RiverRoots: Dugout Canoes on the Susquehanna

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.

RiverRoots Heritage Blog

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

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, 16^th 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.

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

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

Indian Canoes of Eastern North Carolina

Smith, John.  General History of Virginia….,  1624.

Stick, David. Indian Canoes in Coastal North Carolina 400 Years Ago, 1983

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.

RiverRoots: Susquehannock Culture

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.

RiverRoots Heritage Blog

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.

Susquehannock People & Culture

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.

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.

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.”

To learn more about the Susquehannocks:

Watch the WVIA documentary Peoples of the Susquehanna River . Follow the link to go directly to the video.

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.

For more information about the Paxtang Boys’ Massacre of 1763 check out Jack Brubaker’s Massacre of the Conestogas and Peter Silver’s Our Savage Neighbors: How Indian War Transformed Early America. 

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.

RiverRoots: Forgotten Towns, Billmeyer

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.

RiverRoots Heritage Blog

This week SNHA is featuring the forgotten town of Billmeyer, Pennsylvania. The story of Billmeyer is a unique and colorful one, that of a company town tucked along the Susquehanna River in Conoy Township. Once a booming town built around a quarry, Billmeyer has been swallowed up by the surrounding lands and long forgotten by history.

The origin of this story goes back to the 1840’s, when John Haldeman built two lime kilns in Conoy Township, Pennsylvania. John Haldeman’s kilns produced 30,000 bushels of lime per year, the lime being quarried from the hills behind the kilns.

The harvested limestone was burned in his kilns and sold to local farmers as fertilizer, whitewash and plaster. Lime products were in great demand in the expanding steel industry and this business was a profitable venture at the time. The pure calcium limestone was highly sought after and utilized for a variety of purposes. Haldeman still owned the quarry and kilns in 1860. From 1870 through 1894, he leased the operation. It changed hands a few times until the Wrightsville Lime Company took over in 1896.

Building a Company

Meanwhile, on the other side of the river, John E. Baker, an up-and-coming Limeburner from York, Pennsylvania, married Mary Billmeyer in 1887.  Around 1889, John decided to partner with his new brother-in-law, George S. Billmeyer to buy a quarry and lime kilns in Wrightsville, calling their new business venture the Wrightsville Lime Company.

In 1892, the Wrightsville Lime Co. expanded, buying property at Campbell’s station in York County. In 1896, it substantially expanded by purchasing all the original Haldeman properties in Conoy Township, with all the kilns and quarries included. Due to their expansion the company name was changed to J.E. Baker Company. When J.E. Baker Co. took over the quarry in Conoy Township, they added a limestone crushing venture to the already existing operation.

Billmeyer supplied stone in the construction of the Shocks Mill Railroad Bridge. In 1905 it opened as part of a low-grade freight line constructed to connect Philadelphia and Harrisburg, today this exists as the Enola Low Grade Line. A company town began to emerge around the growing plant operations. The quarry and town were named after Baker’s wife, Billmeyer.

Aerial Photograph from May 1940

Building a Town

World War I (1914-1918) saw an increased demand for refractory products. Raw materials were vital to the war effort. Iron and steel companies were responsible for the manufacture of many items that soldiers used during the war: shoes, helmets, weapons, ammunition, tanks, ships, and more. The use of iron and steel helped define World War I.

During World War I, when America’s trade for magnesite was cut off, J.E. Baker Co. was the first to supply the substitute from the rich dolomite at Billmeyer. The dolomite was used as a basic refractory material used in building up and repairing the bottom of working open hearth steel furnaces. The final product was referred to as “Donegal Dolomite’’ and it was essential to the nations war machine. The Dolomite extracted at Billmeyer was the purest carbonate rock in the region.

