What to visit if you have 1 Hour, 1 Afternoon, or 1 Weekend in the Susquehanna National Heritage Area

Planning a visit to the Susquehanna NHA? The lower Susquehanna is full of popular sites and attractions including museums, historic sites, recreation opportunities, shopping centers, charming small towns and hip urban neighborhoods all located within the Susquehanna National Heritage Area. Whether you are visiting for the weekend, a single afternoon or passing through on your lunch hour, we’ve got some premade plans to help get your adventure started!

If you have One hour:

Ready for a break or you just have some extra time between meetings? An hour may not seem like a lot of time for a quick burst of fun, but there are actually plenty of things to do that provide a memorable visit in just 60 minutes!

For the Nature Lover

• Take a quick walk to one of many scenic overlooks.
• Explore Chickies Rock County Park. (Score the scenic view triple crown! Breezy View, Chickies Rock, Clayton B. Shenk Trail) or hike through the park’s Point Rock Tunnel on the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail.

For the History Buff

• Visit the Columbia River Park to view and learn about the bridges connecting Columbia and Wrightsville, Pa. Go inside the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center to view all the bridges that have spanned the river here.
• Explore art and other exhibits at Zimmerman Center for Heritage. Enjoy the riverside pavilion and marvel at Latrobe’s Map on the dock while you are there to see what the river looked like over 200 years ago.

For the Wanderer

• Watch the sunrise or sunset over the river. Use the River Access Areas to find the perfect spot.
• Find the railroad car on the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail.
• Don’t forget to stop at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center to pick up trail maps and other resources that are available to help plan future adventures.

If you have One Afternoon:

Only one day? No problem. There are many ways for visitors to experience the river. You may have limited time, but there are still sights to see on short notice. Spend a fun-filled day enjoying some popular activities!

For the Nature Lover

• Hike at a variety of unique Nature Preserves. A favorite of many people is Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve. Our new favorite is the Wilton Meadows Preserve which you can hike into from Highpoint Scenic Vista.
• Take a bike ride on the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail or the NW LC  River Trail.
• Explore the Wind Caves at the Pequea Nature Preserve.
• Rent a Kayak from Chiques Rock Outfitters and try one of our favorite paddles.

For the History Buff

• Tour the Zimmerman Center for Heritage & Hike Native Lands County Park to learn about the Susquehannock culture.
• Explore the industrial history by visiting the Shocks Mill RR bridge, White Cliffs of Conoy, & Billmeyer in Conoy Township on the NWLCRT.
• Enjoy a walking Iron Furnace Tour. Pick up a self guided tour brochure at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center.
• Visit the Indian Steps Museum.

For the Wanderer

• Explore the Potholes and Sculpted Rocks at the bottom of Conewago falls in Falmouth.
• Discover the Falmouth forest garden along the NW Lancaster County River Trail.
• Explore Lock 12 Historic Area.

If you have One Weekend:

Why try to pack all this fun into one day? If you have more time to spare, there are endless adventures and one-of-a-kind experiences to fill your weekend getaway! With proper planning and an early start, the ultimate itinerary will help make the most out of your weekend trip. Try these places for an exciting time in the Susquehanna NHAs!

For the Nature Lover

• Make a reservation and stay at a local campground.
• Get on your way to joining the 444 club, Paddle the lower section of the Susquehanna!
• Bring your whitewater gear and plan an exciting adventure at Holtwood White Water Park!
• Hike the Mason-Dixon Trail. Pick from the suggested hikes listings to river sections of this 200+ mile trail.
• Paddle and bird watch at the Conejohela Flats.

For the History Buff

• Visit one of our many Heritage Sites and Local Museums.
• Find your Chesapeake Geotour if you like geocaching! Grab only the local caches or explore more of the Chesapeake region.
• Enjoy a scenic ride while taking a Covered Bridge Driving Tour through Lancaster County.
• Discover the preserved Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal Lock at Lock 15 Historic Area.
• Take a guided paddle tour on the Lower Susquehanna River on your favorite heritage topic from Shank’s Mare Outfitters.

For the Wanderer

• Explore the local river towns of Columbia, Marietta, and Wrightsville. Use the River Town Bucket List to explore the best local spots.
• Indulge in a geology tour with The Geologic Guide of the NW River Trail, available in Susquehanna NHA’s store.
• Rent a boat from Long Level Marina to enjoy or swimming or fishing on Lake Clarke.

Susquehanna NHA Creates Local Trail Application with help from Franklin & Marshall College

Susquehanna National Heritage Area works with partners and communities in Lancaster and York Counties to showcase our area as a destination for cultural discovery and outdoor adventure. During the global pandemic, Susquehanna NHA focused on creating self-guided heritage and outdoor exploration tools, while our visitor centers were temporarily closed. One of those tools is a custom map created on the Google Maps platform. Users of the map can explore the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail and learn historical, geological, and natural facts on their trip. When visitor facilities like Columbia Crossing River Trails Center reopened these digital tools continued to be popular with trail users.

In early 2021, Franklin & Marshall College reached out to the community to offer development of a mobile application. Professor Ed Novak led the computer science course in which groups of students would develop fully-functional Android app prototypes for community partners. Susquehanna NHA applied to participate and was chosen as one of four projects. Susquehanna NHA’s Columbia Crossing Director, Hope Byers was the lead on the collaboration. “Our goal was to take the popular Google Map and expand it beyond a single trail so visitors and residents would have a single-source trail information app. Since opening, Columbia Crossing has fielded everything from maintenance requests to heritage questions about all riverfront trails and we want to put all that knowledge at the fingertips of trail users.”

Susquehanna NHA staff members Hope Byers and Megan Salvatore worked to expand information on the custom map while Franklin & Marshall College students developed the code. The Franklin & Marshall students assigned to the project were Rafael Silva, Waleed Kamal Butt, Molly Sproul, Quang Anh Tran, and Thu Do. The students met virtually with Hope on a weekly basis to discuss the project. “It was obvious that these were passionate, dedicated students. They managed the project so professionally and really treated it as if I was their client. They taught me how to use tools to keep the app functioning, send notifications, and walked me through the app launch. Susquehanna NHA is so grateful for their dedication to create not just a prototype but a live application” said Hope Byers.

