Columbia, Marietta, and Wrightsville

Columbia, Marietta, and Wrightsville lie along the lower Susquehanna River in the geographic center of the Lancaster-York Heritage Region. The ethnically diverse communities have long histories centered on commerce, transportation, and industry. English, Germans, Scotch-Irish, and African Americans, to name a few, all settled here early and built furnaces and factories to make iron, metal castings, silk, lace, hardware, wagons, vaccines, locks, industrial washing machines, and stoves. Two canals, two railroads, two trolley systems, and numerous roads brought raw materials in, took finished goods out, and carried passengers in both directions. Thriving markets, schools, churches, businesses, and local entertainment looked after residents' material, intellectual, and spiritual needs. Through vintage photographs, Columbia, Marietta, and Wrightsville chronicles the history that connects these communities and the spirit that makes each unique.