From Wright's Ferry to Columbia: A town of considerable vintage turns 300


Dearest Gentle Reader,

It is with the greatest delight—and dare this correspondent admit, a touch of mistiness about the eyes—that one reports upon the festivities so recently unfolding at Locust Street Park, where the good citizens of Columbia gathered in their finest to toast three full centuries of existence. Three hundred years! The Center City Orchestra played on, and a few hundred residents turned out to prove that civic pride is, indeed, alive and well along the Susquehanna.

State Senator James Malone offered tribute
This Author is reliably informed that State Senator James Andrew Malone opened proceedings by reminding the assembly that one John Wright, a Quaker gentleman of evident good taste in real estate, purchased 250 acres along the river back in 1726 and called it Wright's Ferry—a name this town has since had the good sense to improve upon. 

The Senator further revealed that Columbia was once seriously considered as the capital of these United States in 1790, a fact which surely gives every Columbian license to look ever so slightly down their nose at a certain swamp along the Potomac that did receive the honor.

But the Senator's true tribute was reserved for graver matters: Columbia's noble service as a station upon the Underground Railroad, where a free Black population and their Quaker allies offered refuge to those fleeing bondage. He singled out William Wright and Robert Mooney for their courage in ferrying freedom seekers across the river—a legacy, this writer submits, considerably more worthy of celebration than any almost-capital status.

Two centuries of the Old Columbia Public Grounds Company
The evening also marked two centuries of the Old Columbia Public Grounds Company, that venerable body which has tended Locust Street Park since before anyone present could recall. Secretary-Treasurer Mark Zeamer regaled the crowd with the Company's origins and the fact that "The Returned Soldier" statue at the park's entrance celebrated its own centennial this year, having stood watch since Memorial Day of 1926. A full century of silent vigilance, and not one complaint lodged.

Mr. Zeamer did not neglect to mention the park's rather dramatic résumé: a field hospital after Gettysburg, a campaign stop for one John F. Kennedy in 1960, and solemn remembrance of September 11th. That a patch of grass should witness such history, and still find time to host prom photographs and the Christmas tree lighting, speaks well of its versatility.

A Citation, and Considerable Praise
Representative Brett Miller, never one to undersell a moment, declared Columbia a "gem among communities" and its residents "gemstones"—a compliment this Author finds rather charming, if perhaps overdue for those who have weathered three centuries without so much as a tiara. 

His citation noted Benjamin Franklin's own support for Columbia's capital bid, along with the town's storied past in tobacco, iron, and boat building. 

"Godspeed" for the next three hundred years
Mayor Leo Lutz received the citation with the grace one would expect, and was wished "Godspeed" for the next three hundred years—a generous timeline, considering most modern endeavors struggle to last three.

The Mayor himself spoke movingly of "Columbia Pride," citing the Lions Club's labors, a neighbor's kindness after a fire on South Fourth Street, and the town's evolution from ferry crossing to industrial powerhouse to, now, a haven of culture along the river. 

Council President Eric Kauffman offered thanks
Council President Eric Kauffman, meanwhile, offered thanks to the tireless Columbia 300 committee, whose year of planning made the whole affair possible—proof that behind every elegant celebration lies a great deal of unglamorous spreadsheet work.

What Awaits
Gentle Reader, the festivities are far from concluded. Columbia 300 continues apace, with a Community Day promised for the Fourth of July at Glatfelters Field, complete with fireworks and the musical stylings of "Hopscotch." This correspondent shall, naturally, be watching—as she always is.

Until next we meet,
A Friend to All, and Enemy to None,
Lady Whistletown 

All is observed. All is noted. All shall, in due course, be reported."

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