In the short, three-week project, the students were able to create an application that did a variety of helpful actions. First, the app connects users to trail information using the Google Map that Susquehanna NHA created. In the map, trail access areas, parking information, restroom facilities, and interesting heritage sites are listed individually for major regional trails and nature preserves. The app also allows Susquehanna NHA to send notifications about trail updates or construction. Users can also check to see if the James D. Warner Passageway under the Shock’s Mill Bridge on the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail is flooded. This waterfront passageway floods during spring freshets and on occasion in the summer. There is no available trail detour, so it is helpful for users to check before hitting the trail. The application has event and contact information for Susquehanna NHA to better connect our community to riverfront initiatives. Susquehanna NHA and local trail partners are particularly excited about one feature of the app which allows users to submit trail maintenance requests. Trail users can submit the trail name, mile marker, and photo of an issue. This interactive component will help trail managers keep our local trails clear and accessible.

Android users are invited to find the app by searching Susquehanna NHA Trails in the Google Play store. The application is not currently available on the Apple Store; however, you can access the custom Google Map on our Maps & Guides page.

Give Local York was a great success this year and thanks to everyone who donated to SNHA.

Not only that, the York Revolution wants to continue the generous spirit of GLY.

The special Give Local York fireworks show at PeoplesBank Park scheduled for May 6 was postponed by the rainy weather that night. But the silver lining is, now you can enjoy fireworks and Rev’s baseball on June 19 at 6:30 p.m., when the Revolution take on the Lexington Legends. And, when you buy tickets to that game, $5.00 of every ticket purchased comes back to SNHA. This offer is for Field Box seats only. Our promotion code is SNHA.

How about some more incentive! As a participant in this event and fundraiser, SNHA will be eligible for an extra contribution from the York Revolution.  – $1,000 to the top ticket-selling organization, $500 to second, and $250 to third!

So grab some tickets today!

Don’t forget to use code SNHA at checkout for any Field Box seat!

River Roots: America’s Greatest Sonneteer

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 resource contributions to our nation’s heritage.

RiverRoots Heritage Blog

For National Poetry month, SNHA is featuring notable Columbia resident, Lloyd Mifflin, known for his success in the arts. His story is that of a talented painter and poet, whose love of the local native landscape was reflected in his work. Mifflin’s Susquehanna river scenes have served as representation of the Susquehanna River corridor’s exquisite natural beauty to the rest of the world. His poems convey a love affair with the river landscape. More celebrated for his poetry than his art, he was acclaimed as “America’s Greatest Sonneteer.” His legacy left his mark on the region and continues to captivate visitors 100 years after his death.

The Boy

Lloyd Mifflin was born on September 15, 1846 to John Houston Mifflin and Elizabeth Ann Bethel Heise in an elegant brick Federal-style townhouse on Walnut Street in Columbia, Pennsylvania. The Mifflin’s lived comfortably in their townhouse in Columbia, built by the Bethel family. They summered at their country estate, Norwood, just outside of Columbia on a hilltop overlooking the Susquehanna River. John Houston Mifflin built Norwood, named after the Mifflin’s family home in Warminster, England in 1850.

John Houston Mifflin raised his family in the virtues of old-fashioned chivalry, to be upholders of the American upper-middle class Victorian establishment. Lloyd Mifflin had a happy childhood, enjoyed a comfortable life, and never wanted for anything. In the Mifflin household, art and literature were important. Lloyd’s father was an amateur poet and had studied at portraiture at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He encouraged Lloyd to think for himself and develop his own tastes. Lloyd was sent to nearby country school in Norwood then attended the public schools in Columbia, although most of his education came from private tutors.

Lloyd was one of three children that survived to adulthood. Lloyd’s mother died when he was just eight years old. Elizabeth Ann Mifflin was buried in Mt. Bethel Cemetery in 1855. After his wife’s death, John Houston Mifflin inherited extensive land and financial holdings in Columbia. He gave up his art career to become a successful land developer and businessman.

Lloyd was drawn to the Susquehanna early in life. He grew up on the riverbanks drinking in the natural wonders of his local landscape. Mifflin developed a deep love of the Susquehanna river and spent most of his free time among its natural beauty reading his favorite poets or adventuring with friends. He developed a passion for the arts and a love of poetry. By age 14, Lloyd decided he wanted to be an artist.

The Artist

Acquiring talent and skill from his father, Lloyd continued to develop as an artist. He studied under Thomas Moran in Philadelphia from 1869 to 1870. Moran would go on to become famous for paintings of western mountains. Lloyd began to fall in love with landscapes. In 1871, Mifflin traveled the Susquehanna River from its source in Lake Otsego, Cooperstown, New York to Chesapeake Bay, making sketches of Pennsylvania towns and bridges during his journey.

The following year, Mifflin left for Europe where he studied the great masters in the galleries throughout Europe. During his European tour, he learned from many successful artists of the time. He studied various landscapes and acquired a much more sophisticated use of color and light in his artwork. He returned home from Europe in 1873 a far more talented painter. Mifflin had a special talent for skillful depictions of landscapes with radiating light from the center of the picture that reflects off streams or objects. He was a master of tonality and luminosity.

He resumed his sketching expeditions, capturing the ageless beauty of Pennsylvania river valleys and towns. Lloyd Mifflin’s deep love of nature drew him to the Susquehanna time and time again. His “View of the Susquehanna Looking Toward Turkey Hill”, one of the first American scenes painted after his return from Europe, demonstrates his newly acquired skills. His best known and most widely admired works are those depicting the scenery of the Susquehanna River. He held a certain provincialism for his native region and refused to move to New York, even though Moran encouraged him to do so. During his lifetime, Mifflin did not need to sell his paintings to earn his livelihood. He lived a life of the landed gentleman that some described as a “highly sensitive, elitist dandy.”

