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 the area by the European immigrants.
Presettlement Conditions
Prior to the arrival of European settlers in the 17th century, the Conestoga Valley was much different than it is today. The valley was more like a swamp than the single channel that we know today. The valley was made up of numerous, interconnected streams that flowed around islands of vegetation. The system was resistant to flooding because the flood plains were broad and marshy, and the underlying soil was porous.The historic floodplain was full of vegetation with root systems that held the soils in place even during high water flow.
The area is part of the Pennsylvania Piedmont lowlands. This area was once covered with a shallow sea. Various species of shellfish lived and died in the sea, their discarded shells building up to create great sheets of limestone. Eventually tectonic forces pushed up to form the Appalachian Mountains. Over time, these mountains eroded forming deep, rich soil in the alluvial valleys. This, in turn, enabled great forests to grow and the forests provided the habitat for abundant wildlife. Bear, deer, elk, foxes, otters, raccoons, wildcats, wolves, and the much-coveted beaver all made their home in the forests and wetlands of the Conestoga Valley.
First Inhabitants
The Susquehannock Indians appeared along the Susquehanna around 1550 CE at about the time that an earlier group who are known as the Shenk’s Ferry people disappeared. It is unknown whether the earlier group died of an illness or if the Susquehannocks conquered or assimilated them. The Susquehannocks were mostly nomadic hunters and fisherman who would stay in one area only so long as the game and fish remained plentiful. They were not very friendly to members of other tribes and would regularly send out war parties to attack the hunters from other tribes who happened into their territory.
In the summer of 1608, Captain John Smith encountered a hunting party of Susquehannocks at the head of the Chesapeake Bay. Captain Smith described them as more muscular and larger in stature than other natives that he had seen. Smith said, “They seemed like giants, and were the strangest people in all these countries, both in language and attire; their language well becomes their proportions, sounding ‘from them as a voice in a vault. The Susquehannocks were called “Minquas” (treacherous) by the Delaware (Lenape).
By 1608, the Susquehannocks had a town and stockade fort on the shore of the Susquehanna at the foot of Turkey Hill. Their staple diet was the “three sisters”, corn, beans, and squash. That was supplemented with fish and eels from the river and wild game from the forest.
In the Susquehanna, just below the mouth of the Conestoga, lies a rock known as Little Indian Rock. This rock has been carved with petroglyphs by the Susquehannocks or perhaps by the Shenk’s Ferry group that preceded them. You can see turkey tracks, deer tracks, bear tracks, birds, fox, deer and other animals. A pair of serpents are aligned with the sunrise at equinox. (see also https://unchartedlancaster.com/safe-harbor-petroglyphs/little-indian-rock-petroglyphs/)
The next article in this series will delve into the colonial settlement period of the Conestoga’s history. If you want to read the full story of the Conestoga including full color photos you may want to purchase my book. You will find information here: Conestoga River: A History
For Further Reading:
Minderhout, David J., Native Americans in the Susquehanna River Valley, Past and Present, Bucknell University Press, 2013
Merrell, James H., Into the American Woods, W. W. Horton & Company, 1999