OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 347 



waters from either hand, the chief of wliich arc tlie East Brandi, CfK-alico, Trout, Mid- 

 dle and Hammer creeks, and the Little Conestoga creek; a slack water navi^atiou has 

 been made on tne Conestofja creek. The Great and Little C'hiiiues and the ("i)nc\vaj,'0 

 creek, which separates Lancaster from Dauphin county. All these streams alVord 

 advantao-eous mill sites, and are j^^enerally and usefully improved, i 



The State C^anal follows the Susquehanna on the western border from C'*tlumbia 

 northward. 



The Phi]adeli)hia and Lancaster turnpike road, is notable as the first made in the 

 United States. Its length is 62 miles; it was commenced in the year 1792, and finished 

 in 1794, at an expen.se of #465,000. Other turnpikes have been connected with it. ex- 

 tending from Trenton, on the Delaware, to Steubenville, on^ the Ohio, a continuous line 

 of 343 miles. From the city of Lancaster this road is continued westward through the 

 county, about 11 miles to the Susquehannah river at C(jluml)ia, which it crosses by a 

 bridge of more than 5,000 feet in length. Another turnpike road leads from Lancaster 

 city N. W. to Harrisburg, from which are laterals connecting with the thriving towns 

 of Marietta and Falmouth, on the Susquehanna river. Another turnpike road, com- 

 mencing at Downingtown, Chester county, traver.ses the N. E. part of this county for 

 25 miles, passing through the town of Ephrata, to Harrisburg. The Lancaster and 

 Reading turnpike road proceeds N. E. from the city of Lancaster, through the county, 

 25 miles; and the Lancaster and Wilmington turnpike i-oad, entering the county 

 through Mine Hill gap, unites with the Philadelphia road, at Slaj-maker's tavern, 

 about 14 miles E. from the city of Lancaster. Country roads, kept in very good ordei-, 

 are made in every direction. 2 



Good bridges, almost universally of stone, have been made over the principal streams 

 where crossed by the great roads; generally at the expense of the county or of the turn- 

 pike companies; but in some cases by comj^anies specially incorporated for the purpose, 

 and by individuals authorized by the State. Those most worthy of note are over the 

 Susquehanna river and the Conestoga creek. 



The chief towns of the county are Lancaster city, the boroughs of Columbia, ilarietta, 

 AVashington and Strasburg, Falmouth, Bainbridge, Maytown, Elizabethtown, Mount 

 Joy, Manheim, Petersburg, Neft'sville, New Market, Fairview, ^lillerstown, Souders- 

 burg, Paradise, Intercourse, Xew Holland, Churchtown, Swopetown, llinkletown, 

 Ephrata, Litiz, Reamstown and Adamstown, &c., for notice of which see their titles 

 respectively. 



The Penmyldania Rail Road traverses the county from East to "West; the chief stati(.ns 

 in the county are the following: Christiana, Gap, Kinzer's, Leaman Place, Concor<l, Hird- 

 in-Hand, (Enterprise,) Lancaster, Dillerville, Landisville, Mount Joy, Elizabethtown. 

 A second route leaves the main line at Dillerville, aiul from Columbia nnis along the 

 Susquehanna. The stations in the county are : Dillerville, Rohrcrstown, Moimtvillc, 

 Columbia, Chiques, Marietta, Bainbridge and Falmouth. 



The Reading and Columbia Rail Road, with a branch from Lancaster to the junction, 

 2 miles S. of Manheim, is in successful operation, and traverses the county in tho 

 direction S. W. to N. Stations on the line of this road are: Reinholdsville. Union, 

 Reamstown, Ephrata, New Berlin, Millway, Rothville, Litiz, Keller's, Manheim, 



1. In the limestone region of tliis county, the phenomenon is l.y no means rare that small streams 

 after flowing some distance, suddenly disappear, and after running sometimes several miles under 

 ground, reappear with increased strength. As a specimen we name the In.Uan Itun, which divl.les 

 the townships of (Uay and V.'est Cocalico, and has considerable depth. After running some distance, 

 it suddenly disappears among limestone rocks, pursues its subterranean course for a mile and a half, 

 and on reappearing is known as Trout Creek, on account of the many trout which aboun<l in It. 



2 The oldest roads in the county are "The Old Continental Road" from Philadelphia through Lan- 

 caster to the Susquehanna, and "Tlie Old King's Highway," laid out in 1733, passing from I'hlla. el- 

 phia through West Chester. Strasburg, Postlethwaite's to the mouth of the Conestoga. Postlethwa te g 

 was the first county seat, selected doubtless on accout of Its contiguity to Con.stogo, the famous Indian 

 settlement. 