Mifflin lived a style befitting a gentleman of means. He drove a coach-and-four, visited friends and relatives, “mixed with the very best sort of society”, and took up photography, creating thousands of glass-plate negatives and lantern slides. He developed into a good photographer over the years; the glass plate negatives served as photographic studies for his landscape paintings. Mifflin continued to take photographs until he suffered a heart attack in 1892. Convinced that the chemical fumes were harmful to his health, he gave up photography, although he continued painting sporadically.

John Houston Mifflin died in 1888. As oldest son, Lloyd inherited the Norwood estate and a large portion of the family’s real estate holdings. This included not only land but extensive rental buildings, many in prime locations in Columbia. He took up residence in his fathers’ Norwood estate and greatly expanded it in 1901.

The Poet

In the 1890s, he was forced to give up the outdoor art of landscape painting due to continuing ill health, he focused on writing poetry that he had always enjoyed. Mifflin turned to poetry at the age of 51. He devoted his greatest efforts to the sonnet, considering it the most distinguished and exalted of all forms of English poetry. Mifflin aspired to write the perfect sonnet, a poem consisting of fourteen lines usually in iambic pentameter. He enjoyed the structure, lyrical beauty, the plan of metrical rhyme and diction. The rhyme schemes and diction include many metaphors and extensive use of vocabulary.

During his lifetime, Lloyd was widely recognized for his poetry. His work was very popular in England. His earliest commercial collection, “The Hills”, was published in 1896. He wrote more sonnets than William Shakespeare, John Milton, and William Wordworth in his lifetime. He published fourteen books, including 500 sonnets in his lifetime.

Mifflin never married; it is assumed that his work was his love. Through the years Lloyd was very generous in giving to causes, people and organizations. He donated paintings and books to be auctioned. He wrote many poems for organizations to commemorate special events. For years, Lloyd donated many of his books of poetry to colleges, libraries, and other institutions.

He suffered a stroke in 1915 while completing his last collection of sonnets, “As Twilight Falls”, which was published in 1916. He survived another 5 years before dying at his home on July 16, 1921. He was buried in the Old Brick Burial Yard within Mount Bethel Cemetery. He received honorary degrees in literature from University of Pennsylvania and Franklin Marshall College. Author, E. Hershey Sneath, wrote a book in 1928 that called Mifflin “the most prolific writer of sonnets in the history of English and American poetry.” The work was entitled America’s Greatest Sonneteer, which gave Lloyd the popular title, he is now known for.

In his will, he bequeathed land to the Columbia schools on both sides of Taylor school for a playground, with the conditions the land is not developed and that a student from the school place a flower on his grave every year on his birthday. The first tribute began that September and the tradition continues today, 2021 marks the 100th year. Typically, various sonnets of his are read aloud, hymns are sung, and sometimes guest speakers are featured.

The Mifflin family also supported local education by bequeathing two houses from their estate, the cottage known as Norwood and the grand house, Cloverton, to be sold to benefit local schools.  Lloyd’s brother, Houston also donated land for a school playground. After Houston Mifflin’s death, a flower was also placed on his grave during the annual Lloyd Mifflin memorial ceremony.

Most of Lloyd Mifflin’s paintings that remained at the family summer home and were later acquired by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. His drawings and manuscripts were acquired by Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Many of his glass plate negatives remain in private hands, including one lot rescued from a refuse dump in Columbia.

This region was Lloyd Mifflin’s local landscape and his primary interest, as a boy, an artist, and a poet. The characteristics of his landscape paintings and the themes of many of his poems came from what he saw and experienced in his neighborhood. He left a legacy that showcases his natural talents, his passion and love for the Susquehanna, and generosity live on throughout the community he once called his home.

Learn more about Lloyd Mifflin

Want to learn more about Lloyd Mifflin’s well-known works? Read some of his river related poetry here. View the Visions of the Susquehanna exhibit is on display at the Zimmerman Center for Heritage or visit the State Museum of Pennsylvania, which holds the largest collection of Lloyd Mifflin paintings.

View the Lloyd Mifflin mural on the back on the Forrester’s building, near the entrance of the Columbia Historic Preservation Society, and visit the Columbia Historic Preservation Society to view their Lloyd Mifflin exhibit.

Take a scenic drive to view Norwood (511 Norwood Rd. Columbia, Pa) and Lloyd Mifflin’s Birthplace, the Cottage. (165 Walnut St. Columbia, Pa) Please remember these are private residences and do not trespass but view from afar.

Use the Mount Bethel Cemetery Brochure to locate Lloyd Mifflin’s gravesite and learn more about the annual memorial.

Sources

C. (2020, Spring). Lloyd Mifflin. Historic Times, 75, 1.

W., W. P. (1965). Lloyd Mifflin: Painter and poet of the Susquehanna. Harrisburg Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Mifflin family papers (1689-1877). (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2021.

PA state archives – MG-165 – scope and Content note – lloyd Mifflin collection. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2021.

Mifflin: Lloyd MIFFLIN Collection, 1751-1965. (2019, July 22). Retrieved April 15, 2021.

Lloyd Mifflin. (2018, August 10). Retrieved April 15, 2021.

Scribbler, J. (2018, September 19). Columbia schools present annual rose to Poet lloyd MIFFLIN [The Scribbler]. Retrieved April 15, 2021.

Our history. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2021.

21 Sep 1920, 7 – Lancaster examiner and the Semi-weekly new era At Newspapers.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2021.

Lloyd Mifflin Obituary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2021.

Lloyd Mifflin: Artist of the Susquehanna. (2019, September 26). Retrieved April 15, 2021.

Susquehanna’s painters. (2017, July 27). Retrieved April 15, 2021.

Mifflin House, an Underground Railroad site, could become part of visitor attraction in Pa.

Efforts to save the historic Mifflin House, a stop on the Underground Railroad, have grown into a bigger vision to attract visitors to the region.

It could become part of a regional visitor center that shares the local history and how it ties into the American story, said Mark Platts, president of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area.