It was during this period that Billmeyer became a booming company town. The growing quarry had become a huge industrial operation, but the work at Billmeyer was dirty and dangerous with low pay. During its peak over seven hundred men were employed at Billmeyer by the J.E. Baker Co. Many laborers and their families lived in the company town where they worked, lived, and worshiped together. It was an integrated town with a diverse community including African American workers from the South, European immigrant workers from a range of countries, and regional laborers.

Billmeyer workers earned a reputation as a pugnacious group of men who worked hard and liked to play hard. Drinking, gambling, and fights were commonplace. Paydays meant the local pubs in the neighboring town of Bainbridge would be busy. Stories quickly got around about the “rough town out of sight by the river.”

It was a modest community complete with all the necessities required to be a town. The village of Billmeyer contained company owned houses known as “Society Row”, on the main street of town. It was where the workers lived. Their homes were mostly wood frame and very simply constructed. A company store was built and operated by William W. Mundorff of Bainbridge. A small chapel, post office, boarding house, and school were also built by the company. At its peak, Billmeyer was serviced by the local railroad, with its own stop.

After the war, Billmeyer was particularly impacted by the influenza epidemic of 1918.  No one was permitted to leave town and trains refused to stop. Instead, mail and supplies were thrown out of a train while passing through the town. After the disease subsided and the country recovered after the end of the war, Billmeyer bounced back and operations continued to expand. By 1927, there were 10 pot kilns and 62 flame kilns in operation. Stone from Billmeyer was used in the construction of the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge, completed in 1930.

The End of an Era

In the 1940’s the demand for dolomite production began to decline. Billmeyer gradually became a ghost town, and by 1954 only 40 men were still employed as a skeleton crew. The town was almost deserted, consisting of few families, many unemployed. All mining operations were concluded in 1957 and the last workers were forced to seek employment elsewhere. In 1961 the quarry pumps ceased operation and the quarry filled with seventy feet of water. Billmeyer had become part of history.

Today some equipment, a few buildings, and the striking blue-green water that fill the quarry are all that remain of this once thriving business and town. All the village buildings of Billmeyer are long gone, sitting abandoned and deteriorating until they were demolished in 2007. Some foundations and other signs of the forgotten town remain hidden among the undergrowth. The town’s main street, the only paved section of the town, is used as part of the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail.

Just north of this forgotten town are the White Cliffs of Conoy, a unique local oddity left behind by the Billmeyer operation. The formation is the waste from the limestone-dolomite, dumped over many years along the edge of the river. The huge white pile of lime and waste rock from the quarry tower 30 feet above the Susquehanna River. The striking color of the cliffs makes them seem otherworldly among the landscape and provide sweeping views of the river.

Learn More About Billmeyer, Pa

Visit the town that time forgot! NWLCRT Map

The home of John Haldeman, known as the Haldeman Mansion, still stands today and is visible from the NWLCRT. (John Haldeman is the father of famous naturalist Samuel Haldeman.)

Check out the book “Conoy Township: The History and Mystery”, by Jane Andrews Sweigart & Audrey Gates Snyder sold by Conoy Township

Learn more about the Geology:

Check out an article about Refractory Dolomite Production in Southeastern Pennsylvania  from a 1985 Pennsylvania Geology magazine

Geology & Mineral Resource Report from 1933 from the Department of the Interior. This is a deep analysis of the geology between Middletown and Columbia on the Lower Susquehanna.

Other Resources

Billmeyer Quarry Consumptive Use Mitigation Project

Crable, AD. “Oldest Living Employee, 101, Returns to Billmeyer Ghost Town.” Lancaster Online, July 25, 2016.

Crable, AD. “Odd Lancaster County Landmark Open for First Time: The White Cliffs of Conoy.” Lancaster Online, August 10, 2014.

“The story of a dynamic community, York, Pennsylvania”; Betty Clock Peckham; York, PA; York Chamber of Commerce, Page 117.

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!

RiverRoots: Bridging the Susquehanna

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.

