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Collection
Columbia Bridge Company Collection
Title
Columbia Bridge Company Collection
Object ID
MG0217
Date Range
1809-1843
-1820, 1822. Folder 55 3 bonds and 3 bond forms. 1814, 1820 Folder 56 Bridge stock accounts of Edward Wilson, William Dickson, and others with the first Bridge Company 1814-1818. Folder 57 Financial papers related to the first bridge including an accounting of stage tolls due by Samuel Slaymaker. 1814
  1 document  
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.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Herr, Neff and Kauffman Family (Manor Twp.) Papers
Title
Herr, Neff and Kauffman Family (Manor Twp.) Papers
Object ID
MG0700
Date Range
1791-1956
  1 document  
Collection
Herr, Neff and Kauffman Family (Manor Twp.) Papers
Title
Herr, Neff and Kauffman Family (Manor Twp.) Papers
Description
This collection contains mostly deeds and releases for property in Manor Township between the Herr, Kauffman, and Neff families. The dates for the deeds and releases are 1791-1792, 1804-1808, and 1841-1865. It seems that there are three main properties that all of the documents are mentioning within Manor Township. There are also nine bonds between Tobias H. Herr and Henry Herr Sr. that were all made in 1864. There are two Cyrus Neff's mentioned in this collection, Cyrus Neff and Cyrus L. Neff. One of the documents is Cyrus Neff's Certificate of Election for the Lancaster County Auditor in 1887. The documents pertaining to Cyrus L. Neff are his policy with the Pennsylvania Threshermen & Farmers' Mutual Casualty Insurance Company in the early 1920's. Towards the end of the collection there are two newspapers from 1929 and 1947, pertaining to the Herr family farm and house as well as what seems to be instructions on how to make animal feed.
Admin/Biographical History
John Herr came to Pennsylvania in 1710 with four of his five sons. His oldest son, Abraham Herr came with his father in 1710, and was the only one to settle west of the Conestoga River in Manor Township.
Francis Neff came to America from Switzerland in the early 1700's. One of his sons, Henry Neff, was the first to live in Manor Township. One of Henry Neff's four sons, Henry Neff Jr., was the only child that stayed at the homestead in Manor Township. He and his wife, Susannah Neff, had a son named Benjamin Neff who, in turn, married Anna Hostetter, daughter of Ulrich Hostetter and had two sons, Cyrus and Benjamin H. Neff. Cyrus Neff attended common schools till he was 18 years old then farmed for 11 years, after which he taught in schools for three terms. He was very active in the school board for six years and then was elected as Lancaster County Auditor in 1887. He married Kate Lehman, a daughter of Reverend Benjamin Lehman, of Manor Township, and together they had eight children. Cyrus died in 1890 at the age of thirty-eight years.
The donor, Ethel Huber, is related to the Neff and the Herr families on her mother's side and may be a descendent of Abraham Herr, the brother of Christian Herr.
Date Range
1791-1956
Year Range From
1791
Year Range To
1956
Date of Accumulation
1791-1956
Creator
Huber, Ethel M.
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives South
Storage Wall
Side 15
People
Barr, Ann Kauffman
Garber, Jacob B.
Herr, Abraham
Herr, Ann
Herr, Catharine
Herr, Harry
Herr, Henry, Sr.
Herr, Rudolph
Herr, Tobias H.
Hershey, Christian
Hershey, Magdalen
Hertzler, Abraham
Hertzler, Barbara
Hertzler, Mary
Hochstetter, Jacob
Huber, Ethel M.
Huston, Esther Kauffman
Kauffman, Edgar M.
Kauffman, John
Kaufman, Abraham
Kaufman, Ester
Kaufman, John
Kaufman, Rudolph
Miller, Abraham
Neff, Annie K.
Neff, Cyrus
Neff, Cyrus L.
Neff, Edward
Randler, Charles G.
Randler, M. Elizabeth
Strickler, Jacob
Sweeny, Elizabeth
Witmer, Abraham
Witmer, Barbara
Witmer, David
Witmer, Eli
Witmer, Jacob
Witmer, John
Witmer, Magdalena
Subjects
Bonds
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Deeds
Insurance policies
Manor (Lancaster County, Pa. : Township)
Search Terms
Bonds
Certificates
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
Newspaper clippings
Deeds
First-Columbia National Bank
Insurance policies
Letters
Manor Twp.
Pennsylvania Threshermen & Farmers' Mutual Casualty Insurance Company
Garden Spot Farm News
Manuscript groups
Finding aids
Extent
1 box, 17 folders, 40 items, 74 pages, .2 cubic feet
Object Name
Archive
Language
English
Object ID
MG0700
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Please use photocopy in Folder 11.
Copyright
Collection may not be photocopied. Please direct questions to Research Center Staff at research@lancasterhistory.org.
Permission for reproduction and/or publication must be obtained in writing from LancasterHistory.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Other Numbers
MG-700
Classification
MG0700
Description Level
Fonds
Custodial History
Processed and finding aid prepared by EB, Spring-Summer 2015. Added to database 25 January 2018.
Documents
Less detail
Collection
Bridge Records
Title
Bridge Records
Object ID
Bridge F0685 I004
Collection
Bridge Records
Title
Bridge Records
Description
Papers filed for construction and repair of bridges. The types of petitions presented to the Court of Quarter Sessions include: petitions for bridge construction and repair, petitions for inspections, and petitions for bridge funds. Other types of items include: specifications, proposals, and contracts for bridge construction and repair; bridge blueprints and plans; correspondence; bills for materials; and bridge condition reports. Many papers show date; court term and case number; names of petitioners, viewers, inspectors, and contractors; costs and fees; location of bridge; and name or number of bridge. The order and report of viewers documents are of particular interest as they usually include a copy of the original petition; the order and names of viewers to inspect the site; the public announcement for the viewers meeting; the report and recommendation of viewers, often with a drawing of the site and surrounding area; and the court decision.
System of Arrangement
Records are arranged by township, then chronologically within each township.
Year
1913
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives West
Storage Container
Box 0010
Subcategory
Documentary Artifact
Search Terms
Creeks
Beaver Creek
Quarryville
Resolutions
Bridges
Place
Quarryville
Object Name
Documents
Language
English
Condition
Fair
Object ID
Bridge F0685 I004
Box Number
010
Additional Notes
Bridge over [Beaver Creek]
Document type: Resolution that the borough will pay 1/3 of costs of bridge construction.
1 item, 2 pieces
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Classification
RG 02-00 0324
Description Level
Item
Less detail
Collection
Bridge Records
Title
Bridge Records
Object ID
Bridge F0025 I011
Date Range
1913
Collection
Bridge Records
Title
Bridge Records
Date Range
1913
Year
1913
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
Archives West
Storage Container
Box 0001
Subcategory
Documentary Artifact
Search Terms
Beartown Road
Bridges
Caernarvon Twp.
Conestoga Creek
Creeks
Honey Brook Road
Mill Road
Public notices
Roads
Place
Caernarvon Twp.
Object Name
Notice, Legal
Language
English
Condition
Fair
Object ID
Bridge F0025 I011
Box Number
001
Additional Notes
[Caernarvon Twp.]
Location: On the Honey Brook Road, between the Beartown Road and the Mill Road.
Document type: Public notice of viewers.
2 items, 2 pieces
Access Conditions / Restrictions
Request at Reference Desk; photocopy made by staff member.
Classification
RG 02-00 0324
Description Level
Item
Less detail