Under a concept proposed by the organization, the 18th-century farmhouse in eastern York County, just off Route 30, would be restored for the public to learn about its key role on the Underground Railroad. The Mifflin family helped hide enslaved African Americans, who had escaped, and ferry them across the river on their way to Philadelphia.

The barns would become a Susquehanna Discovery Center, a regional welcome and interpretive site that would include exhibit galleries and offices for Platts’ organization. Outside, visitors could see where a Civil War skirmish happened just before the burning of the bridge at Wrightsville.

 

Preservationists have been working for years to save the Mifflin House, which sits in a growing business park in Hellam Township. In 2019, they reached an agreement with Kinsley Properties, giving organizations two years to raise funds to preserve the farmhouse, the barn and 62 acres.

The deadline has passed, but preservationists recently made an offer to buy the property, said Mindy Crawford, executive director of Preservation Pennsylvania.

“We’re still in negotiation, but we’re feeling really positive,” she said.

The Conservation Fund would likely purchase the property, and the Susquehanna National Heritage Area would own it, she said. A similar process was used to preserve the site of Camp Security, a Revolutionary War prison camp in neighboring Springettsbury Township.

The Mifflin House and the land it sits on are owned by Wayne and Susan Blessing and Robert and Agnes Blessing. Kinsley Properties has been developing the land for the family.

How the concept evolved

While preservationists voiced opposition to the proposed demolition of the historic house during the land development process, Crawford tried to talk with the developer and the owners about possibly developing a preservation plan.

Eventually, Preservation Pennsylvania began discussing the property with the Conservation Fund and the Susquehanna National Heritage Area. Both had been involved in the effort to save Camp Security.

The organizations decided to work together. During the meetings, Platts came up with an idea to protect the property and do an interpretation on the house with its Underground Railroad connection, Crawford said.

At that time, it was not for the heritage area’s use, she explained. It wasn’t until later that the heritage area board saw this property as a potential new gateway for the group’s national designation.

The organizations met with Tim Kinsley, president and CEO of Kinsley Properties, and his attorney to discuss the possibilities. An appraisal was done, and they tried to find sources for funding it.

Preservation Pennsylvania vowed to keep working on it until it is — or isn’t — successful.

Funding started to fall into place, and an official offer on the property was made a few weeks ago, Crawford said. It would involve more acreage than originally proposed.

The concept is a great use for the property, she said. It would preserve the house as well as the open space.

“Discussions with the preservationists about the Mifflin House are ongoing, but no final agreement has been reached,” Kinsley Properties said in a statement.

Grant, other funding to help with project

The concept plan lists acquisition and related costs at $4,250,000. It proposes saving more land — 77 acres — but would leave some property for development close to Wrightsville borough, Platts said.

The overall project, including design and construction, is estimated to cost $13.4 million. It could take five to eight years, after acquisition, for full development.

Some money has been raised, including a $1.5 million Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant, Platts said.

So far, the organization has raised more than $3 million.

Randolph Harris, a consulting historian in Lancaster County, said the concept, if it falls into place, would make a perfect attraction.

It would help visitors understand the connection between the burning of the bridge in Wrightsville to the Battle of Gettysburg.

It also would allow visitors to trace the steps that freedom seekers took on the Underground Railroad as they left York County and crossed the Susquehanna River into Lancaster County.

Columbia Borough plans to expand its park north of the Route 426 bridge, where the old bridge piers and remnants of the Pennsylvania Canal exist. The bridge and boats helped the freedom seekers to escape.

Harris, who gives private Underground Railroad tours, said he starts near the Mifflin House and moves east. Participants are enthralled to hear how it came together in the Susquehanna River area.

Preservation Pennsylvania listed the Mifflin House as one of the state’s most endangered historic resources in 2017. It is considered to be historically significant enough to be eligible for being included on the National Register of Historic Places, the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office has determined.

It’s not unusual for a project to take several years to come together, Crawford said. It takes a property about seven years to go from at-risk to saved.

The Susquehanna National Heritage Area serves York and Lancaster counties, and its offices currently are located at the Zimmerman Center for Heritage in Lower Windsor Township.

Both the Zimmerman Center and the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, which is on the Lancaster County side, would remain in use if the Susquehanna Discovery Center comes to fruition, Platts said. The organization offers free river discovery tours from the Zimmerman Center.

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2021/04/08/mifflin-house-discussions-remain-ongoing-preserve-underground-railroad-site-regional-visitor-center/4817996001/

Marietta Bucket List Launched

Susquehanna NHA has partnered with Marietta Area Business Association to build a list of great things to see, do, buy, and eat in this historic lumber town. Spring is our favorite season for Marietta because the cherry trees lining Front Street bloom in April. So we invite you to come explore whether you live in town or you’re visiting for the day. With over 25 activities featuring Marietta organizations, businesses, events, and landmarks there is something for everyone!

Learn More & Download Your Copy

Susquehanna National Heritage Area started the Bucket List to keep our river towns busy during the 2020 global pandemic. The goal was to capture and share great experiences like shopping and eating at some of the local businesses, visiting heritage sites and learning about the town’s history, as well as appreciating the expanding connections to outdoor recreation opportunities. Anyone can use the list to take a unique and authentic journey through one of our beautiful river towns. In 2021, enjoy three lists to keep you busy starting as spring blooms in Marietta, then turning up the heat in Columbia during the summer and ending with the changing leaves in Wrightsville this fall. America’s 55th National Heritage Area is here to connect you to all the cultural discovery and outdoor fun the Susquehanna has to offer.

River Roots: Underground Railroad at Hybla

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 resource contributions to our nation’s heritage.

RiverRoots Heritage Blog

Stories of the Underground Railroad are inherently difficult to uncover and share. Unlike military or political history, few primary written records exist because assisting those escaping slavery was illegal and punishable with prison time and fines. Many enslaved people escaped without assistance and many supporters of the underground railroad were involved only periodically or occasionally. Stringing together the routes of the network, safe houses, and transportation methods has become a challenging but essential research interest of historians across the United States.