RiverRoots Heritage Blog

For so many visitors to the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, the bridges across the river at Columbia are of great interest. The two bridges that still stand are important cross county transportation connectors. The piers that sit just north of the Veterans Memorial Bridge held three of the Susquehanna’s six bridges. Construction methods, materials, and the needs of each bridge changed from generation to generation.

In the early 1800s, it was common for over 150 wagons to descend upon Columbia, Pennsylvania, sitting and awaiting their turn to be ferried across the Susquehanna.  A bridge connecting York and Lancaster County at Columbia was seen as an essential infrastructure improvement, vital to expansion into central Pennsylvania. Without a bridge, residents would be forced to resort back to a seasonal ferry for transportation. The only other bridges along the Lower Susquehanna were miles away at Harrisburg and Port Deposit, Maryland, both of which were opened in 1817. Six bridges have connected our region at Columbia: Two were destroyed by mother nature, two more destroyed by man, and two remain standing.

The first three bridges to span across the Susquehanna at Columbia and Wrightsville were constructed with wood because it was readily available. These wooden bridges were given roofs to prevent rot from weather. Theodore Burr improved upon covered bridges through his Burr Arch Truss design, which created more stability and strength. He was commissioned to design and oversee construction of Columbia’s first bridge across the Susquehanna. Burr designed five bridges along the Susquehanna between Port Deposit and Northumberland.

First Bridge (1814 to 1832)

Style: Wooden Covered Bridge
Constructed: 1812-1814
Cost: $231,771 financed by the Columbia Bank and Bridge Company
Length: 5,600 feet long on 53 stone piers
Location:1/4 mile north of Route 462 bridge

Thick ice hardened in the winter of 1832. A spring thaw came quickly in February causing ice to break up and flow down the river. The ice jammed up south of Columbia creating a natural dam. Water and ice rose up and lifted the bridge off the piers.

Second Bridge (1834 to 1863)

Style: Wooden Covered Bridge
Constructed: 1832-1834
Cost: $157,300 financed by the Columbia Bank and Bridge Company
Length: 5,620 feet long on 27 piers
Location: Just north of Route 462 Bridge on the piers that still stand

Along the outside, two tow paths for moving canal boats were added in 1840. A double railroad track was added in 1850. This bridge was burned in June, 1863 to prevent Confederate troops from crossing the Susquehanna River. We will feature that event in another RiverRoots blog.

Improved Bridges

The expansion and development of railroad transport caused the need for better, stronger bridges. This need led to a change in materials from wood to metal, primarily iron then steel. Development of truss design and readily available wrought iron and steel grew the popularity of truss bridges by the 1870s. The third and fourth Columbia-Wrightsville bridges used open truss design.

The third was primarily a wooden covered bridge but had two spans of iron Howe trusses. These spans were meant to be fire-resistant.The fourth bridge constructed by the Pennsylvania Railroad was made of 200 foot-long, pre-fabricated Pratt trusses. Pratt trusses were as strong as Howe trusses but used lighter, less expensive steel.

Third Bridge (1869 to 1896)

Style: Wooden Covered Bridge with two Iron Truss Spans
Constructed: 1868-1869
Cost: $400,000 financed by the Columbia Bridge Company
Length: 5,390 feet long
Location: same as second bridge

In September 1896, the Cedar Keys Hurricane which devastated much of the East Coast hit Columbia. It was so powerful that it swept the bridge from the piers. Some pieces landed near iron furnaces south of Marietta.

Fourth Bridge (1897 to 1963)

Style: Steel Pratt Truss Bridge
Constructed: Less than a month in 1896
Cost: $455,000 by Pennsylvania Railroad
Length: 5,300 feet long
Location: same as second bridge

Early designs of this bridge called for two decks: lower for rail traffic and upper for all other traffic. It was never added despite regular traffic jams when trains came through. When rail cars stopped traveling between York and Lancaster in 1958, the bridge was closed. It was dismantled in 1962.

