Europeans and the Susquehanna: A Vision of Nature

Elaine Langone Center

In his 1808 occasional poem on the Susquehanna, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ironically juxtaposes the broad sweep of this American river, imaginatively bordered on each side by barren wastes, Indian corn, and missionaries, with the urban landscape of ornate bridges and inns that define the Bohemian resort of Carlsbad. This brief overview will look at how the Susquehanna entered into the European imaginary through the travel accounts and mission diaries of the Moravians who settled in Shamokin (present-day Sunbury) and also traversed the West and North Branches of the river. The paper will also attempt to account for the persistent perception of the confluence as a place of magic and turmoil.