The Lower Susquehanna River Valley is particularly unique as the counties of York and Lancaster were hotbeds of abolitionist sentiment and Underground Railroad activity. Stories have been passed down from generation to generation about barns, basements, and cellars being used as hiding places. Historians sift through wills, deeds, newspaper ads, and genealogical information across multiple states and countries to tell the story of enslaved people, who became the agents of their own liberation. These accounts should not go unnoticed because the Underground Railroad story is a classic American story of “underdogs fighting the system with or without outside assistance.” (Leroy Hopkins in introduction to The Ground Swallowed Them Up.)

In the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, one site holds more definitive Underground Railroad history and significance than many others. It is the Hybla property just outside the town of Wrightsville in Hallam Township. Many people may know this property as the Mifflin Farm or Wright Mifflin Farm.

The Home at Hybla

The first purchaser of the property was John Wright Sr., who established the ferry across the Susquehanna River in 1730 from present-day Columbia. He purchased hundreds of acres on the west side of the river in what became Hallam Township and passed it down to his children. There is contradicting accounts as to whether John Wright Sr. or his son James Wright erected the home on the property. James Wright died in 1788 and divided the property between his children. James’s daughter, Susanna, was given a 108-acre tract on which the Mifflin house is located. Susanna Wright Mifflin and her husband Jonathan Mifflin moved into the home on the property in 1800 after they married. They named the property Hybla.

After their deaths in 1829 and 1840, their son Samuel W. Mifflin lived at Hybla until 1846. During the nearly 50 years that the Mifflin family called Hybla home the Underground Railroad became the primary method to free enslaved people from southern states that refused to abolish the practice. Pennsylvania and many other Northeastern states had enacted gradual abolition of slavery before the turn of the century.  The Wright and Mifflin families were staunch abolitionists. Their Quaker religion held that all people were equal under the eyes of God. Therefore, they should all be treated equally. It was not overnight that the Quakers chose to vehemently oppose slavery, but over the course of a century between 1675 – 1775 the religion developed a solid stance against the practice. Susanna, Jonathan, and their son Samuel were committed abolitionists publicly denouncing slavery at Quaker meetings and privately channeling freedom seekers across the Susquehanna River for half a century.

Underground Railroad at Hybla

In the early 1880s, Dr. Robert C. Smedley decided to record and publish accounts of Underground Railroad experiences in Southeastern Pennsylvania from interviews with its agents, conductors, and stationmasters. His narrative showcases primarily the free white supporters of freedom seekers and captures their memories of Underground Railroad activities. Smedley features Samuel W. Mifflin in his work History of the Underground Railroad in Chester and the neighboring counties of Pennsylvania. The account offers multiple stories of fugitives staying on the Hybla property, in the home, as well as being shuttled across the Susquehanna. Each short narrative showcases an important element or principle of the Underground Railroad’s operation.

“As far back in his boyhood as he can remember Samuel was accustomed to seeing fugitives passed along by different members of their family.” On one occasion, he recalled a freedom seeker was hidden in a cornfield and fed day after day by a cousin. The cousin would go out with his gun as if to hunt but his game bag was filled with provisions. (p. 48-49) It was very common for Quakers or abolitionists to offer a safe location on the property but not necessarily in the home. Cellars, barns, and in this instance, cornfields could be used to conceal freedom seekers, allowing them a few hours or days rest and recuperation before continuing their journey.

On a visit home to see his ailing father, Samuel found “the parlor occupied by thirteen fugitives. They comprised two families of men, women, and children whom his elder brother found wandering in the neighborhood. The windows were closed to prevent discovery, and a lamp kept burning all day. They were thus guarded during two days and nights of stormy weather and high water in the Susquehanna which prevented their crossing the river. On the third night they were transferred to the care of Robert Loney who ferried them over to the Columbia shore.” (p. 49)

This story, in particular, reveals an important element of the Underground Railroad that can be misunderstood – that African Americans were only shuttled to freedom by white abolitionists. In reality, African Americans were not passive figures but agents of their own liberation. These two families were found wandering and brought to the home. It is possible they had been assisted by a free Black or another white abolitionist and were told to head to Wrightsville on their path to freedom. It is also possible they headed to Wrightsville from rumors that the river there was the border with Canada. It was a common misconception because of how wide the river was at Wrightsville. Either way, it is important to remember that African Americans undertook the primary risk and struggle for freedom. There was a broad range of experiences and many made it without the support of the Underground Railroad network.

By far the most detailed story Smedley recounts about Hybla is that of Perry Wilkinson, an enslaved man and Baptist preacher. He was brought by a guide to the Mifflin’s at ten in the evening. Although he was offered a bed, Perry would not eat and paced the floor all night. He was thinking of his wife and family whom he had left behind. Perry had been enslaved in Anne Arundel, MD and was hired out on a boat that traveled between his master’s wharf and Baltimore. When his master died, Perry received word from a friend that his widow had decided to sell Perry. As soon as the boat landed in Baltimore, Perry journeyed north, traveling by night and hiding in the woods each day until he reached York and was brought to Samuel Mifflin. (p. 50-51) Although some freedom seekers had the opportunity to plan their journey, many others were forced, like Perry, to make a quick, deliberate, and difficult decision. No matter the choice that Perry made he would be separated from his family in a matter of days. Perry’s story is a representation of a truly dehumanizing nature of the chattel slavery in the United States.

Hybla’s Place in the Network to Freedom

Although there were thousands of unique experiences for fugitives on the path to freedom, historians have found some patterns in the routes. Dr. William Switala, a former professor at Duquesne University, studied these patterns and consistently found that the Underground Network between York and Lancaster County was connected across the river in three primary locations: York Haven – Middletown; Wrightsville – Columbia; and at the Peach Bottom Ferry. The York Haven – Middletown ford and ferry were used by freedom seekers that came through Lewisberry, a primarily Quaker town. Peach Bottom Ferry was primarily used by a conductor in Havre de Grace who would shuttle freedom seekers up through southern York County. The Wrightsville – Columbia connection was used more frequently than the other two for two primary reasons.

