Uncharted Lancaster

Uncharted Lancaster Discovering history through adventure.

đŸ”„ Woman becomes pillar of fire. đŸ”„ That was the unforgettable headline splashed across Lancaster’s newspapers on May 11, ...
07/22/2025

đŸ”„ Woman becomes pillar of fire. đŸ”„ That was the unforgettable headline splashed across Lancaster’s newspapers on May 11, 1921. The story beneath was even more chilling.

The night before, 40-year-old Elsie M. Gable stood at the top of the basement steps inside her family’s home at 420 West Walnut Street in Lancaster. Her sister, returning from the cellar with a candle, met her on the stairs. In a terrible instant, Elsie’s dress brushed the flame. Her clothing ignited—and in seconds, she became what the paper called “a pillar of fire.”

Her screams echoed through the house as the flames consumed her from shoulders to feet. Her brother-in-law, hearing the cries, rushed from the bedroom. He threw a covering over her and rolled her on the floor, finally extinguishing the fire. But the damage was done.

Elsie, already an invalid for over a decade, had suffered severe burns. She lingered in critical condition for nearly two weeks before succumbing to her injuries on May 22, 1921.

The tragedy happened inside a house that still stands today—a stunning 1880s Chestnut Hill home that now boasts marble floors, Viking appliances, and modern elegance. But behind the updated beauty lies a haunting reminder of the past. Beneath the chef’s kitchen and beneath the grand staircase—where flames once climbed skyward—lingers the memory of a woman lost to a forgotten household danger.

Today, 420 West Walnut is filled with light and life. But its walls still whisper the tale of Elsie Gable—a reminder that even the most beautiful homes hold tragic stories within. Click the link to read more tales of the macabre. https://unchartedlancaster.com/tales-of-the-macabre-lancaster-woman-becomes-pillar-of-fire/

Discover the Rich Heritage of Drumore Township! Nestled along the eastern shore of the Susquehanna River, Drumore boasts...
07/22/2025

Discover the Rich Heritage of Drumore Township! Nestled along the eastern shore of the Susquehanna River, Drumore boasts a deep-rooted history that dates back to the early 18th century.

As early as 1715, these industrious pioneers not only farmed but also crafted the essential tools for it. Drumore became famous for its production of sickles and scythes, especially the "Drumore Sickle," known for its superior quality and affordability that outcompeted pricier English imports. Click the link to read more. https://unchartedlancaster.com/the-legacy-of-the-drumore-sickle/

This is the earliest known photograph of the massive covered bridge that once spanned the Susquehanna between Wrightsvil...
07/22/2025

This is the earliest known photograph of the massive covered bridge that once spanned the Susquehanna between Wrightsville and Columbia from 1834 to June 28, 1863, when citizens, under army orders, torched it during the Gettysburg Campaign. The picture was taken by Charles Himes, an amateur photographer in the early 1860s. Click the link to learn more. https://unchartedlancaster.com/earliest-known-photo-of-the-wrightsville-and-columbia-bridge/

The Face in the Window on Carter's Hill. In the heart of Fulton Township, along Route 222, stands an unassuming brick ho...
07/21/2025

The Face in the Window on Carter's Hill. In the heart of Fulton Township, along Route 222, stands an unassuming brick house, weathered by centuries. Its history dates back to the 1700s, and according to legend, its walls hold secrets whispered through generations.

At the top of Carter's Hill, on the house's third floor, there's a window that has long been the source of curiosity and fear among the locals. For as long as anyone can remember, the face in that window has been a source of mystery and unease.

Oral history has it that the house was once home to a loving couple. The husband, a brave soul, answered the call to duty and joined the Union Army during the Civil War, leaving his beloved wife behind. They shared the dream of reuniting once the war was over.

Day after day, the wife kept vigil at that very window, looking out across the rolling hills, her heart heavy with worry but unwavering in her love. She watched, waited, and hoped for her husband's safe return, as the seasons changed, and the world outside grew dim.

