The Lewis Miller drawing above shows a busy King’s Mill in 1799.

In a previous post I mentioned that, now and in the past, we are impressed by the biggest and the best. Sometimes, though, we must stop and wonder if figures have been exaggerated or misreported.

The following small item caught my eye while reading the York Gazette microfilm at York County Heritage Trust. The newspaper was from the fall of 1877.

Posted in 1870s East Hopewell Twp. Universal York York County agriculture farming grain industry maps mills water power

Bookmark Permalink using

Comments (0)

McCall's Ferry (Holtwood) Power Plant Under Construction, ca.1907.

Electric power was on the front page 100 years ago. The Merchants Electric Light, Heat, and Power Company distributed hydroelectricity generated by the York Haven Water and Power Company, which utilized giant Kaplan turbines. These turbines were manufactured in York by the S. Morgan Smith Company.

When York Haven went on line in 1904, they were said to be one of the three largest water powered electric plants in the world. Just three years later, by the fall of 1907, there was a much larger hydro project underway. A 3,000 feet long high dam was being constructed at McCall’s Ferry. A Gazette article of the time reported that it was believed that York, as well as Baltimore, would be receiving electric current from the McCall’s Ferry Power Company by August of 1908.

Two days after the initial article another article appeared in the Gazette that raised doubts about the McCall’s Ferry project:

Posted in 1900s 1910s Susquehanna River Universal York York County business dams electricity history industry water power

Bookmark Permalink using

Comments (0)