Henry River is an example of history that seems so distant, yet it can still be seen, touched and heard with our own eyes and ears.
Built as a planned community, the village was a self-contained complex with its own mill, dam, water and fire-protection systems, and company store. In later years the village gained amenities such as walkways, terraced green spaces, and field stone retaining walls.
Homes from a Different Era
Doogaloos, also known as scrip, were coins created to be used as currency in Henry River Mill Village. Doogaloos could be used only in the company store and the amount of scrips issued to tide workers between pay periods would be deducted from their paychecks. Made of zinc, Doogaloos came in different denominations.
The Doogaloo below is for 50 cents and is now used as the logo for the Henry River Mill Village,
Henry River Mill Village Logo
Henry River Mill Village is a small textile village in Hickory, North Carolina. It is an unaltered but now-decaying example of an early industrial environment in Burke County.
While the Henry River area was known for it’s water-power as early as 1860, the most relevant historical significance came from the purchase and development of the land in the early 1900’s. The Aderholdt and Rudisill families partnered to establish the Henry River Manufacturing Company, which was a cotton yarn manufacturer that opened it’s doors in 1905. During its initial operation, the Company erected 35 worker houses, a two-story boarding house, a bridge, a brick company store, a power producing dam, and the original 3 story brick mill building where the yarn was produced.
Henry River Mill Village
An often unheralded aspect of Harrisburg is the spectacular bridges that cross the Susquehanna River. All of these bridges were major engineering feats when they were built and are very long.
Harrisburg – Bridges on Susquehanna River
Harrisburg – Market Street Bridge Panorama
The Walnut Street Bridge is one of about nine bridges on the Susquehanna River. Although it doesn’t fully cross the river, it still is one of the longest and most popular pedestrian bridges in the country. Its still-intact eastern spans have been lined with lights and the steel frame has been painted a luscious blue color. The bridge is also listed in the National Registrar of Historic places and the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Historic Bridge Journal. Today, it is the oldest surviving bridge (in near original condition) over the Susquehanna and is an important cultural icon for the people of Harrisburg.
Harrisburg – Walnut Street Bridge
Built in 1928, the Market Street Bridge is a stone arch bridge that spans the Susquehanna River between Harrisburg and Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania.
Harrisburg – Market Street Bridge on Susquehanna River
Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania has over a dozen large bridges, many up to a mile long, that cross the Susquehanna River.
Harrisburg on Susquehanna River