But her dreams were shattered by a fateful message that arrived at her doorstep. Her beloved husband had met his end, cut down in the fog of war on a distant Virginia battlefield. Her world crumbled, but still, she couldn't accept the news. In her heart, she clung to hope, and so she continued to watch and wait for him, even as the years turned into decades.

It is said that she lingered in that window, her spirit refusing to let go, unable to accept the truth of her husband's demise. Her ghost, they say, still resides in the third-floor window, gazing out over the landscape, forever trapped in the moment of her deepest heartache. Some claim they've seen her there, a spectral figure yearning for her love to return home.

Her story is a haunting reminder of love's enduring power and the lengths to which a heart can go to hold on to the hope of reunion, even beyond death. Click the link to read more and discover the truth behind this urban legend. https://unchartedlancaster.com/the-head-in-the-window-on-carters-hill/

This isn't a medieval castle turret overlooking the Enola Low-Grade near Red Hill Road. It was the gatehouse to a 500,00...
07/21/2025

This isn't a medieval castle turret overlooking the Enola Low-Grade near Red Hill Road. It was the gatehouse to a 500,000-gallon reservoir that helped feed the railroad’s undying thirst for water. At its peak, the steam locomotives along the Enola Low-Grade consumed 750,000 gallons of water daily. Here is the gatehouse in 2019 (image one) and 1906 (images two and three). Click the link to learn more. https://unchartedlancaster.com/side-quest-why-does-the-enola-low-grade-have-a-medieval-castle-turret/

As one of Lampeter’s most famous native sons, “Devil Dave” Miller was an eccentric, although amiable character. He serve...
07/20/2025

As one of Lampeter’s most famous native sons, “Devil Dave” Miller was an eccentric, although amiable character. He served as the Lancaster County Sheriff in the 1830s. Miller had been elected to his post running on an anti-Mason platform. He was a humanitarian and an avid horseman who suppressed race riots against Blacks. Miller was also a military veteran, early railroad entrepreneur, and hotel owner.

Part of Miller’s notoriety came in 1834 while serving as sheriff. On one occasion, he returned a bench warrant by riding his horse up the courthouse’s steps and then down the courtroom’s central aisle, where he dismounted in front of the bench and presented the documents to Judge Lewis in person.

The following year, in 1835, Miller aided three prisoners in escaping the county jail while serving as sheriff.

What would motivate the chief law enforcement officer for the entire county to do such a thing?

As it turned out, Miller was a supporter of the Underground Railroad, and bounty hunters had abducted two formerly enslaved women and one of their sons as runaways who had been living here in rural Lancaster County. They were held in jail while waiting for transport to the Carolinas. However, before this could happen, Miller opened their cell one night and let the trio walk out.

The women told sympathizers that they escaped using a butter knife to pick the lock, apparently to “cover” for Miller. It wasn’t until years later that Miller admitted his part in the escape. Click the link to read more. https://unchartedlancaster.com/meet-devil-dave-miller-the-colorful-sheriff-of-lancaster-county/

Lancaster County has several towns with peculiar names. This series examines their curious etymology. Next up: In*******...
07/20/2025

Lancaster County has several towns with peculiar names. This series examines their curious etymology. Next up: In*******se.

This Leacock township community began life in 1754 when a small settlement with a tavern called Cross Keys was established at the crossroads of the King’s Highway (now Old Philadelphia Pike/Route 340) and Newport Pike (now Route 772). The spot soon became known as Cross Keys after the tavern.

In 1814, the town’s name was changed to In*******se, but no one today is precisely sure why. There are several theories behind this town’s check blushing name.

Theory 1
The first theory is that the intersection of Routes 340 and 772 gave the town its name, as it was the “in*******se” of the two major roadways.

Theory 2
Another idea is that there was a racecourse on one end of the town. Visitors entered the course from the eastern end, so the entrance was dubbed “Entercourse,” which evolved into “In*******se.”

Theory 3
A third theory is based on the knowledge that in*******se has not always been a suggestive term. For example, the Merriam-Webster dictionary offers three definitions for in*******se. Take a look at the last two. The second says, “exchange especially of thoughts or feelings,” while the third says, “connection or dealings between persons or groups.” The name In*******se would have described the camaraderie of the town.

