Chickies Rock braced for rush of Susquehanna’s waters
W. Scull’s map of York County shows York as a busy crossroad community in 1770. But notice that Harrisburg – Harris Ferry on this map – is north of Dover, or maybe Weigelstown. Background posts: York County: It’s shaped like a horse’s …., Scenic Yellow Breeches snakes along York County’s northern boundary and Site filled with wealth of York County geological info.
Several observers of York County history were on their way to Chickies Rock, across the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County.
The conversation went like this.
If the Susquehanna flows north/south, then Harrisburg should be due north of the Wrightsville/Chickies rock area.
Right?
Sounds right.
Wrong… .
One senior student explained that if you were able to drive a straight line north from Dover, you’d run into Harrisburg. Or maybe Weigelstown north would be more accurate.
Harrisburg is a bit northwest of York.
All this stems from the Susquehanna’s crooked path to the southeast, he explained, placing Wrightsville far to the east of Harrisburg.
Later, standing on Chickies Rock, it was easy to see why the river twists and turns so often. Its waters head right toward Chickies Rock where the big rock rebuffs them and they flow westward for a moment.
No way that river was going to move that rock.
Actually, the Chickies Rock outcropping stems from the river’s hammer-like flow over the course of millenniums.