Concrete Bridges

Arch bridges have existed since 1300 BC but masonry bridge construction was more labor intensive than truss bridges. The advent of modern concrete at the turn of the twentieth century created a renaissance of arch bridge construction.

Construction of the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge in 1929-1930 created the longest multi-span concrete arch bridge in the world at the time. It has 27 river piers and 22 approach piers, spanning a total of 1.26 miles.
Another bridge made of reinforced concrete and steel on 45 piers was constructed to relocate Route 30 highway in the mid-20th century.

Fifth Bridge (1930 to Present)
Veterans Memorial Bridge

Style: Reinforced Concrete Arch Bridge
Constructed: June 1929 – September 1930
Cost: $2,484,000
Length: 6,657 feet long
Location: just south of the fourth bridge
Contractors finished this bridge 140 days ahead of schedule. Their contract gave a $400 bonus for every day the project was finished ahead of schedule. When it was opened vehicular traffic on the fourth bridge stopped. Tolls were charged to cross until 1943, when construction debt was paid off.

Sixth Bridge (1972 to Present)
Wright’s Ferry Bridge

Style: Reinforced Steel and Concrete
Constructed: 1969-1972
Cost: $12,000,000
Length: 5,643 feet long
Location: 100 yards north of the first bridge
Route 30 first ran through Wrightsville and Columbia across the Veterans Memorial Bridge but was diverted to this bridge. At 87 feet wide, it has four lanes. In 1975, it was officially named the Wright’s Ferry Bridge.

Oh, the Places We Went! Dr. Seuss’s classic book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” is an enduring tribute to life’s ups and downs, something we’re all dealing with during the current world pandemic. When the histories of this time are written, many will note that “the Places We Went” during COVID-19 were our parks, preserves, and trails – sites of beauty, respite, inspiration, and health. While the influx of visitors to some of our best nature spots has required advisories about overuse and social distancing, we are fortunate to have many local outdoor options in which to take solace. No doubt our youth value this nature-seeking, will remember it, and perhaps pursue a career in parks and conservation – a noble cause, now more than ever. We need these new nature activists, since outdoor places don’t happen by accident. These places are here for us now thanks to the vision, planning, and investment of dedicated public and non-profit partners over many years. Susquehanna National Heritage Area is proud to have helped advance many regional conservation efforts through the past two decades, especially along the Susquehanna River. We did it with outstanding partners – agencies and organizations like the National Park Service; PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources; Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority; Lancaster Conservancy; The Conservation Fund; Farm & Natural Lands Trust; Lancaster and York County Planning Commissions and Parks Departments; Columbia Borough; and many other local municipalities. Together, we’ve successfully advocated for greater land preservation, more recreational opportunities, and better heritage and outdoor experiences in this place we call the Susquehanna. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that during life’s most stressful times, we need nature and we need the river. We need its history, its scenic views, its hiking and biking trails, its green trees, and its wildflowers. Many of us have always known its importance, but it’s gratifying to know everyone else needs it too. The embrace of nature in this challenging time validates all the projects, initiatives, and programs that so many have worked so long and so hard to create. With our partners, we will continue to be here for our community, helping to save, improve, and share our region’s rich history and special outdoor places for the benefit of current and future generations. Stay safe out there!   Mark Platts, President Susquehanna National Heritage Area Partners Make Places Better We’ve all become more grateful for 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 true value. Outdoor recreation spaces, natural habitats, preserves, and trails have been expanding along the Susquehanna for over two decades. At Susquehanna NHA, we work with great organizations to grow outdoor recreation opportunities and preserve our natural and cultural heritage. We want to share with you their great contributions to our National Heritage Area. Partners bring funding support, unique talents, and a collaborative passion for the river. Over the next few months, SNHA will be sharing Partner Features to highlight the local, state, and national partners who have made our National Heritage Area a more beautiful, and unique place to live and visit.