Theory 4
The name change was a marketing gimmick. In the early 1800s, the community consisted of only five houses, including the Cross Keys tavern. A land speculator thought the area was ripe for development, so he laid out 48 acres into 151 lots and announced the town’s cheeky new name in 1814. Next, he held a lottery distributing the parcels at $250 each.

However, despite his efforts and the new name “In*******se,” it was many years before the town saw any real growth. By the middle of the 1800s, its location at a busy crossroads finally led to the building of other taverns and general stores. Click the link to read more. https://unchartedlancaster.com/peculiar-names-in*******se/

Would you be surprised to know that the Native American tribe known as the Susquehannocks never referred to themselves b...
07/20/2025

Would you be surprised to know that the Native American tribe known as the Susquehannocks never referred to themselves by that name?

Although the Susquehannocks were essential figures in the early history of the European expansion in the Susquehanna River Valley, very little is known about them, not even their name.

It was Captain John Smith on his 1608 voyage up the Chesapeake Bay that first recorded the name “Sasquesahannocks” referring to the 60 Native Americans who came down the river to the Bay for trade. Smith received the name from his Algonquin-speaking guide, Tockwoghs, who said it meant “People of the Muddy River.”

However, regionally Susquehannock was not the agreed upon name. The Lenape called them “Minquas,” which translates to “treacherous,” which was an obvious reflection of the raids the Susquehannocks had made on the Lenape during the 17th century.

The French had yet another name for the Susquehannocks. They called them “Andaste” or “Gandastogues,” which means “the people of the blackened ridge pole.” This is thought to be a reference to the conflicts in which the Susquehannocks were involved. Eventually, Gandastogues became Anglicized into “Conestogas,” the name by which these Native Americans were known in Lancaster County during the 18th century.

Click to read more - https://unchartedlancaster.com/how-the-susquehannock-indians-became-known-as-the-conestoga/

đŸŸ A Beast in the River: The 1885 Black Sea Dog of Bainbridge 🌊In late May of 1885, the quiet Susquehanna River town of B...
07/19/2025

đŸŸ A Beast in the River: The 1885 Black Sea Dog of Bainbridge 🌊

In late May of 1885, the quiet Susquehanna River town of Bainbridge in Conoy Township found itself at the center of something strange—and possibly supernatural.

It began with a splash.

Fishermen near the river’s edge spotted a dark, thrashing shape in the water between the mainland and Haldeman Island. At first, they thought it might be a giant fish or a trick of the afternoon sun. But what surfaced was nothing familiar.

Witnesses described it as jet-black, about four feet long, and shaped like an enormous dog, although no dog had ever moved like this one. It swam just beneath the surface before violently churning the water into foam and vanishing.

The creature returned the next day and the day after, always in the same area. Always swimming, diving, surfacing—then disappearing.

Theories ran wild. Some locals said it was a wayward otter. Old canal boatmen muttered about “sea dogs” they’d seen in the brackish bays of the Chesapeake. But many who watched it firsthand knew better. It was too fast, too big, and too deliberate.

And far too wrong.

The sightings soon stopped. But fear and fascination lingered. Boys who once swam in the river kept to the banks. Crowds gathered at dusk, hoping—half in dread—for another glimpse. They never got one.

To this day, no one knows what haunted the waters that spring. But just downstream, the White Cliffs of Conoy still rise like chalky sentinels above the river’s dark current, watching.

Was it an animal out of place?

Or did the river, ancient and patient, reveal one of its oldest secrets
 just for a moment?