• Columbia had a large free black population. When the town was laid out in 1787 the northeastern corner of town was set aside for manumitted slaves. Plus, both Columbia and Wrightsville had many Quaker residents who opposed slavery – particularly the Wright Family.
• The network of Underground Railroad supporters in Wrightsville and Columbia crossed racial lines. There were not white abolitionists working separately from free black abolitionists, they worked together, which offered a variety of safe options even when those hunting fugitives were nearby.

Susanna, Jonathan, and Samuel primarily used the service of Robert Loney to move freedom seekers across the Susquehanna. Robert Loney was an African American boatman who was born enslaved in Virginia in 1815. Loney had settled in Columbia in 1819 when his family arrived after being manumitted. He would utilize a rowboat or raft to carry freedom seekers over to Columbia in the dark of night.

Samuel lived at Hybla until 1846, when his profession as an engineer took him out of state on projects. In the first half of the nineteenth century, the Underground Railroad evolved from a rough network of safe houses to a well-organized system. By 1850, when Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, the network had multiple layers, passwords/phrases, and travel tactics. For example, there were many Quaker women who were making large quantities of clean and mended clothing to be used by Underground Railroad station masters to help freedom seekers travel without being spotted as people formerly enslaved. By 1847, African American businessman William Whipper had begun an active role in the network. His lumberyard on the Columbia riverfront modified rail cars used in his business with secret compartments for fugitives from slavery.

The Hybla property will forever hold a pivotal place in Underground Railroad history, as an early, consistently used safe haven for African Americans seeking freedom. Whether they wandered into the neighborhood or were guided there, Hybla was central to the evolving network of black and white abolitionists and the freedom seekers who used that network to gain freedom over bondage.

Preserving the Mifflin House and Its Historic Landscape

Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA), Preservation Pennsylvania, The Conservation Fund, and other partners have collaborated on a project to preserve the c.1800 Mifflin House and farmstead as an Underground Railroad and Civil War historic site since 2017. Kinsley Properties of York has been developing an industrial park around the site since the 1990’s with the Blessing family, long-time owners of the farm. As industrial development moved farther east toward the historic farmstead in 2017, demolition of the house, barn, and outbuildings was proposed, leading to much community debate and legal challenges.

As an alternative to demolition and development, the preservation partners proposed acquisition and adaptive use of the buildings and site as a regional heritage center and visitor attraction, with a historic park, nature preserve, and interpretive trails connected to a river park. The project concept plan, posted on SNHA’s website here, includes over 80 acres of Blessing/ Kinsley property and adjacent public and semi-public lands, including riverfront parcels owned by SNHA. In early 2019, the Blessings, Kinsley, and Hellam Township agreed to a two-year moratorium on demolition to allow the project partners time to develop a viable preservation, reuse, and funding plan for the site. These efforts have generated much local, state, and national support and a positive outcome for this important historic site is expected soon.

Learn More

Learn the Language of Slavery from the National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/undergroundrailroad/language-of-slavery.htm

Susquehanna Discovery Center at Historic Mifflin Farm.

Foner, E. (2016). Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Kreutz Creek Valley Preservation Society. “Historic ‘Hybla’ under threat In York County, PA.” http://undergroundrroriginspa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Case4Pres.Mifflin-2-27-17-R-9RD.pdf

Lloyd, June. “Colonel Jonathan Mifflin, Revolutionary War Patriot and Master of Hybla at Wrightsville.” York Daily Record. PPYR, December 7, 2016. https://www.ydr.com/story/news/history/blogs/universal-york/2016/12/06/colonel-jonathan-mifflin-revolutionary-war-patriot-and-master-of-hybla-at-wrightsville/95089776/.

Merrill, John Houston. Memoranda Relating to the Mifflin Family. Washington: L.C. Photoduplication Service, 1985. https://archive.org/details/memorandarelatin00merr/page/n5/mode/2up?q=hybla

Mingus, Scott L. The Ground Swallowed Them up: Slavery and the Underground Railroad in York County, Pa. York, PA: York County History Center, 2016.

Mingus, Scott. “Historic House Was UGRR Station.” York Daily Record. PPYR, June 15, 2016. https://www.ydr.com/story/news/history/blogs/cannonball/2016/06/15/historic-house-in-wrightsville-was-ugrr-station-and-later-a-confederate-artillery-position/85915916/.

Mingus, Scott. “Jacob Huber Farm Was Rebel Artillery Position during the Skirmish of Wrightsville.” Cannonball, October 9, 2020. https://yorkblog.com/cannonball/jacob-huber-farm-was-rebel-art/.

Schaefer, Elizabeth Meg. Wright’s Ferry Mansion. Columbia, PA: Von Hess Foundation, in association with Antique Collectors’ Club, Wappingers Falls, NY, 2005.

Smedley, R. C. (2005). History of the Underground Railroad in Chester and the neighboring counties of Pennsylvania. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.

Switala, W. J. (2008). Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania (Second ed.). Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.

University of Chicago Press. “Founders Online: Virginia Delegates to Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvani …” National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration. Accessed January 15, 2021. https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-03-02-0092.

Wright, Samuel C. Hempfield: the Beginning of Columbia. Lancaster, PA: Lancaster County Historical Society, 1913.

River Roots: Shad Wars

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 resource contributions to our nation’s heritage.

RiverRoots Heritage Blog

The river is home to many different species of fish including, smallmouth bass, walleye, catfish, musky, northern pike, American shad, and many other smaller panfish. The American Shad on the Susquehanna River has the most interesting and violent history.

Each year millions of migratory shad flooded the river from the Atlantic Ocean and surged upstream to reproduce in the Susquehanna’s North Branch at Cooperstown, NY and streams near Lock Haven. Men and women all along the river from the Chesapeake to New York state relied on the abundance of shad. Known as the “poor man’s salmon,” shad runs lasted for about a month. That brief season provided a burst of protein after a long, lean winter. It also caused disputes, battles, and violent riverfront confrontations for nearly a century.

