Wright's Ferry
Encyclopedia
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
established by John Wright
John Wright (businessman)
Emigrant English pioneer John Wright, , was a colonial period businessman who established Wright's Ferry triggering nine years of armed conflict during the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary dispute known as Cresap's War...
in 1730, and the very first means of crossing
Crossing (river)
A river crossing is a means to get from one river bank to the other and may refer to:* A ford * A bridge* A tunnel* Any type of Ferry** A cable ferry** A reaction ferry** A water taxi-See also::Category:Crossings by river...
the wide unfriendly Susquehanna in the counties of the lower half of the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and directly triggered Cresap's War
Cresap's War
Cresap's War was a border conflict between Pennsylvania and Maryland, fought in the 1730s...
between the Province of Maryland
Province of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
and Pennsylvania. It was built in the early 18th century to transport goods, animals, and people across the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
in south central Pennsylvania as the whole region was first seeing pioneer settlements, and the establishment of the ferry directly triggered a series and succession of unfriendly acts culminating in the war between colonies in the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary dispute. The ferry was sighted just north of the mid-river islands of the Conejohela Flats
Conejohela Flats
The Conejohela Flats are a group of islands in the flooded Conejohela Valley, a large floodplain along the southernmost 30 miles of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania and Maryland in the United States...
region who's ownership was disputed by Maryland and Pennsylvania due to a false assumption (mistake) in the charter of the Province of Pennsylvania
Province of Pennsylvania
The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as Pennsylvania Colony, was founded in British America by William Penn on March 4, 1681 as dictated in a royal charter granted by King Charles II...
.
The river came to be the political boundary between (nearly empty lands of) the two counties connected by the Ferry joining the two towns that came to be known as Columbia
Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, once colonial Wright's Ferry, is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg on the left bank Susquehanna River across from Wrightsville and York County. Originally, the area may have been called Conejohela Flats, for the many islands and islets in the...
and Wrightsville
Wrightsville, Pennsylvania
Wrightsville is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,310 at the 2010 census. Wrightsville borough has a police department, historic society, and a volunteer fire company.- History :According to a plaque at Samuel S...
. The ferry was located immediately south of the present-day Columbia-Wrightsville Veterans Memorial Bridge
Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge
The Columbia–Wrightsville Bridge, officially the Veterans Memorial Bridge, spanning the Susquehanna River between Columbia and Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, is commonly associated with the name “Columbia–Wrightsville Bridge,” although five other former and present-day bridges share this...
along Route 462, the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
. Because of the ferry, the town that grew up around it on the river's eastern shore became known by the same name. (It was later renamed Columbia).
Founding father
John Wright was a Quaker who first came to the area in 1724 to explore the land and preach to the local Native Americans. He moved his family to a plot 100 yds from the left bank in 1726, establishing a small settlement along with Robert Barber and Samuel Blunston. In 1730, he was granted a patent to operate a ferry across the river and subsequently established the ferry with the aid of his two friends. He also built a ferry house and a tavern on the eastern shore of the Susquehanna and the town grew up around it. Now a historical building, its located north of Locust Street, on Front Street in Wright's FerryColumbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, once colonial Wright's Ferry, is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg on the left bank Susquehanna River across from Wrightsville and York County. Originally, the area may have been called Conejohela Flats, for the many islands and islets in the...
, as the town was then known now Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, once colonial Wright's Ferry, is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg on the left bank Susquehanna River across from Wrightsville and York County. Originally, the area may have been called Conejohela Flats, for the many islands and islets in the...
. The two-story log tavern, operated by John Wright, Jr. until 1834, consisted of a large room on either end connected by a passageway. When John Jr. married, he moved to York County’s western shore at Wright's Ferry West (later to be named Wrightsville
Wrightsville, Pennsylvania
Wrightsville is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,310 at the 2010 census. Wrightsville borough has a police department, historic society, and a volunteer fire company.- History :According to a plaque at Samuel S...
), and built another ferry house and tavern.
In later years, Wrightnow involved greatly in local governmental affairs rented the ferry to others and eventually sold it.
In 1729, after Wright had petitioned William Penn’s son to create a new county, the provincial government took land from Chester County to establish Lancaster County, the fourth county in Pennsylvania. County residents - Indians and colonists alike - regularly traveled to Wright’s home to file papers and claims, seek government assistance and redress of issues, and register land deeds. During this time, the town was called “Wright’s Ferry.”
In 1738, James Wright built the Wright’s Ferry Mansion, the oldest existing house in Columbia, for his family. The structure can still be seen at Second and Cherry Streets.
Ferry Operations
Traffic heading west from LancasterLancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and other nearby towns regularly traveled through Wright's Ferry, using the ferry to cross the river. As traffic flow increased, the ferry grew, to the point of including canoes, rafts, flatboats, and steamboats, and was capable of handling Conestoga Wagon
Conestoga wagon
The Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered wagon that was used extensively during the late 18th century and the 19th century in the United States and sometimes in Canada as well. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 tons , and was drawn by horses, mules or oxen...
s and other large vehicles. Due to the volume of traffic, however, wagons, freight, supplies and people often became backed-up, creating a waiting period of several days to cross the river. With 150 to 200 vehicles typically lined up on the Columbia side, ferrymen used chalk to number the wagons.
Fee structure
The early ferry itself consisted of two dugout canoes fastened together with carriage and wagon wheels. When numerous cattle were moved, the canoeist guided a lead animal with a rope so that the others would follow. If the lead animal became confused and started swimming in circles, however, the other animals followed until they tired and eventually drowned. As the years went on, the technology was improved, eventually including watercraft which could convey heavy Conestoga wagonConestoga wagon
The Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered wagon that was used extensively during the late 18th century and the 19th century in the United States and sometimes in Canada as well. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 tons , and was drawn by horses, mules or oxen...
s, which were being built contemporaneously in Conestoga, Pennsylvania
Conestoga, Pennsylvania
Conestoga, Pennsylvania is a small community in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in the United States.Conestoga was first called Conestoga Manor by William Penn. The name came from the Conestoga Indians, a peaceful Christian tribe, whose principal village was located nearby...
on the west bank of the river.
- Typical fares were as follows:
- Coach with four passengers and drawn by five horses-9 shillings,
- 4-horse wagon-3 shillings and 9 pence,
- man and horse-6 pence.
Fares were reduced in 1787 due to competition from Anderson's Ferry, located further upstream, near Marietta.
In later years, Wright rented the ferry to others and eventually sold it. Due to increased competition from the railroad in the 19th century, the ferry finally ceased operations in 1901.
External links
- http://www.rivertownes.org/Features/Crossings/Crossings.htm
- http://www.ydr.com/ntbf/ci_4336784