"The Tale that River Told"
ReadThe Conestoga River has been called "Lancaster's mighty Mississippi." A tributary of the Susquehanna River, the Conestoga River flows through the center of Lancaster County. It is both geographically and culturally central to Lancaster's history.
Geography
The Conestoga River flows for more than sixty miles, emptying into the Susquehanna River in western Lancaster County.
Boy showing off his fresh caught fish, along the Conestoga RiverLancasterHistory
The Conestoga River drains 475 square miles of land and is home to a variety of habitats and wildlife, including deer, turkey, swans, geese, ducks, and many different fish.
Scene on the Conestoga River Postcard (1907) by Soutter, Buchanan and YoungLancasterHistory
The country near the head of the stream is marshy and covered with underbrush. Along the river, habitats include open farmland, swamps, marshes, thick brushy areas, and wooded areas.
Historic marker placed by Pennsylvania Water and Power Company near Safe Harbor. Conestoga Indian Town by The Conestoga Indians lived in sacttered settlements along this stream. They were the last of the once mighty Susquehannocks. Their final location was the Conestoga Indian Town which was along the road leading to Creswell. William Penn visited the Conestoga indians in 1701. The remnants of this tribe were massacred by the Paxton boys in December 1763.LancasterHistory
Indigenous Conestoga People
Indigenous people living along the river at the "Conestoga Indian Town," were part of the Susquehannock people. The Susquehannock people were Iroquoian-speaking and lived in the lands adjacent to the Susquehanna River. The small group living at the Conestoga Indian Town was called "Conestoga" by the English.
Petroglyphs along the Susquehanna RiverLancasterHistory
William Penn made a treaty with the Indigenous peoples of Pennsylvania in 1682, in order to start a colony. He "purchased" land from the Iroquois nation and sold it to the Conestoga people with a deed in 1700.
Despite Penn’s promise to protect the land on which they lived, the Conestoga tribe’s tract was reduced to 414 ¾ acres. The Conestoga people lived in Indian Town until the "vigilante" Paxton Boys murdered about 20 Conestogas in 1763, as part of the "Conestoga Massacre."
Petroglyphs along the Susquehanna RiverLancasterHistory
“The Susquehannas are a people looked upon by the Christian inhabitants as the most noble and heroic nation of Indians that dwell upon the confines of America…”
-John Alsop, 1660
Transportation
The Conestoga River has long been essential in obtaining stone-coal (anthracite), wood, and lumber. The common-mill dam makes the Conestoga boatable from one to two miles.
Site of old lock and dam and bridge over Conestoga River at Second LockLancasterHistory
The first dam and lock, allowing for the passage of boats, were completed at the upper end of the river in 1827.
Lady Gay paddleboat at Witmer's Bridge on the Conestoga River (1906)LancasterHistory
Many bridges have connected the two sides of the Conestoga River over the years. The most notable bridge is Witmer's Bridge, an arched stone bridge that was built after the Revolutionary War.
Witmer's Bridge is pictured here with another form of Conestoga transportation: the Lady Gay paddleboat.
Recreation
The addition of dams raised and calmed the Conestoga water's surface, which allowed for navigation by larger watercraft, as well as recreational activities including ice skating and curling in the winter.
Peoples Bathing Resort PostcardLancasterHistory
The Lady Gay paddlewheel steamboat ferried passengers to and from Rocky Springs Amusement Park and the Peoples Bathing Resort. These resorts were some of the most popular recreation spots along the Conestoga.
"The Lone Fisherman"LancasterHistory
Fishing and hunting continue to be popular Conestoga River recreation activities.
Canoeing Guide to the Historic Conestoga River (1976) by Conestoga Valley AssocationLancasterHistory
The canoeing guide map, as taken from a page of the Canoeing Guide to the Conestoga River, outlines different canoeing trails and guidelines and promotes safe and responsible recreation along the river.
Conservation
Since 1956, the Conestoga Valley Association has urged safe and healthy use of the river, addressing elimination of stream pollution, reduction of soil erosion, restoration of wildlife, improvement of woodlands, recreation, and restoration of historic and scenic sites.
View of Conestoga River from Media HillLancasterHistory
The Lancaster Conservancy was founded in 1969 by anglers, hunters, farmers and naturalists who witnessed the rapid development and loss of lands. The purpose from the original charter stated that they will, "Receive funds for procuring real property for present and future generations, to have desirable open lands preserved for exercise, recreation, and education by the general public."
Miss Nevin and her pets (1902) by Diffenderfer, Frank ReidLancasterHistory
Today, the Lancaster Conservancy manages 47 nature preserves and protects over 7,000 acres in Lancaster and York Counties.
This exhibit was created for LancasterHistory by Caitlin Rossiter and Stephanie Townrow, in partnership with the Lancaster Conservancy, for Lancaster Water Week.