Here are just some of SNHA’s projects made possible with our great partners over the years:

• Developing the Susquehanna as a National Destination for Heritage & Outdoor Tourism
• Zimmerman Center Enhancement Project Designed, Funded, and Completed
• Veterans Memorial Bridge Lighting Project Funded & Completed
• Susquehanna Riverlands Tourism Development Group Launched
• New Maps, Guides, & Website Developed for Susquehanna Riverlands & NW River Trail
• Zimmerman Center Designated as Official NPS Visitor Contact & Passport Station for John Smith Chesapeake NHT
• Launched NPS Every Kid Outdoors Field Trips for Local 4th Graders with 1500+ Junior Rangers Sworn In
• Managing Columbia Crossing River Trails Center as a Visitor Gateway to the River and Community Place with Programs for Kids & Families
• Hosting Annual Canoemobile Event for Local 5th Graders with 600+ paddlers in 2019
• Co-Lead for Columbia River Park Master Planning Process
• Launched River Discovery Boat Tours

Explore Susquehanna Heritage: Timeless Books, Folklore, and Stories of the Susquehanna River and Surrounding Area

As we find ourselves spending more time at home for the next few weeks, it’s a perfect opportunity to curl up in your favorite chair and go on a literary journey of the Susquehanna River Corridor. Nothing beats picking up a good book and getting lost in a story. Lucky for us, the Susquehanna River has many stories to tell!

Use our Susquehanna River inspired reading recommendations to explore regional history, culture and stories. There is no shortage of lively characters, exciting adventures and harrowing tales on this list. Get lost in time with the legends and folklore of the past and present from the comfort of home.

Explore the Susquehanna River Corridor with selections from the list that highlight the area’s unique features and geology. The Susquehanna River flows through time, leaving behind a history you can see on a visit to the area! Unique formations and rocks like Quartzite and Phyllite that date back to the Cambrian time period tell their own interesting saga. A closer look at the geology of the area and the river that cuts through it, will leave the reader with a better understanding of just how unique this area truly is, as well as the tenacity of the Susquehanna River.

Try these books for a closer look at the geology of the Susquehanna River and surrounding area:

Uncover the hidden history of the region from past to present, with stories of Native American inhabitants, early settlers and notable visitors. This compilation of books is rich with history, featuring stories ranging from John Smith’s account of the Indians he encountered on the Susquehanna River, to the burning of the bridge in 1863, and many more. Get a glimpse into the lives of those who visited the area and lived along the banks of the Susquehanna through the stories of the past!

Get started uncovering the history of the Susquehanna with one of these selections:

Experience the adventures of living in the Susquehanna Valley. Imagine what the Susquehanna River must have looked like as floating logs and rafts of goods littered its waters from bank to bank. The hustle and bustle of life around the expanding transportation hub and growing industry was exciting and innovative for the towns people. What a sight that must have been for the throngs of people who had gathered and settled in the river towns!

Start with one of these books for a taste of adventure in the Susquehanna Valley:

Get ready to curl up with a good book. Many of these stories convey a deep regard for the local lands and resources, especially the Susquehanna River. Others are sad tales of misfortune at the hand of mother nature or the river’s harsh reminder that it ruled the land. Some offer a fun and lighthearted narrative. They all give the reader a glimpse into what life was like in South Central Pennsylvania.

If you’re looking to learn more, no matter if you’re an avid reader or a beginner, you’ll find something on our shelf that interests you. Check out the rest of our recommendations on Goodreads!

 Go to Goodreads Go to SNHA Online Store

Inspired by your reading? Dive into the stories in real life with events, programs and other opportunities that the Susquehanna National Heritage Area has to offer. Visit the Susquehanna National Heritage Area! Plan your visit and find out more: https://susqnha.org/explore-2/

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River Roots: Susanna Wright

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.

