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

Check out historic photos from the quarry operation through the PA Power Library’s PA Geological Survey Historical Photographs

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. His design was used on Columbia’s second bridge across the Susquehanna. Burr designed five bridges along the Susquehanna between Port Deposit and Northumberland. Many of his covered bridges with his truss design still stand in Lancaster County today.

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. The 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 an 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.”

Walk This Way!

Stairway to Native Lands

Looking for some winter exercise? Try out the Zimmerman Center’s new stone slab steps to start off a crisp December hike into Native Lands County Park! As part of our project to improve accessibility to Native Lands, the steps replace the rather “rustic” ones visitors have had to  navigate from our otherwise lovely trailhead ontothe footpath to the park.

As you wander up the trail, you may notice that as a result of removal of invasive plant species from the woodland this summer, you can now see the forest through the trees! It’s a wonderful place to enjoy some solitude and take in the soothing landscape.

After your hike, stop in the Center to warm up and you will see that we made Tim Barr’s Petroglyphs at Safe Harbor painting more accessible, having moved it from our second-floor hallway to a prominent spot in our rear gallery. Consider making a Christmas donation to help make this dramatic work of art, on temporary loan from the artist, a part of our permanent collection.

Chesapeake Conservation Corps Member impacts Heritage Area through Pollinator Projects

Each year, Susquehanna National Heritage Area welcomes a Chesapeake Conservation Corps Member to our team. The Conservation Corps program is operated by the Chesapeake Bay Trust in order to increase access to green careers. Educating and training the next generation of stewards on how best to manage and protect our environment is crucial to restoring our region’s natural resources. Young adults are placed with nonprofit or government agencies for one-year terms of service in the Chesapeake Bay region. Susquehanna NHA hosts a Corps member each year thanks to our relationship with the NPS Chesapeake Bay Office that supplies the funding.

For 2018-2019, we welcomed Amy Kochel. She was a recent graduate of Juniata College where she studied Environmental Science. She had experience in aquatic ecology and environmental education. Amy is passionate about streams and rivers, and anything that lives in them. Amy completed and supported a variety of programs and projects during her time with Susquehanna National Heritage Area. Her mentor at SNHA was Paul Nevin, our Zimmerman Center Manager.

Amy completed a Meaningful Watershed Environmental Education grant project with the 4th grade classes at York Academy Regional Charter School in the York City. The elementary school is located across the street from the Codorus Creek, allowing for a great outdoor educational experience. Amy led an in-classroom activity about watersheds and had students work together to build a watershed model. The class also did stream study at the Codorus Creek and the students determined the health of the water using chemical and physical tests. Amy then helped the students to plant a pollinator habitat on their playground. Amy designed the pollinator garden and coordinated with a local nursery to get the 150 plants needed to fill the space. Students learned about the importance of pollinator wildlife and ways that plants can reduce soil runoff into waterways. The students also committed to caring for the garden and signed up to weed and water the garden weekly including over the summer months.

As a conclusion, the students attended a field trip with Susquehanna NHA at the Zimmerman Center for Heritage where they investigated the health of a nearby stream to learn more about the Susquehanna River and compared it to their local stream in the city. Students completed the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Junior Ranger book and were sworn in as Junior Rangers at the end of the day. As part of the swearing in ceremony, students committed to continue learning about the landscape, plants, animals, and history of the river region.

At the SNHA Zimmerman Center property, Amy helped to enhance the information and interpretation of native species. She located, flagged, identified, and labeled native wildflowers along the hiking trail that leads to Native Lands County Park. Her work along the riverfront removed invasive species from the rain garden in order for more native plants to grow. In the fall, Amy caught and tagged monarch butterflies and created an informative area at the Zimmerman Center’s welcome desk for visitors to learn more about the monarch migration and the importance of native milkweed. Over the winter, she researched more about the native species that were present before Europeans arrived in Pennsylvania. Utilizing research from local archaeological digs that were done near the Susquehanna River, Amy then compared the findings to the types of plant and animal species that are found today.

In the spring, Amy created a pollinator garden alongside Susquehanna NHA’s rain garden. Throughout the year, Amy developed a site plan to determine the area of the garden and how many plants would be needed. She ordered the plants and advertised a planting day to find volunteers to help plant the garden. With the help of volunteers, she planted 300 native plants from 15 different species. A brochure was also created for visitors to learn more about pollinators and pollinator gardens.

In August 2019, Amy Kochel’s tenure with Susquehanna NHA came to an end. Her time in the Chesapeake Conservation Corps advanced her knowledge and leadership skills. We were proud to be her mentor through the process. She has since earned a permanent position with the Nature’s Classroom Institute as an Environmental Educator in Wisconsin.

A big THANK YOU! to the Student Conservation Association Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps who braved the heat and rain in July to remove invasive plants from our woodlands and perform maintenance on the Pleasant Garden Trail leading to Native Lands County Park!

This youth employment and enrichment program is managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in cooperation with the Student Conservation Association, a national conservation jobs organization that has engaged thousands of young people nationwide in hands-on service to the land to build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of the environment and communities.

The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps program offers paid work experience, job training, and educational opportunities to teens and young adults as they protect and restore public lands and waters. We were also honored to have Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Deputy Secretary Michael Walsh join us to inspect the youth crew’s accomplishments.

Visit the Zimmerman Center for Heritage and Native Lands County Park to see these first steps toward restoring the woodland to a more natural state.