Over the years, I've driven past this curious tunnel on Anderson Ferry Road between Marietta and…
Category: Local History
Take a trip on the Millersburg Ferry; Pennsylvania’s oldest transportation company
The man with the hat is back. And this time, he's bringing his Mom. Over the…
Stogie: Cigar of the Conestoga Wagoneer
Today, “stogie” is slang for a cigar, technically referring to a cheap or roughly made one.…
Declaration of Independence scribe Timothy Matlack lived in Lancaster, PA
*fifty-five in iron pen, Mr. Matlack can't offend.* Did you know that Timothy Matlack, scribe of…
‘Lafayette, we are here!’ Visiting the General Horatio Gates House in York, PA
This summer, I visited York's Colonial Complex, where my good friend, Marquis de Lafayette, agreed to…
Visit the City of York’s 1741 Golden Plough Tavern
✨Did you know?✨ When you hear the phrase "bar and grill," what comes to mind? A…
On this Day in History: Second bridge crossing the Susquehanna at Columbia opened to traffic in 1834
On this Day in History On July 8, 1834, the Wrightsville and Columbia Bridge, the second…
Visit one of Lancaster County’s Hidden Treasures: Mascot Roller Mills
Step back in time and visit a working water-powered grist mill—one of only two in Lancaster…
Dine at the historic 1776 Dobbin House Tavern
With the 160th Battle of Gettysburg anniversary approaching, I took a trip on a damp Thursday…
Scraping the Bottom: Dredging for Coal on the Susquehanna
The 1948 pamphlet 'Scrapping the Bottom' insists, "You can't call the Susquehanna a lazy river," as…
Water Week: Canals of the Conewago Falls
As part of Lancaster Conservancy's annual Water Week celebration, I led a Northwest River Trail History…
George Ross: Lancaster’s sole signer of the Declaration of Independence
Born in 1730 and educated in Philadelphia, George Ross became one of Lancaster's wealthiest and most…
Harrison Ford to wear 1941 Hamilton Watch in upcoming Indiana Jones movie
In the upcoming Indiana Jones 5 movie, Harrison Ford may be wearing a 1941 Hamilton Boulton…
On this Day in History: First known Photo of a Presidential Inauguration
This image is the first known photo of a presidential inauguration. It shows the March 4,…
4,000-year-old emoji discovered on Susquehanna River island
If you think emojis are a fad, think again. This 😐 neutral face carved rock unearthed on…
Lancaster hangs the same man…twice!
The 5th Amendment to the Constitution says you can’t be tried twice for the same crime.…
Update on the Search for Lancaster County’s Oldest Headstone
Just when I thought the oldest headstone in Lancaster County debate was settled, I received a…
Lancaster’s Forgotten Presidential Candidate: Prohibitionist James Black
Raise a glass (of water) to the honorable James Black, Lancaster's forgotten presidential candidate. In addition…
Ancient Native American eel weirs slumber beneath the waters of the Susquehanna
Before the Egyptians built the Pyramids of Giza, Native Americans were constructing giant stone structures on…
Earliest known photo of the Wrightsville and Columbia Bridge
This is the earliest known photograph of the massive covered bridge that once spanned the Susquehanna…