RiverRoots Heritage Blog

For Women’s History Month, SNHA is featuring Susanna Wright. A brilliant, innovative Quaker, who contributed to the colonial settlement of Columbia along the Susquehanna. In an age when women were expected to marry and comply to the orders of the male members of the family, Susanna remained unmarried and pursued a variety of scholarly interests. Her story is that of a remarkable woman, who thrived on the frontier and became well-known as a poet and pundit, botanist, business owner, and scholar.

In 1697, Susanna was born to Quaker parents, John and Patience Wright, in Lancashire, England. She was the oldest of eight children. Her parents emigrated to the Philadelphia area of the Pennsylvania colony in 1712, while Susanna followed in 1718 after completing her education. Susanna’s mother died in 1722 forcing Susanna to take charge of the household responsibilities.

In 1730 her father John settled the family on the banks of the Susquehanna and began operating what became known as Wright’s Ferry. Joining the Wrights were Robert Barber and Samuel Blunston, fellow Quakers who had also resided in the Philadelphia area. In 1738, Susanna’s brother James Wright built a family home, the Wright’s Ferry Mansion, which remains a local landmark in Columbia, PA. Colonial officials were happy to have Quaker allies on the Susquehanna as the west side of the river was disputed territory between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Susanna created an island of genteel English culture in a primitive wilderness of Scots-Irish and German settlers as well as Native Americans.

Medicine & Agriculture

Along the Susquehanna, Susanna ran a large agricultural operation while her father tended to the burgeoning ferry business. In the 1740s, Susanna moved to the nearby Bellmont Mansion as it had been bequeathed to her from Samuel Blunston. This gift was incredibly important, because under the English practice of coverture Susanna would never have been able to be truly independent. The gift gave Susanna the financial security she needed to stay a single and independent woman when her father died in 1749 and left his estate to his sons.

Susanna was interested agriculture and used the farm to raise a variety of crops including hops, hemp, flax, and indigo. She also had an orchard and used her garden to experiment with native and European plants. She became familiar with herbal remedies and medicines, which she was frequently called to dispense to her ailing neighbors. Through her correspondence with Benjamin Franklin we know that she successfully grew apples – Spitzenburgs and Pippins were her favorite varieties.

Susanna’s most remarkable contribution to agriculture was her successful efforts in producing silk. In North America, silk production had been limited to the southern colonies. Susanna developed a method that allowed the silkworms to spin in specially created paper cones. The coolness of the climate made it difficult to handle silkworms after they emerged from their cocoons. Despite this difficulty, she did find some success. In 1759, Susanna’s effort resulted in a pair of silk stockings. They were presented to General Jeffrey Amherst, the commander of Britain’s forces in America during the French and Indian War. By 1771, the Philadelphia Silk Society awarded her a prize of ten pounds for the largest number of cocoons raised by a single individual. That silk was reportedly used to make a court dress presented to Queen Charlotte by Benjamin Franklin.

Politics & Law

Susanna kept up with political debates on the eastern seaboard through correspondence. She regularly communicated with political elites like Isaac Norris, James Logan, Benjamin Franklin, and Benjamin Rush. She became a prothonotary or principal of the court for the Susquehanna River settlement, drafting legal documents including land deeds, indentures, and wills.  Known for her good judgement and integrity, she was also called upon to settle disputes – especially between settlers and Native Americans.

Benjamin Franklin sought Susanna’s help in outfitting the Braddock Expedition of 1753 during the French and Indian War. She suggested calling together the township leaders to discuss gathering provisions for the endeavor. Franklin took her advice and successfully gathered 150 wagons as well as horses and provisions from Lancaster, York, and Cumberland Counties. He also sought her advice in dealing with the Paxton Boys massacre of December 1763. In early 1764, Susanna wrote to a Lancaster merchant that vigilantes were still roaming the region threatening not just Native Americans but those that supported and helped them, including her brother James Wright. Her location along the Susquehanna was a gateway to the frontier, which made her a valuable asset for information to Philadelphia’s elite political leaders.

