Columbia

Columbia, borough (town), Lancaster county, southeastern Pennsylvania, U.S. It lies along the Susquehanna River, 12 miles (19 km) west of Lancaster. The site was settled (1726) by John Wright, a Quaker missionary to the Native Americans, who bought land and became a ferryman and judge. Known as Wright’s Ferry, the town was laid out in 1788 by Wright’s grandson, Samuel, and was named Columbia shortly thereafter. It was one of the places considered (1790) by...