Saturday, September 7, 2019
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Jane & I always enjoy visiting Nancy and John. Today, they toured us around sites in beautiful Lancaster County including brief ventures into the neighboring counties of Lebanon and York.
Our first stop of the day was the Cornwall Iron Furnace. The furnace operated from 1742-1883 and was the heart of a vast industrial plantation. Surrounding the furnace was (and partially still is) forest land for wood, mounds where colliers converted wood into charcoal, coal bins, a wagon shop, a blacksmith shop, an abattoir (smokehouse and butcher shop), stables, the paymasters office, the owner’s mansion, and multiple villages for the workers.
The interesting tour through the furnace was narrated by a cheerful energetic hostess. She was quite knowledgeable about the furnace although her presentation was a bit flighty. We improved our understanding of the furnace processes after watching a film and reading interpretive information in the visitor center.
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| Our Ebullient Tour Guide at the Charging Arch where Charcoal and Ore were Fed into the Furnace Below |
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| This 24-foot Diameter Water-driven Wheel operated Giant Bellows to Fan the Furnace prior to utilization of a Steam Engine |
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| The Casting House at the Bottom of the Furnace where Molten Iron was tapped twice Daily. Some was poured into molds to produce various items such as stove plates or cannon balls. The remainder was directed into small channels on the casting house floor. Because early iron makers imagined this arrangement of cast iron bars resembled nursing piglets, they coined the term “pig iron”. |
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| The Mighty Susquehanna River from Chickies Rock Overlook |
After touring the furnace and walking around the grounds, John drove us through the resort town of Mount Gretna then to the Chickies Rock Overlook via a very circuitous route. There we were afforded a great view of the Susquehanna River, a major river that drains nearly half of the land area of PA. I was mesmerized by two remote-controlled gliders that were buzzing around in the uplift and thermal winds of the cliffs.
We then descended into the riverside town of Columbia and sampled craft brews and snacks at the Columbia Kettle Works Craft Brewery. Next, we crossed the Susquehanna on the Wrightsville Bridge and from the property of the John Wright Shop & Restaurant, had a nice view of the bridge and river.
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| Columbia (formerly, Wright’s Ferry) on the Susquehanna River |
Upon its completion in 1814, the first bridge from Wrightsville to Columbia was the longest covered bridge in the world. However, during the Civil War, the Union militia blew up a section, then burned down the entire bridge, to prevent Confederate forces from crossing the river. Remnants of the old bridge are still visible alongside the modern one. Across the street we explored some old lime kilns before discovering a “Private Property, No Trespassing” sign.
John then drove us into the city of Lancaster where he parked and we walked to a nearby Latin Music Festival. When we arrived, a lively mariachi band from Puerto Rico was performing. They had four guitarists each with a different sized instrument, two trumpeters, and male and female vocalist. The band was very entertaining but we decided to walk around after a Latin rapper followed their act. We dined at the Himalayan Curry & Grill where we each had a delicious meal.
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| The Wrightsville Bridge crossing the Susquehanna River |
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| A Puerto Rican Mariachi Band at the Lancaster Latin Music Festival |
After dinner, John drove us past his and Nancy’s places of employment before returning to their home in Ephrata. We had a nightcap while communing with three of their five house cats. Jane & I finally said our “thank-yous” and “goodbyes” before driving to our RV and preparing for tomorrow’s final leg of our expedition.