Photo of the Month

January, 2006

SUSQUEHANNA STEAMBOAT FERRY SERVICE

       In the months of January, February, and March of 1904, there occurred three floods on the Susquehanna River in Columbia County .   Temperatures plunged as low as twenty-six degrees below zero creating enormous amounts of river ice.   This be­came a barrier, like a dam, so when the weather moderated, along with rains, and the rapid melting, the river spilled over its banks.   There were three flood crests:   January 24, February 10, and March 9.   The last one saw the river rise to 32.7 feet above flood stage at Bloomsburg, making it the town’s highest flood level on record.

       One of the consequences from the third flood was the destruction of three Susquehanna River bridges in Columbia County at Berwick, Mifflinville, and Cata­wissa.  The loss of these bridges created serious transportation problems.   The Cata­wissa Bridge had its two south spans swept off their piers by the flood.   At the time of this photo in 1905, rebuilding of the spans was under way.  

       The Columbia and Montour Electric Railroad (trolley line) in April came up with an idea to help alleviate the difficulty and limit the inconvenience for people to get across the river.   Since it was important that it not lose its Catawissa riders, the company instituted a passenger ferry service by using a steamboat as seen in the photo.   David G. Hackett, the company superintendent, purchased it from the Fort Hunter and Marysville Ferry Company located a few miles north of Harrisburg .  

       The boat had two names, the Mary Ann, and according to an article in The Democratic Sentinel on April 24, 1904 , many people in Catawissa called it the Robert Fulton in honor of the first person who achieved commercial success in building steamboats.   By any standard it was not a handsome vessel, but it provided a safe and useful service.   Measuring nearly fifty feet long and eleven feet wide, it could eas­ily seat forty passengers and with a little crowding several more.

       The era of steamboat ferry service across the Susquehanna River at Catawissa was only a temporary arrangement.   The need vanished when the new Catawissa Bridge opened on May 12, 1906 .