Poetry & Literature

In quieter times, Susanna’s correspondence to friends in Philadelphia was more intellectual. She exchanged books with Logan, Franklin, and Rush. From her European education, Wright was fluent in French and versed in Latin and Italian. Literature was her constant delight, and she confided to Benjamin Rush that she could not live without her books. James Logan was known for having an immense library and regularly shared books with Susanna. In a surviving letter from James Logan, he complains that Susanna is slow to return the books he loaned her.  However, they had a close relationship in which they shared writings, asked for critiques, and experimented with poetic form. Wright had many relationships like the one she shared with Logan.

She belonged to an informal group of male and female writers in the mid-Atlantic. The female members included Hannah Griffitts, Milcah Martha Moore, Elizabeth Graeme Fergusson, and Deborah Norris Logan. Her contemporaries referred to her as the “Susquehanna Muse”. Deborah Norris Logan noted that Susanna did not write for fame and never kept copies of her work. Therefore, only about three dozen of her poems have survived. Her works were never published; instead she circulated her verses amongst her friends. Many were found in Moore’s commonplace book, a compilation of poetry and prose in which Susanna is one of the three dominate female contributors. Wright’s poems cover a wide breadth of themes like justice, time, death, immortality, friendship, family, and marriage. In a poem titled ‘To Eliza Norris—at Fairhill’, Wright meditates on the status of women in the eighteenth century. Her meditation concerning the inequality of women to men is one of her most analyzed poems.

Susanna’s reputation had grown so much by 1784 that Rush mentioned in his journal that he had met “the famous Suzey Wright a lady who has been celebrated Above half Century for her wit–good Sense & valuable improvements of mind.” Later that same year, Susanna Wright died at age 88. She was a unique and valuable contributor to colonial life in Pennsylvania. Her relationships connected her to important decisions in the colonial capital of Philadelphia. Her relentless energy to grow and better understand horticulture helped her community along the river and across the ocean. Her writings and poetry showcase a brilliance and passion that still inspires. In the 88 years of her life, Susanna took part in the transformation of Pennsylvania from a frontier colony to a prominent state in a fledgling nation.

To learn more about Susanna Wright:

Read Susanna Wright’s poem ‘To Eliza Norris—at Fairhill’ from the National Humanities Center Resources Toolbox. (first two pages)

Check out The Extraordinary Suzy Wright: A Colonial Woman on the Frontier by Teri Kanefield. This great book is well illustrated and geared towards young readers (ages 8-12).

Take a tour of the Wright’s Ferry Mansion located at Second & Cherry Streets. Open May through October on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturdays from 10:00 to 3:00 (last tour begins at 3:00). There is a great video about the preservation of the home and its collection on Vimeo by Natural Light Films.

Find another short biography of Susanna Wright and more learning resources for K-12 educators can be found at Women & The American Story from the New York Historical Society & Library.

Sources:

Shirk, Willis L. “Wright’s Ferry: A Glimpse into the Susquehanna Backcountry.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 120, no. 1/2 (1996): 61-87.

Cowell, Pattie. “”Womankind Call Reason to Their Aid”: Susanna Wright’s Verse Epistle on the Status of Women in Eighteenth-Century America.” Signs 6, no. 4 (1981): 795-800.

La Courreye Blecki, Catherine, and Lorett Treese. “Susanna Wright’s “The Grove”: A Philosophic Exchange with James Logan.” Early American Literature 38, no. 2 (2003): 239-55.

Smith, Thelma M. “Feminism in Philadelphia, 1790-1850.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 68, no. 3 (1944): 243-68.

Kanefield, Teri. The Extraordinary Suzy Wright: A Colonial Woman on the Frontier. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2016.

Silver, Peter. Our Savage Neighbors: How Indian War Transformed Early America. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008.

