Small Town America in World War II: War Stories from Wrightsville, Pennsylvania

Wrightsville, Pennsylvania

Wrightsville, Pennsylvania xii SMALL TOWN AMERICA IN WORLD WAR II Figure 1. Susquehanna Bridges Aerial view of the fourth and fifth bridges built across the Susquehanna River between Wrightsville and Columbia. The Pennsylvania Railroad’s steel bridge was completed in twenty-one working days in 1897. During its sixty-year existence, it handled, in addition to railroad traffic, horse-drawn wagons, pedestrians, and droves of cattle. After World War I, it also accommodated automobile traffic. As the use of automobiles steadily grew throughout the 1920s, it became apparent that a new bridge strictly for motor vehicle traffic was needed. Between 1929 and 1930, the fifth bridge, at that time named the York- Lancaster Inter-County Bridge, was built just south of the railroad bridge and was part of the old US Route 30 (Lincoln Highway). Approximately 7,500 feet long with a pedestrian sidewalk, it was believed to be the longest multiple-arch reinforced concrete bridge in the world for that period. It remained a toll bridge until 1943. The last train crossed the railroad bridge in March 1958, and it was dismantled for scrap in 1963–1964. Now renamed the Veterans Memorial Bridge, the fifth bridge is still used today by both motor vehicles and pedestrians. Wrightsville, Pennsylvania xiii Figure 2. Remains of Wrightsville’s limekilns. During the late 19th century, several limestone quarries opened in the town, initially processing rock for construction purposes. Eventually, the quarry owners built kilns and burned limestone to produce lime, which was used mainly for plastering and mortar. By 1894 five different sets of kilns operated in the community. All except one operator was forced out of business when the quarrying activity struck underground springs and lacked the technology for disposing the water. xiv SMALL TOWN AMERICA IN WORLD WAR II Figure 3. The Pennsylvania Railroad Station located at the entry to the railroad bridge. The station accommodated the shipment of freight and passenger service. It remained in operation until 1958 when the last train crossed the bridge. SMALL TOWN AMERICA IN WORLD WAR II ...