The Conestoga River has once again been nominated for the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers “River of the Year” award. There are two other streams in the running (no pun intended), the Lower Schuylkill River and the Chillisquaque Creek. Vote for the Conestoga at the following...
Yesterday (November 19), the Susquehanna Ramblers invited me to visit the ruins of an old mill site down in the south-east corner of Peach Bottom Township, York County. This time of year is ideal for these kinds of treks because the normally dense underbrush has died back...
The Society for the Preservation Of Old Mills (SPOOM) holds a photography contest each year. Members can submit exterior and interior photos for inclusion in the contest. The following video highlights the entries and winners for the contest for 2025.
After 118 years of operation, one of the water turbines at the Ressler Mill needed to be refurbished. This article describes the project engaged in 2024/25 to remove, refurbish, and replace the turbine.
The Ressler mill employs two turbines, an 18” S. Morgan Smith...
On February 3, 1899, on the 90th anniversary of the German composer Felix Mendelssohn, Dr. William A. Wolf opened a premier piano studio in Lancaster City. For the next six decades, students would travel from far and wide to attend lessons at the Wolf Institute of Pianoforte...
Two hundred years ago, in November 1824, Captain Ephraim Beach completed his survey and map of the Conestoga River for the purpose of making the river navigable from Lancaster City to Safe Harbor. Captain Beach was the principal engineer for the Schuylkill Canal which opened in 1827....
This is the fifth and final article in the series covering a brief history of the Conestoga River. The first article outlined some general information about the Conestoga River Watershed. The second article covered the conditions of the Conestoga prior to European settlement. The third installment covered...
This is the fourth article in the series in which we are taking a journey through time on the historic waters of the Conestoga River. The first article outlined some general information about the Conestoga River Watershed. The second article covered the conditions of the Conestoga prior...
This is the third article in the series in which we are taking a journey through time on the historic waters of the Conestoga River. The first article outlined some general information about the Conestoga River Watershed. In the second article, I covered the conditions of the...
This is the second article in a series of five which are taken from my book, “The Conestoga River: A History”. The first article outlined some general information about the Conestoga River Watershed. This article deals with the long period of time that preceded the settlement of...