Shad

Shad are a schooling ocean fish. When they migrate north into fresh water to spawn, buck shad (males) usually come first followed by roe shad (females). Roe shad are generally twice the size of buck shad. Temperature of the water decides when the journey begins. The water must be warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Shad runs happen all along the Atlantic Coast beginning in January in Georgia’s rivers while in the Northeast the runs are in May or June. However, you will not find a mature shad spawning in Georgia one year and Pennsylvania the next. They will return to their natal river to spawn. That means each river has a distinct spawning stock. On the Lower Susquehanna River, shad runs are normally between mid-April and June.

Schools of fish will follow the deep channels of the river as they travel north. When they reach their spawning location they will normally spawn between sunset and midnight. Shad prefer a gravel or sandy bottom in 4-8 feet of slow-moving water. They are sensitive to light so the brightness of a full moon on a clear night could delay the spawn. Spawning behavior includes a pairing of male and female shad. The pair will swim close together releasing their eggs and milt simultaneously. The shad will normally descend from the river back to the ocean shortly after spawning.

Shad eggs can take between 7 and 21 days to hatch depending on the water conditions. Larvae drift in the river until they mature into juveniles. Juveniles will stay in the river a few months feeding on zooplankton and insects. By late fall, most juvenile shad will migrate south of coastal waters. These juveniles will not return to the river for three to six years until they are ready to spawn.

America’s Founding Fish

Native Americans used nets and weirs to catch shad. They would nail the fish to cedar planks and slow cook it over and open fire. In the course of cooking, the tiny shad bones dissolve. The cooking technique was passed to early English settlers and generations to come and is commonly called shad planking. European colonists also kept barrels of salted shad in their homes.

It was such a valuable staple that it was one of Colonial America’s first exports back to Great Britain and Europe. One Columbia man wrote ‘they were so plenty that five to ten dollars per hundred was esteemed a fair price.’ It was so important that access to shad fisheries could be used to settle bills and fathers willed islands and fishing spots to their sons.

Columbia was a hub for shad distribution. The fruits of the river were distributed not just in local markets but also hotels, inns, and restaurants. The Tremont Hotel in Columbia was famous for its planked shad dinners. A visitor from Pittsburg described the Columbia planked shad dinner:

Fresh from the Susquehanna, nailed to a smoking pine plank, broiled thereon before a hot fire, brought to the table on the wood on which it was cooked; steaming hot, brown and crisp on the outer surface; white, juicy and flaky just underneath and clear through, with an indescribably delicate flavor possessed by a shad cooked in no other way, served with crisp, green lettuce and Saratoga chips; served in a cool dining room looking out toward the broad bosom of the sun-kissed river; gentle zephyrs playing in and out of the open windows, a pleasant, jolly, brilliant company, full of jest and song and story-there is nothing under the blue skies that can equal it, save the except more of the same. It is a revelation.  – Pittsburg Dispatch, May 13, 1889.

As early as 1700, the province of Pennsylvania had passed legislation relating to fishing access. The first law barred the construction of fish weirs that stretched from shore to shore. The law was not specifically aimed at protecting the fish populations on their migration, rather, it was intended to make fish equally available to everyone that lived along the waterways. In 1731, the Pennsylvania Assembly received a petition from Lancaster County residents. The Conestoga Creek had been dammed by Stephen Atkinson to for his fulling mill operation. The petition complained that the great quantities of fish once available up stream were stuck below the dam. Atkinson offered to leave a 20-foot-wide passage to allow fish to pass upstream. Before the Assembly took any action, locals took matters into their own hands and destroyed the dam.

In 1761, the Pennsylvania Assembly would pass a series of laws for the preservation of fish in the Susquehanna. It called for weirs, racks, baskets, pounds, and similar devices erected in the river to be destroyed and prohibited building in future years. As seines and large fishing operations became popular in the nineteenth century, the farther north you were on the river the less fish you were likely to catch. In 1814, Pennsylvania northerners complained that fisherman in Columbia were ‘constantly scouring’ shad that most had no chance of making it farther upstream. The Pennsylvania Legislature divided the river into sections and staggered fishing days – though they never enforced it.

About 50 years later, public sentiment demanded the government intervene to protect the shad runs. Between 1825 and 1840 multiple dams had been built on the Susquehanna: one at Columbia and two more on West Branch and Juniata tributaries. The Columbia dam was completed in 1839 and although the state had legislation requiring approval of the engineering plans there was no fishway constructed. A fishway would not be added to the Columbia dam until 1866, so for over 25 years frustrated fisherman complained. Legislation edicts were ended when a proper government agency was created in 1866 and expanded in 1871 – it is now known the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Each spring, newspapers announced the shad run had arrived as fisherman’s wagons loaded down with fresh fish rolled into towns. In 1882, the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer reported that fish dealers throughout the streets of the city doing “lively trade” selling Columbia shad for 25 to 65 cents a piece. Between 1831 and 1850, fisherman caught 41,000 metric tons of shad every year in the Chesapeake Bay region. That is equivalent to the weight of a humpback whale taken from the bay every year! As commercial fisheries expanded to answer the demand for shad and overfishing decreased the shad population, it is easy to see how a disagreement over shad could quickly turn violent.

Shad Wars

Violent outbursts over shad were common every spring from the mid-1700s through the Civil War. Weapons ranged from rocks to rifles – and allegedly a cannon – and their actions became locally referred to as the shad wars. Fishermen would fight over best fishing places, accesses to river islands, and mill dams restricting good fishing. Nearly all the confrontations were on the lower Susquehanna River – south of Columbia. There was a great number of islands to be used for fishing on this section. Islands could be bought and sold like any other private property and were highly desirable locations for good shad fishing.

