The First Columbia &i4 By Robert H. GOODELL On March 28, 1809, an act of Assembly was approved, which authorized the Governor of Pennsylvania to incorporate a company for the purpose of making and erecting a bridge over the Susquehanna. River in Lancaster County, at or near the town of Columbia

the traction company, the Lan- caster and Susquehanna Turnpike, and the Pennsylvania Railroad over the use of the bridge at Mountville. This delayed the com- pletion of the line into Columbia. Although track had been laid from the west end of the Mountville bridge to Columbia in the latter part of

in this latter position he practically rebuilt the Pennsylvania Line from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. The Rockville bridge, spanning the Susquehanna River above Harris- burg, was planned and built by Mr. Brown in 1900-1902. It is the largest stone arch bridge in the world, being 3,830 feet in length

the writer has seen was one of the year 1816 in the files of the Lancaster County Historical Society. In Columbia, at this period The Susquehanna Waterman was published by Thomas Armor Wilson, as early as 1812. The only copy which the writer has seen was dated in 1816, and belongs to Mr. J. Jay Wisler