Mick Williams’ watercolors on display at Columbia Crossing

SNHA is pleased to partner with Maryland artist, Mick Williams in a new exhibit at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center. The exhibit is on display through August 30 and features nine original watercolors and the archival photographs/postcards that inspired each work. Featured below is an article from LNP|LancasterOnline detailing Mick’s inspiration for the project.

Article Written by MIKE ANDRELCZYK, staff writer at LNP | Lancaster Online.

Some artists have found creative inspiration from what’s inside a bottle of beer, but for New Market, Maryland-based artist Mick Williams, it was what was on the outside of a beer bottle that inspired him to create a watercolor series of vintage Columbia scenes.

The inspiration struck Williams while on a tour of childhood friend Mike Knaub’s soon-to-be-open brewpub, Starview Brews on Locust Street.

“I was looking at the labels of the beers he’s created,” Williams says over the phone. “They’re all archival photos of Columbia and the photos are awesome, so that kind of triggered my idea.”

The vintage photographs led Williams to create a series of watercolor paintings based on Columbia’s past. The watercolors are on display at Columbia Crossing through August 30.

The paintings, which Williams finished within a year, bring life and color to the sepia-toned nostalgia of the archival photos. Williams’ use of light and shadow are brilliant and the tight lines of his street scenes and buildings showcase his passion for architecture.

Williams, originally from York, is attracted to the vibe surrounding Columbia — particularly the city’s architecture.

“I like the fact that it’s on the water,” Williams says. “It’s got this bohemian vibe to it. There are a lot of old buildings. I’ve always been an architecture buff, so I embraced that. I love the old wood with the brick and the trees and the business signs. It’s appealing.”

The paintings are rich with detail. Williams put his skills for hand-lettering to great use. (His painting of the old Hinkle’s Drug Store is a great example.) Williams developed his lettering skills from his years filling in thought and word bubbles for his short-lived syndicated cartoon called “Morons with Money.”

“I really enjoyed doing it,” Williams says of his cartoon strip. “But it never really sold. It really honed my art skills. My pen and ink skills really improved and also my figure drawing. Like if you’ve ever seen ‘Calvin and Hobbes,’ there’s a lot of action in that and I tried to put in the figures in the paintings as much as I could.”

A quick trip through Williams’ website shows the painter does more than just landscapes. He occasionally employs a touch of surrealism to his work.

“I don’t want to be just a landscape painter,” Williams says. “Every artist should just embrace creativity and be like ‘it would be fun to do this and just try it.’ ”

“When you do a painting, you have to look at a scene and break it down into those major shapes and then you can go back into and recreate it and color it,” Williams says.

His virtuosic touch makes the paintings look effortless, but it’s a detailed process that goes into creating them.

“It starts with a very accurate pencil drawing,” Williams says. “That’s the key underlying any painting. You’ve got to construct a foundation for a painting properly. For me, it’s a pencil drawing. It’s just a matter of being patient.”

Viewers are sure to be impressed with Williams’ work. And the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center enhances the work.

“I love all the glass,” Williams says about the venue. “It’s ultramodern. It’s a very nice design, and their location right on the water is immaculate.”

The venue allows for lots of light —and the light glinting off the river is a perfect way for viewers to realize just how great Williams is at capturing light accurately.

“I like the way light affects a scene,” Williams says. “And how it changes, like you see something in the early morning and it changes how you see it at midday or at dusk or even at night.”

Hope Byers, manager of Columbia Crossing, agrees that the artist, the venue and the city of Columbia are a perfect combination.

“The exhibit hall at Columbia Crossing has offered a unique space to host exhibits that related to local history and culture,” Byers says. “Local brewer Mike Knaub shared one of Mick’s watercolors with me, and I fell in love. I immediately knew the photograph that Williams had used to create the watercolor. The familiar storefronts and buildings are perfectly showcased in idyllic fashion. I wanted to showcase the real and reimagined together.”