In the 1850s, a series of incidents became known as the Great Safe Harbor Shad War. In the most heated incident, Columbia seine fishermen traveled down to Safe Harbor to destroy weirs, baskets and other ‘shad-killing contrivances’ in use. The Columbia invaders were met by men with rocks and boat poles as their weapons. It is said that the Columbians retreated under threat of fire from a Griffin cannon made at the nearby Safe Harbor Iron Works. The Safe Harbor men long denied using the cannon. At the end of the decade, six Columbia fishermen attempted to take a fishing island by force. It was claimed by residents of Washington Boro. After a physical exchange, the Columbia men returned to town and charged the Washington Boro men with causing a riot. The judge convicted the Boro men with assault and battery and fined them $5 each. (Columbia Spy, June 16, 1860)

In 1862, a group of anglers from Turkey Hill area were caught poaching shad on an island and fired upon a group of York county men who came to remove them from the island. In the exchange, the Turkey Hill men fired four shots, killing one York Countian and seriously wounding another. A court jury sent one of the Turkey Hill men to Eastern State Penitentiary for 11 ½ years for second-degree murder. (Columbia Spy, November 26, 1862)

Laws had also been passed to prohibit fishermen hauling in shad nets within a half-a-mile from any dam. At the Columbia dam, many locals were continuing to fish just south of the dam. In April 1880, five state fish wardens were sent to Columbia to break up the illegal fishing. The fish wardens were met on the river with distain and their boat was overturned. They managed to swim to the canal tow path and shore but were greeted by more locals carrying “black-jacks, empty bottles, and sections of rock. The wardens reached their hotel nearly more dead than alive, and the landlord locked them in their rooms where they could patch up their cracked heads and listen to the serenades of the fishers under their windows.” (Columbia Spy, May 1, 1880) In a state report later recounting the ongoing illegal fishing at Columbia, they noted that a half-dozen or more delinquents eventually were imprisoned and fined.

In an 1879 report form the Fish Commissioners, there were 48 fisheries in the 5 miles between Columbia and Turkey Hill. There were another 200 fisheries between Turkey Hill and Havre de Grace, Maryland. Over fishing had become a significant issue. The fish commission spent the next decade creating hatcheries along the lower Susquehanna to increase shad populations. They stocked the river with over ten million juvenile shad between 1889 – 1891. The real end to commercial shad fishing would come as a result of the hydroelectric dam construction at Conowingo, Holtwood, and Safe Harbor. Although fishways and stocking programs help boost shad populations, the shad runs of the nineteenth century will likely never return to the lower Susquehanna.

Sources

Chesapeake Bay Program: Shad. https://www.chesapeakebay.net/issues/shad

Columbia Spy. (Columbia, PA) 1849 – 1902. Pennsylvania State Newspaper Archive.  https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/lccn/sn83032185/

Crable, Ad. “Shad Wars: A Long, Violent Period in Lancaster County over a Fish in the Susquehanna,” March 31, 2018. https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/shad-wars-a-long-violent-period-in-lancaster-county-over-a-fish-in-the-susquehanna/article_48c6e18a-3281-11e8-bbdd-c3310badc12c.html.

Gerstell, Richard. American Shad: A Three-hundred Year History in the Susquehanna River Basin. Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1998.

Justice, Chris. “Shad: An Undeniably American Icon,” March 26, 2008.  https://www.popmatters.com/shad-an-undeniably-american-icon-2496164311.html

McPhee, John. The Founding Fish. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003.

A Look Back at Hunting, Fishing, & Trapping on the Susquehanna River

Susquehanna National Heritage Area and local historian Lynn Smoker present A Look Back at Hunting, Fishing & Trapping on the Susquehanna River, now on display at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center. The exhibit provides a glimpse into the techniques and tools for capturing wildlife on the Lower Susquehanna River. Smoker has spent years enjoying the river as an avid hunter and fisherman and as a devoted collector of Susquehanna River artifacts. Visitors to this brand-new exhibit will see original and unique tools and artifacts related to hunting, fishing, and trapping, including a locally built duck boat from 1927, along with an array of mounted waterfowl, fish, and furbearing mammals.

Hunting has played a rich and prominent role in American culture. For centuries, hunting was required for survival. Native Americans utilized the animals in and along the river not just to feed their families but for heat, clothing, and shelter. Pioneers settled the region and harvested game as readily as they planted crops. Although the Lower Susquehanna River region transitioned to farming livestock, the hunting tradition stayed ingrained in the culture. These traditions continue to connect people to the raw beauty of the river and all the resources it provides.

The Susquehanna River has remained a sanctuary for a variety of wildlife as it is naturally non-navigable to industrial vessels. Prior to the construction of hydroelectric dams, the Susquehanna River had a rush of migratory fish each spring. Shad swelled up the river sometimes looking like waves in the water. Locals plucked them from the river by the hundreds. Learn about the shad runs, ice fishing, and fishing techniques of generations past.

The Susquehanna River is an integral part of the Atlantic Flyway, one of four major North American migratory routes for waterfowl. Pennsylvania hunters annually take good numbers of mallards, wood ducks, and black ducks. Many also experience good action for buffleheads, bluebills, ring-necks, green-winged teal, Canada goose, and snow geese. Hunters typically  decoy, blind hunt, or pass-shoot from open water or on nearby agricultural fields. Learn about the unique design of the Susquehanna River waterfowl decoys and how they have become a celebrated American folk-art tradition.

Furbearing animals like beaver, river otter, marten, and mink were essential to Native Americans especially in trade with Europeans. See these furs and learn about how they were trapped and traded by the Susquehannock, the only native tribe to trade with all four major European colonialists (Dutch, Swede, English and French). For over two centuries, beaver fur was especially desirable for men’s hats. Trapping continues to be a riverfront tradition but is highly regulated as a wildlife management strategy. Modern techniques, sanctioned seasons, and permitting have contributed to the repopulation of beaver and river otter along the Susquehanna River.

The exhibit also explores hunting for bullfrogs and snapper turtle.  Hunters utilized kerosene lights and gigs to bag frogs in the darkness. Snappers were more difficult and dangerous – with a bite that could remove a human finger. Antique snapper traps, gigs, and even recipes are on display.

A Look Back at Hunting, Fishing & Trapping on the Susquehanna River will be on display at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center through August 2021. A series of outdoor, social-distanced lectures are being planned for the spring/summer 2021 to more deeply explore the history surrounding these traditions. Visitors are welcome to come during operating hours: 10 am – 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday and 12 pm – 4 pm on Sundays. Exhibit is free but donations are appreciated.