York County, Pa.: It’s shaped like a horse’s … Part II
York County (Pa.) artist/historian Jim Rudisill rendered this wonderfully accurate view of York County. The rifle barrel creates the Mason-Dixon Line, York County’s southern border. The York County Heritage Trust uses this artwork as a bookplate. Also of interest: Chickies Rock braced for rush of Susquehanna’s waters and Site filled with wealth of York County geological info and Scenic Yellow Breeches snakes along York County’s northern boundary.
“It’s shaped like a horse’s … .”
That’s how some people start the description of York County’s shape.
The York Daily Record/Sunday News recently asked four elected officials to give their renditions of York County’s 900-square-mile face.
They did pretty well, but you be the judge (see example below)… .
State Senator Mike Waugh’s rendition of York County. Click here to see how York County looks on the map.
One thing all four legislators need to work on is that they drew the roughly triangle-shaped county with the top angle more or less due north.
The Susquehanna River helps shape the county with a decided northwest (Dillsburg) to southeast (Delta) skew. The river – and the county – seemingly would head even farther east, but Chickies Rock on the Lancaster County side near Columbia corrects its flow and forces it south. This means that Dover, not York, is lined up with Harrisburg, north and south, and York is aligned roughly with the Middletown/Hummelstown area.
Try to draw the county yourself, and see how you do. Or comment on the artistic skills/geographic knowledge of our elected officials below or on The Exchange.
Other posts on York County’s geography/geology:
– Hellam Township’s Chimney Rock threatened: ‘Time is short’
– York County still home to unvarnished beauty.
– Photographer tramps to far reaches of York County.
– Pennsylvania and water: The Susquehanna and other rivers run through it.
