join you on your outing, we’ll be with you in spirit, as your Picnic Passport package also includes this lovely SNHA-branded picnic blanket, courtesy of Donegal Insurance Group. A free Susquehanna River Water Trail Map & Guide and a variety of restaurant information and coupons. Plus a local sweet treat will complete the package.
For those that complete at least 30 activities, you will earn the sticker as well as a voucher for a small ice cream cone at Hinkle’s Restaurant. Hinkle’s will scoop your choice of vanilla or chocolate into a cone or dish. Enjoy it as you walk around town or devour it at their classic Ice Parlor & Soda Fountain.
With his uncle’s death in September 1801, Latrobe assumed control of the Pennsylvania portion of the project, working with his Maryland partners. Latrobe surveyed the river in October-November 1801 with the help of two assistant surveyors, chainbearers, axemen and canoemen. He completed his map over the winter, including a proposed new route for navigating the rocky river. Latrobe presented his work to the governor in Lancaster (then Pennsylvania’s capital) in March 1802 and lobbied the legislature for project funding. His efforts were successful, and the navigation improvements were completed soon after.
COLUMBIA CROSSING RIVER TRAILS CENTER – SNHA manages this riverfront visitor education center in Columbia River Park in Lancaster County for the Borough of Columbia, including visitor services, maps and guides, exhibits, programs, and facility rentals. With Lancaster County entering the 
RIVER DISCOVERY BOAT TOURS – SNHA will launch our 2nd season of free pontoon boat tours from the Zimmerman Center on Friday, July 3rd. Tours will be offered Friday/Saturday/Sunday and frequency increased from 3 to 4 per day. Registration will be limited to 8 passengers per tour instead of 10 to allow for social distancing. The boat and equipment will be sanitized between tours. Similar to last year, pre-registration will be required online, but no walk-ons will be permitted to fill no-show seats. All check-in will be done outside in the waterfront pavilion, with Covid-19 screening questions, temperature checks, and face masks required. Disposable masks will be provided to passengers as needed.
Chestnut Grove Natural Area – Near the Frey Farm Landfill in Manor Township, the Chestnut Grove Natural Area is an impressive restoration project completed by LCSWMA. LCSWMA transformed this previous farmland into a 170-acre nature preserve. This scenic preserve offers 4.5 miles of walking, hiking, and equestrian trails that explore wetlands, grasslands, wildflower meadows, and the River Hills. The area also connects to regional trails including the Turkey Hill Trail and the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail.
