Visit the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center to explore life before refrigeration. Susquehanna Heritage and local historian Lynn Smoker have developed an immersive exhibit about the ice harvesting industry which opens on Tuesday, January 8th. Prior to refrigeration, homes and commercial businesses required ice to keep food cold. A world-wide industry was created to collect ice from frozen rivers, ponds, and lakes and ship it by wagon and rail to be sold. Pennsylvania ranked third in the nation for ice production behind only Maine and New York. Locally, Columbia had at least three ice houses that kept residents supplied with quality ice for their homes. Deliveries of ice were brought by the ‘ice man’ to homes on a regular basis. The exhibit follows the ice from the river to the kitchen. Visitors will enjoy the astounding number of objects on display. Tools on display from the ice harvesting process include drills, saws, and plows. Antique ice boxes, ice shavers, ice crushers, and other memorabilia are also on display.

The exhibit was designed and installed by Susquehanna Heritage, which manages the building for the Borough of Columbia. Objects and content development was led by Lynn Smoker. His collection truly brings this bygone industry back to life. Susquehanna Heritage is one of twelve state designated heritage areas in Pennsylvania that is working to highlight important local history and spark economic development through heritage and ecotourism. The organization’s focus on the Susquehanna’s history is brought to life in this new exhibit at Columbia Crossing. The exhibit is free but donations are appreciated to help operate the center and provide educational programs.

Join Susquehanna Heritage on Thursday, January 24^th at 6:30 pm for a special Talk with the Collector in the exhibit hall. Lynn Smoker, owner of the objects in the display, will discuss the ice harvesting industry and his collection. Guests can enjoy complimentary refreshments during the event. Suggested donation $10 per person. RSVP at www.susquehannaheritage.org/events.

Mini-tours will also be available on selected Sundays in January and February. Susquehanna Heritage staff will lead 20-30-minute tours through the exhibit. Guides will showcase important objects, provide in depth information, and answer questions. Tours start at 1:30 pm inside Columbia Crossing on January 13^th and 27^th as well as February 3^rd and 17^th.

Columbia Crossing River Trails Center is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 4 pm and Sundays 12 pm to 4 pm. Ice Harvesting Along the Susquehanna will remain on display through March 31, 2019.

On Friday, November 16th Susquehanna Heritage participated in the Extraordinary Give in Lancaster County. The event is coordinated by the Lancaster County Community Foundation and is the county’s largest day of online giving. Contributors can support nearly 500 different organizations. This year Susquehanna Heritage had generous match fund donors that dedicated $8,000 to double public donations. In total, Susquehanna Heritage received $16,741 in total giving, including $8,578 in day of giving donations, a new record for us! 

It was an amazing day of giving throughout the county and we loved spending it with our friends along the river! The Extraordinary River Party allowed river-goers to get together and celebrate the great progress in our region. Thank you to all those who participated in the day and contributed to Susquehanna Heritage. Your contributions allow Susquehanna Heritage to connect thousands of children, residents, and visitors to the transformative power of the river! We especially thank our match fund donors as well as the local businesses that donated foods and spirits for our party — Moo-Duck Brewery, Columbia Kettle Works, Bube’s Brewery, McCleary’s Pub, and Isaac’s Restaurants.!

Add the Extraordinary River Party to your Calendar —

Check out the Canoemobile Fun!

Enjoy a look back at this fun and transformative riverfront experience.

Fifth grade students from Lancaster and York counties paddled the Susquehanna in 24 foot Voyageur canoes, and participated in field studies, learning about the science, history, geography, and culture in their home towns on October 3-5. Susquehanna Heritage hosted the local school districts at Columbia Crossing River Trails Cents. The National Park Service, National Parks Conservation Association, Pennsylvania State Parks, and Susquehanna Heritage came together to offer the “Canoemobile” program from the Minnesota-based organization, Wilderness Inquiry. Wilderness Inquiry is a non-profit organization that connects people to the natural world through shared outdoor experiences. Susquehanna Heritage and our partners offered educational land stations to complement the paddle excursions. Students learned about Native American dugout canoes and the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. They learned about water runoff and pollution through a hands-on watershed model. Thanks to DCNR Ranger Curtis Sherwood, students met fresh water eels and learned about their relationship with fresh water mussels.  A homeschool session was held on Thursday. On Friday afternoon, the public was invited to canoe with Wilderness Inquiry. The river’s current was swift and water levels remained high throughout the week. As a result, some groups were unable to paddle at Columbia. Wilderness Inquiry did transfer the canoes to Lock 2 along Long Level when it was possible. Students, teachers, families, and visitors greatly enjoyed the field trip and excursion.

You all really made a difference in the life of our children. We are a Title I building, and many of our children would never have had this wonderful experience. We appreciate it so much!

— Principal, Friendship Elementary

Water Quality Analyzed by

Local Homeschool Students

In early 2018, Susquehanna Heritage applied to the Lancaster Sierra Club grant program. The program supports the club’s mission to enjoy and explore the outdoors while protecting our natural resources. The Club members support conservation and preservation efforts in Lancaster County and also enjoys group outings like camping, hiking and biking. Our mission at Susquehanna Heritage parallels the Sierra Club as we seek to responsibly utilize our natural landscape and historic site to encourage visitation and economic development in the river corridor. In particular, our missions overlap related to the health of the Susquehanna River – the main contributor to the Chesapeake Bay. It is essential that our communities understand their impact on the river and the bay, and how to diminish that impact. 

