The "The Lancaster-York Heritage Region: The Corridor Of Culture & Commerce " Story

Our tour boat for the River Discovery Tour on the Susquehanna River.

It was an ordinary day.  Carol had just asked our tour guide if we will see big piles of dead Bald Eagles under the wind turbines when they come into view?  As we meander down the Susquehanna River on our River Discovery Tour the huge wind turbines on the property of Turkey Hill Dairy loom high above us to our left.

The wind turbines from Turkey Hill Dairy.

 Carol's friend Marg had told her that the wind mills have killed many birds, since they were erected in 2011.  The turbines have reduced the dairy's greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 5,900 tons annually which is the equivalent of removing 1,000 cars from the road.  The wind turbines stand 262 feet in the air, thus the reason why some fear they are killing birds.  

Our tour guide for our trip, Kevin.

Our young and handsome tour guide, Kevin, looked at her and said, "You're the second person to ask me that today!  And, no, I don't think they have ever killed any Bald Eagles let alone any other birds.  But they do supply all the needed energy for Turkey Hill as well as places around them."  The day is cool for a day in early September with the temperature in the mid-60s as we begin our tour of the mighty Susquehanna River after leaving from the dock at the Zimmerman Center for Heritage.  

Safe Harbor Dam.

The tour is a new event this year and is a free activity due to a grant from the National Park Service and Pennsyl- vania Depart- ment of Conser- vation and Natural Resources.  It was a year ago that I wrote a story telling about this area along the Susquehanna River being named the 50th National Heritage Center.  I assume the funds for the water excursion came from the U. S. Park Service.  

The Pennsylvania Railroad tracks run under this water trough.

Three hour and a half long tours leave the dock below the Zimmerman Center daily.  They were supposed to stop at the end of August, but I recently received an email telling that the tours would run a few more weeks.  Asked for tickets and Carol and I are sitting in the small watercraft with about a dozen other people enjoying the history lesson our guide is giving to us.  We headed south, or downriver, until we reached the Safe Harbor Dam which is a hydroelectric gravity dam that was built between April of 1930 and December of 1931.  During the 60 minute ride our guide pointed out various species of birds as well as a Bald Eagle nest high in the trees along the shore.  

One of a few Bald Eagles we saw.

He also pointed out where the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal was located.  At one time it ran between Wrightsvile, PA and Havre de Grace, MD, at the head of the Chesapeake Bay.  As we headed north he told us about the start of the Pennsylvania Railroad system along the eastern shore of the Susquehanna which was primarily very high rock formations for quite a distance.  The railbed was constructed along the rock with several aquafer troughs running over the rail line.  The troughs were necessary due to the amount of water running through the rocks along the shore.  We also learned of the very large shad population and how the fish were gathered from the river years ago.  Stories of the Native Americans and early settlers to the area gave us a look at what life was like along the river years ago.  

Stick sculptures can be seen along the shoreline.

We headed upriver toward the Veterans Memorial Bridge which opened in mid-1929.  It used to be called the Columbia-Wrightsvile Bridge and was the longest multi-arch concrete bridge in the world.  Twenty-eight three-ribbed open-spandrel reinforced concrete arches, each spanning 185 feet carry the bridge across the Susquehanna between Lancaster and York Counties.  

It is on the National List of Historic Places and is still the longest such bridge in the world.  We didn't reach the bridge due to the shallow water, but turned once again and headed back to the Zimmerman Center.  The weather was chilly and the water sprayed on us a few times, but we enjoyed our trip learning about the history of the river.  Our thanks to Kevin, our guide as well as the River Discovery Tours for the free history lesson.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Another water trough over the railroad tracks.

A cormorant sits on a rock in the river.

The Veterans Memorial Bridge which connects Wrightsville and Columbia.

The "Susquehanna National Heritage Area Officially Designated!" Story

Will this logo be part of the National Heritage area?