đŸ–€ Read the full legend of the Black River Dog Beast of Bainbridge when you click the link https://unchartedlancaster.com/the-black-river-beast-of-bainbridge/

Purchase a four-pack of 4″x4″ slate coaster set featuring the iconic 1930 Veterans Memorial Bridge that spans the Susque...
07/19/2025

Purchase a four-pack of 4″x4″ slate coaster set featuring the iconic 1930 Veterans Memorial Bridge that spans the Susquehanna River between Columbia and Wrightsville, PA. Each coaster was created using a 10-watt laser to permanently engrave the image onto the slate. https://unchartedlancaster.com/product/veterans-memorial-bridge-4x4-slate-coasters-four-pack/

Designed by James B. Long and built by Glen Wiley and Glenway Maxon (Wiley-Maxon Construction Company), it cost $2,484,000 (equivalent to $43.51 million in 2022), plus an early completion bonus of $56,400 (equivalent to $988,011.16 in 2022). Constructed of reinforced concrete, the 5,183-foot-long bridge (6,657 feet including spans over land) has 27 river piers, 22 approach piers, a 38-foot-wide two-lane roadway, and a 6-foot-wide sidewalk. Upwards of 100,000 cubic yards of concrete and 8 million pounds of steel reinforcing rods were used, and coffer dams were built to aid in construction. Each span consists of three separate concrete ribs connected at five points by horizontal concrete struts, with the longest span measuring 185 feet.

Tolls of 25 cents per vehicle were charged when the bridge first opened (equivalent to $4.38 in 2022) and ended on January 31, 1943, when the bond issue was retired. Sometime after World War II, the original bridge lights were replaced with newer lighting.

Built originally as the Lancaster-York Intercounty Bridge, construction began in 1929, and the bridge opened on September 30, 1930. On November 11, 1980, it was officially dedicated as Veterans Memorial Bridge, though it is still referenced locally as the Columbia–Wrightsville Bridge.

In nominating the present Columbia–Wrightsville Bridge as an engineering landmark, the Pennsylvania section of the American Society of Civil Engineers noted that it is “a splendid example of the graceful multiple-span, reinforced-concrete arched form popular in early 20th Century highway bridges in the United States.”

In the early 20th century, Lancaster's Palace Pool Room epitomized the dark underbelly of recreational spaces frequented...
07/19/2025

In the early 20th century, Lancaster's Palace Pool Room epitomized the dark underbelly of recreational spaces frequented by the working class. Owned by the Dorsheimer brothers, this establishment, located at 153 North Queen Street, was notorious for its connections to gambling and illicit activities.

In 1913, anti-vice investigators flagged it as a nexus for gambling and a meeting spot for "sports"—men known for their promiscuous lifestyles and resistance to societal norms of restraint. These spaces were not just venues for leisure and relaxation but also battlegrounds where societal tensions between different classes and moral outlooks played out vividly. The pool hall's frequent brushes with the law, including raids for operating on Sundays and harboring underage boys, illustrate the ongoing conflict between local authorities and establishments viewed as corrupting public morals.

Click the link to learn more about the "Trouble at the Palace Pool Room" in this in-depth article by Alison Kibler at Lancaster Vice. https://unchartedlancaster.com/lancaster-vice-trouble-at-the-north-queen-street-palace-pool-room/

Pictured here is F. Brimmer's Livery Stable at 153 North Queen Street circa 1880. đŸ“·: LancasterHistory

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About Uncharted Lancaster

Hi, my name is Adam. Growing up in the 80s I enjoyed watching movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Goonies. Later it was National Treasure and Ready Player One as well as the epic video game series Uncharted. When I wasn't watching one of these movies, I was cosplaying it. An old bicycle wrench was my Copper Bones. A surplus WWII gas mask bag became my Indiana Jones side bag.

I've always wanted to experience an adventure similar to one of my heroes, and that got me thinking. Why not? Why couldn't I have an adventure like one of my favorite characters, learn some local history, and maybe even find an artifact or some treasure along the way?

Maybe I couldn't, but I could definitely create them for other people. From this, the idea for Uncharted Lancaster was born. The elevator pitch sounds like this: National Treasure meets letterboxing meets Lancaster County history.

Armed with a basement full of maker space equipment, volumes of Lancaster County history, classic movie prop replicas, and a bunch of smart friends, I began constructing various adventures for Uncharted Lancaster.