Photo by Courtney Dueppengiesser
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Canal’s start at Wrightsville. Traffic consisting of grain, iron, lumber, and coal barges peaked in 1870.
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General John Gordon’s brigade of Early’s Division of the invading Confederate army approached Wrightsville on Sunday, June 28, 1863. After a brief encounter, hastily assembled defending Union forces retreated across the bridge toward Columbia. The defenders attempted to destroy the bridge’s center section, but instead fire destroyed the whole bridge. The Confederates turned
back only to fight the Union army again a few days later at Gettysburg. Over the years, Wrightsville has been home to such diverse businesses as cigar manufacturing, quarries, limekilns, lumber mills, a silk miller, a flour and feed mill, hardware manufacturing, and inn-keeping. One of the oldest buildings in Wrightsville is the Wrightsville House, a restored tavern from 1800 that overlooks the Susquehanna River where the ferry crossed from Columbia.
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