It was an ordinary day.  Just opened an email titled "BREAKING: America's Newest National Heritage Area!  As soon as I began to read the email I knew exactly what the article was about.  It was six months ago that I posted a story I titled: "Waiting For History To Catch Up With Reality."  At the time I was hoping that President Donald Trump would sign a bill designating the Susquehanna River area between Lancaster and York Counties a National Heritage Area.  The email read, in part:  Today, March 12, 2019, President Donald Trump signed S.47, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, a major national conservation bill that includes designation of Lancaster and York Counties as a Susquehanna National Heritage Area.  The bill's passage is great news for our 10+ year effort to bring this national honor to our region and the Susquehanna.  We thank U.S. Senator Bob Casey for supporting this legislation since 2008 and securing an amendment to S.47 to designate the Susquehanna National Heritage Area.  We also thank Congressman Lloyd Smucker for championing the bill in the House of Representatives since 2017.  We very much appreciate the bi-patisan collaboration of Mr. Casey and Mr. Smucker in designating the Susquehanna National Heritage Area - America's 55th National Heritage Area! 

Columbia, PA is the home to Columbia Crossings which
is a museum and adventure area.

So, what will this new title do for Lancaster and York Counties?  It is expected to draw more tourists to the area's historical sites.  Ten million visitors come to this region each year now and bring with them their money.  This new designation will hopefully bring an additional $100 million spent in both counties. The Susquehanna River's role as a corridor of culture and commerce will be one of the big focuses.  I have featured the Susquehanna River and the Susquehanna River valley in quite a few of my stories.  

The view from Chickies Park in Columbia of the
Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge.  

Everything from being part of the American frontier to helping in the develop- ment of canals and transpor- tation to it's role in the Under- ground Railroad and being part of the American Revolution.  Not long ago I took you with me as my son and I, along with his Scouting friends and their dads, traveled down the Susquehanna on a raft we built.  The history of the Susquehanna River Valley is both interesting and entertaining.  Fishing, camping, hiking, boating and biking are a big draw to the river, and now, with national promotion of the area, it will draw more visitors.  

A view of part of Chickies Park in Columbia, PA

Businesses will grow and begin anew and more jobs will open to the local residents.  The Heritage Area will receive $150,000 to get the national heritage area up and running and the amount will grow after a management plan is approved.  The money does require a matching amount from the area, but with more visitors to the area, that shouldn't be a problem.  I read that one organization plans to run a pilot boat tour on the river this coming summer.  The only bad thing about the new designation is the new traffic and perhaps crime it will bring to the area.  I guess the area will have to wait and see how it will benefit from the new labeling before we make any decisions as to whether it was worth the battle to gain the National Heritage Area title.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "York County Wildcat Falls" Story

The Accomac Inn on the York County side of the Susquehanna River

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in front of the Accomac Inn on the banks of the Susque- hanna River in York County, Pennsyl- vania.  Carol and I have eaten at the majestic Inn a few times, but we made today's trip to attempt to locate one of York County's popular picnic venues from the past, the Wildcat Falls.  

One of the ferryboats that ran from Marietta to Wild Cat Falls.

Years ago people would arrive at the falls via ferry, crossing the river from the small town of Marietta which is in Lancaster County.  When they arrived on the York County side of the river they would cross over a nearby stream that fed into the river by way of a wooden bridge and use stairs and handrails as they made their way up the hillside which were parallel to the falls.  

Another of the ferryboats across the river.

Their destination was a small hotel with a large deck that overlooked the falls and the river.  At one time the Marietta Gravity Water Company would gather water from the hills near the falls, pipe it under the Susquehanna River for use by residents in Marietta.  

A young woman arrives by boat at the Wild Cat Falls. I'm
not sure if this is a real photograph or one staged by a backdrop.

The hotel burned in the 1920s and most never found their way back to the falls.  Today the area where the hotel used to be is in private hands, but people still stop and ask permission to visit the falls and take photographs.  There are a few books published which have information about the falls and hotel, but I was able to gather quite a few photos from the Internet.  

The Wild Cat Falls Hotel.  Check out the large group
standing along the railing of the hotel above the falls.

At one time it must have been a great day trip for those living in both Lancaster and York Counties.  Today the main reason to visit the York County side of the river is to eat at the Accomac Inn.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

People can be seen making their way to the hotel above the falls.

Another photograph showing a gathering on the porch of the hotel.

Visitors pose for a photograph with their luggage. 

Marietta can be seen in this photograph taken from the top of Wildcat Falls. 

One of many photographs I found showing the falls.

And... another one.

And...one final photograph of what I'm sure were beautiful falls.

The only color photograph I was able to find of the Wildcat Falls.  The hotel more than likely no longer existed when this photograph was taken.