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Brunch Along the River

Third Trolley Tour Generates Waiting List

June 2, 2002 --

The third in a series of trolley tours sponsored by Rivertownes was an unqualified success, filling two Red Rose Transit Authority trolleys with local history buffs.  The success of the tour is without doubt a harbinger of future success for Rivertownes as it even generated a waiting list of locals eager to explore the three Susquehanna river towns of Columbia, Marietta and Wrightsville.  The trolleys picked up their passengers at the parking lot of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors in Columbia and then took them to the Accomac Inn in Wrightsville for brunch.  Rivertownes members provided the historical narrative during the ride.

At the Accomac Inn a sampler brunch was served in an upstairs room with views of the river and surrounding areas.  The guests learned about the inn's historic past and its' importance as a resting place for 18th century travelers who crossed the river by means of Anderson's Ferry.

The trolleys also visited the Wrightsville Historical Museum where Bonita Emenheiser described the numerous items on display.  Of particular interest was the collection focusing on the six bridges that have spanned the Susquehanna between Wrightsville and Columbia.  Marietta was the next stop on the tour after a swing past a number of historic landmarks, among them the newly restored Reading and Columbia Freight Station on Bank Avenue in Columbia and the limekilns on Front Street in Wrightsville.  In Marietta, the group visited the Old Town Hall Museum where Rivertownes' Lenny Droege gave them some insight into the canal and rail systems of the area as well as the iron furnaces that proliferated here during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The final leg of the trip was back to Columbia, closely following the old route over and around Chickies Hill used by the original trolleys that serviced the Columbia-Marietta route.  The group was treated to the eerie tale of the "Great Trolley Crash" during which a trolley met its' fate returning to Columbia after a band concert at Breezy View on a stormy Sunday many years ago.  Once back in Columbia, the trip concluded with a visit to the fantastic collection of timepieces at the National Watch and Clock Museum.  The next trolley trip is a Historic Tour and Tea, scheduled for Saturday, September 7, 2002.  Persons interested in participating in the tour should contact Rivertownes President Claire Storm at (717) 684-2489.