Amber Freeman, visitor services manager for Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA), uncovered a forgotten past, and now she'd like to share it with the community. She'll present "The Mary and River Crossings on the Susquehanna" on Thursday, March 5, at the Zimmerman Center for Heritage, 1706 Long Level Road, Wrightsville. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the lecture will begin at 6 p.m.

Freeman's detective story began after she was hired to work at the Zimmerman Center in the summer of 2024. Her job includes overseeing collections management, including all the objects preserved for research, education and public exhibition. SNHA's collection primarily focuses on art related to the lower Susquehanna River, and while she was reviewing the collection both on display and in storage, she discovered a unique painting. It featured an unfamiliar riverboat, The Mary.

There was no additional information with the painting, but Freeman was intrigued and inspired to learn more. She began a deep dive into the history of the ferry that once crossed the Susquehanna River.

Before bridges spanned the river, ferries transported people from shore to shore for more than a century. In her talk, Freeman will share her research journey from the painting's discovery to uncovering the story of The Mary, the people who used it and the river that inspired it all.

"It's a real-life historical detective story," said Hope Byers, vice president of visitor engagement for SNHA. "History sometimes gets a reputation for having the 'truth.' In reality, the work of doing history is about following clues, finding contradictions and collecting evidence. As the quest goes on, a deeper story is unlocked."

Byers noted that The Mary operated from the 1890s until the 1920s.

"The painting is only the beginning of a journey into learning about life in the 1920s and our local river culture," she said. "For some, this lecture may be inspiration to start your own historical detective journey into a family heirloom or antique."

SNHA hosts a lecture series annually in the winter to showcase locally and nationally significant stories of Lancaster and York counties, Byers said.

"Our lectures cover a wide variety of topics and include speakers from local universities and historic societies," she commented. "Our lecture series brings history to life, showing how the past continues to shape our towns, culture and landscape. By discovering their place in these stories, people are inspired to care for and protect the heritage that surrounds them today."

The lecture on The Mary will wrap up the winter series, but it's not the end of opportunities for discovery with SNHA, Byers said.

"If people are interested in river history and yearning to get on the water, SNHA will begin River Discover Boat Tours in June when visitors can get aboard our 1912 wooden, all-electric boat for a cruise," she said. "We can't ferry you across, but we'll be delighted to give you a tour!"

Advance purchase of tickets for Freeman's lecture is recommended as the Zimmerman Center has limited seating capacity.

"This unique lecture cannot have a virtual option as you need to see and discover The Mary in person," Byers said.

The lecture will last about an hour, including time for a question-and-answer session. To learn more or to register, visit https://susqnha.org/events or call the Zimmerman Center at 717-252-0229, ext. 101, or Columbia Crossing River Trails Center at 717-449-5607. Light refreshments will be provided.