Wrightsville has always occupied an important location in the transportation network. The Monocacy Trail, orginally a Native American path, became one of the first roads for the European settlers to York County and beyond. That road crossed the Susquehanna River at Wrightsville, first by ferry and then over bridges covered and modern.
The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, opened in 1840, followed the west bank of the river from the Chesapeake Bay to Wrightsville. Then the mules, working from towpaths on the covered bridge, pulled the canal boats across the river to Columbia to continue on their journey up the east bank.
Railroads soon replaced canals as movers of people and freight, again crossing the bridge at Wrightsville. The excerpt below from the November 20, 1877 Gazette shows the hazards passengers could face and the volume of products shipped out from Wrightsville.
"We are indebted to the last issue of the Wrightsville Star for the following items:
At noon on Saturday last just as the passenger train from York reached the Wrightsville station, one of the axles of the engine broke off just where it joined on the driver wheels. It is fortunate that the accident occurred just as the train stopped, otherwise serious casualty might have resulted.
Monday last was a busy day among the shippers of Wrightsville. A large quantity of tobacco, filling seven cars, was shipped to Messrs. Samuel Moore, Jr. & Co., and in addition the cars loaded with lumber, lime, &c., made the aggregate shipments from Wrightsville for the day over forty cars."
Click the links below for more on York County transportation.
Artist Lewis Miller draws new 1868 Wrightsville bridge.
Getting to and from York before railroads.
Railroads come to York County.
Tragic train wreck at Glen Rock.
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