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Collection: Columbia Bridge Company Collection

Title: Columbia Bridge Company Collection

Object ID: MG0217

Date Range: 1809-1843

Content Note: The Columbia Bridge Company Collection is a valuable source of information concerning construction of bridges in the early 1800s. Documents concern the building of the first two bridges across the Susquehanna River in 1814 and 1832. Items in the collection include minutes, form for stock

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Collection: Columbia Bridge Company Collection

Title: Columbia Bridge Company Collection

Description: The Columbia Bridge Company Collection is a valuable source of information concerning construction of bridges in the early 1800s. Documents concern the building of the first two bridges across the Susquehanna River in 1814 and 1832. Items in the collection include minutes, form for stock certificate, invoices, legal papers, proposals, receipts, stockholders, promissory notes, by-laws, settlement of stage tolls with Samuel Slaymaker 1813, salary receipts, circulars and announcements, bridge tolls, orders for payment, correspondence, and a stock certificate from 1842

Admin/Biographical History: First Bridge; Construction of the first Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge was begun in 1812 and completed December 5, 1814, by J. Wolcott, H. Slaymaker, S. Slaymaker at a total cost of $231,771, which was underwritten by the newly formed Columbia Bank and Bridge Company. The bridge was 5,690 feet (1,730 m) long and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide and had 54 piers and twin carriageways. Constructed of wood and stone, the covered bridge also included a wooden roof, a whitewashed interior and openings in its wooden sides to view the river and surrounding areas. It was considered the longest covered bridge in the world at the time. The bridge accommodated east-west traffic across the Susquehanna River for 14 years before being destroyed by ice, high water and severe weather on February 5, 1832.; Second bridge; Construction of the second Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge, also covered, started mid-1832 and was completed in 1834 (opening on July 8, 1834) by James Moore and John Evans at a cost of $157,300. It was 5,620 feet (1,710 m) long and 28 feet (8.5 m) wide and also enjoyed the distinction of being the world's longest covered bridge. The wood and stone structure had 27 piers, a carriageway, walkway, and two towpaths to guide canal traffic across the river. Much of the mostly oak timber used in its construction was salvaged from the previous bridge. Its roof was covered with shingles, its sides with weatherboard, and its interior was whitewashed. The structure was modified in 1840 by the Canal Company at a cost of $40,000 concurrent with the construction of the Wrightsville Dam. Towpaths of different levels and with sidewalls were added to prevent horses from falling into river, as happened several times when the river flooded. The roof of the lower path formed the floor of upper path. In this way, canal boats were towed across the river from the Pennsylvania Canal on the Columbia side to the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal at Wrightsville. Sometime after 1846, a double-track railway was added, linking the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad to the Northern Central Railway. Due to fear of fire caused by locomotives, rail cars were pulled across the bridge by teams of mules or horses.; Information from "Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia%E2%80%93Wrightsville_Bridge. Accessed 3 February 2020.

System of Arrangement: The papers of the First Columbia Bridge built in 1814 are filed in folders #1 to 157. The papers of the Second Columbia Bridge built in 1832 are filed in folders #158 to 181.

Date Range: 1809-1843

Year Range From: 1809

Year Range To: 1843

Date of Accumulation: 1809-1843

Creator: Goodell, Robert Hilliard, 1899-1992.

Storage Location: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room: Archives South

Storage Wall: Side 05

People: Albright, William; Chew, Benjamin; Coleman, Robert; Dickson, William; Gilpin, Joshua; Gilpin, Thomas; Grimler, Benjamin; Haldeman, C.; Hamilton, William; Harbaugh, Leonard; Hoff, John; Hopkins, James; Hubley, John; Hubley, Joseph; Lloyd, Evan; Mifflin, Joseph; Poulson, Zachariah; Reynolds, John; Rittenhouse, Joseph; Shaffner, Casper; Slaymaker, Henry; Slaymaker, Samuel; Varle, Charles; Wilson, Edward; Wilson, Thomas A.; Witmer, A.; Wright, William; Wolcott, John

Subjects: Bridges; Business records; Columbia (Pa.); Letters; Minutes (Records); Stockholders; Stocks; Susquehanna River

Search Terms: Advertising; Applications; Board of Directors; Bonds; Bridges; Broadsides; Business records; By-laws; Checks; Columbia; Columbia Bridge Company; Construction; Contracts; Correspondence; Farmers Bank of Lancaster; Financial records; Finding aids; Gatekeepers; Invoices; Letters; Loans; Manuscript groups; Minutes; Murray Draper and Company; Promissory notes; Receipts; Reports; Salaries; Stockholders; Stocks; Susquehanna River; Taxes; Tollhouses; Tolls

Extent: 5 boxes, 190 folders, 3 cubic ft.

Object Name: Archive

Language: English

Object ID: MG0217

Location of Originals: LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Notes: Preferred Citation: Title or description of item, date (day, month, year), Collection Title (MG#), Folder #, (or Object ID), LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. URL if applicable. Date accessed (day, month, year).

Access Conditions / Restrictions: Please use digital images and transcriptions when available. The original items in Folder 69 may not be used due to their fragile condition. All other original documents may be used by researchers--contact Research@LancasterHistory.org prior to visit or request at Reference Desk.

Copyright: Collection may be photographed. Images have been provided for research purposes only. Please contact Research@LancasterHistory.org with questions or for a high-resolution image and permission to publish.; LancasterHistory retains the rights to the digital images and content presented. The doctrine of fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder. Fair use includes comment, criticism, teaching, and private scholarship. Any images and data downloaded, printed or photocopied for these purposes should provide a citation. All other uses beyond those allowed by fair use require written permission.; Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory. Persons wishing to publish any material from this site must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright or other use restrictions. Publication fees may apply.

Credit: Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Other Numbers: MG-217

Classification: MG0217

Description Level: Fonds

Custodial History: Added to database 13 January 2022.

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