Susquehanna Heritage has hosted numerous programs related to the health of the river but was in need of water quality testing kit that measure physical and chemical indicators including pH, phosphates, nitrates, temperature, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity and turbidity.  This kit would improve programs by allowing us to scientifically investigate the health of the river. Our goal was to explore the cultural history, ecology and current status and health of the Susquehanna River and its watershed by providing hands-on activities that get participants to test the water quality of the river through scientific instrumentation. Susquehanna Heritage is thankful that the Lancaster Sierra Club accepted our grant request!

In October, Program Coordinator Allison Scholz and Chesapeake Conservation Corps Member Amy Kochel welcomed a large group of home school families to a Water Quality Workshop. Participants looked for physical, chemical, and biological indicators in our waterways. Students collected data using the kit and analyzed the results to better understand the health of the river. Additionally, the group hiked to a local storm water outfall to collect data. The storm water, which was from downtown Columbia, helped students to understand what kinds of pollutants may be traveling from residents to the river. In the end, students and parents clearly understood why clean, healthy water is essential to wildlife, plants, and humans.

Susquehanna Heritage thanks the Lancaster Sierra Club for supporting our programs by supplying this water quality kit. More programs for scout groups, clubs, and the general public will be available in the future.

Susquehanna Heritage is participating in the Extraordinary Give — Lancaster County’s Largest Online Giving Day!

On Friday, November 16, you will have just 24 hours to donate to Susquehanna Heritage. The more donations Susquehanna Heritage receives, the farther it’s stretched. This year the stretch pool totals over $500,000. It’s a great opportunity for every dollar you donation make an extra impact on the river. Please help us to spread the word about the ExtraGive on Friday, November 16^th! Remember the Extraordinary Give is entirely ONLINE so the best way to share is online and via email! Maybe you can’t wait for the new boat tours on the river, you love our educational programs, or you just like to ride the trails — we’re counting on your to spread your love for the river and inspire others to give.

So spread the word and save the date! Friday, November 16th is the day to donate online to Susquehanna Heritage.

Join us at Our River Party!

Susquehanna Heritage will once again host our Extraordinary River Party from 4 PM to 8 PM on ExtraGive Day at Columbia Crossing! This is our opportunity to invite all the friends of the river to Eat, Drink & Give! Join us to enjoy live music from the Dreadnought Brigade Duo who will be serving up ‘feel good’ tunes of blues, rock, and folk. Scrumptious appetizers, beer, wine, and B(ike)YO wine slushies will make it a true cocktail hour. Giving stations throughout the party will help us build funds for the river! Let’s celebrate the river together!

Minimum donation of $25 required by ExtraGive.org. Questions about the ExtraGive? Call Hope at 717-449-5607 ext 1.

National Heritage Area Update

In June 2017, U.S. Representative Lloyd Smucker, with U.S. Representative Scott Perry and U.S. Representative Pat Meehan introduced H.R. 2991 in the U.S. House of Representatives to establish the Susquehanna National Heritage Area. On June 5th, 2018 the U.S. House of Representatives approved Congressman Lloyd Smucker’s bill to designate Lancaster and York Counties as the Susquehanna National Heritage Area. You can read about it and watch video of House proceedings on the bill here. This is a key milestone on the way to bringing this national honor to our region. Thank you Congressman Smucker and the U.S. House of Representatives for recognizing the national significance of our area and passing this legislation.

Help support our efforts to become a National Heritage Area by expressing your support and asking U.S. Senator Bob Casey & U.S. Senator Pat Toomey to support congressional designation of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area!

Contact U.S. Senator Bob Casey

Contact U.S. Senator Pat Toomey

Learn more here about our National Heritage Area Initiative.

National Heritage Area Bill Advances

On April 11th, 2018 Susquehanna Heritage President Mark Platts joined Congressman Lloyd Smucker and Columbia Mayor Leo Lutz at the U.S. House Federal Lands Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 2991, the Susquehanna National Heritage Act. This bill sponsored by Rep. Smucker will designate all of Lancaster and York Counties as America’s 50th National Heritage Area with Susquehanna Heritage as the Local Coordinating Entity. Congressman Smucker and Mayor Lutz testified in support of the bill. Read the Mayor’s testimony here and watch the hearing here (H.R. 2991 runs from 1:01:03 to 1:21:28.)   We very much appreciate Congressman Smucker’s leadership with this effort, along with the great support we’ve received from so many community groups and elected officials like Mayor Lutz. HR 2991 was recently marked up and reported out of the House Natural Resources Committee and now awaits a vote by the full U.S. House of Representatives. Learn more about our National Heritage Area initiative here.

Community Yoga Every Sunday in April

Stars Over The Susquehanna

April 20, 2018

 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Celebrating 125 years of Doc Hinkle’s Egg Dye

Rain Garden Clean-up & Planting

Spring is a time for dusting off and cleaning up. Well, our riverfront rain garden could certainly use some TLC after the long winter. Drop by the Zimmerman Center for Heritage on Sunday, March 25th, enjoy the spring air and exercise your green thumb at our rain garden clean-up and planting. Grab a hot dog from the grill and burn off the calories while getting to know native rain garden plants first-hand. Then return this Summer to enjoy the results of your efforts! Bring your boots, gloves, and clippers; extra gloves and clippers will be available. All ages are welcome from 12 PM to 3 PM.