Editing Columbia, Pennsylvania (section)

====Postwar growth====
After the wartime bridge burning, a [[tugboat]], ''Columbia'', was used to tow canal boats across the river. In 1868, yet another replacement covered bridge was built, but was destroyed by a [[hurricane]] in 1896. The next bridge, the Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge, was a steel open bridge which carried the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad and a two-lane roadway for cars. It was dismantled for scrap by November 1964, but its stone piers, which supported the Civil War-era bridge, can still be seen today, running parallel to the Veterans Memorial Bridge on Route 462. The piers have become the site of present-day "Flames Across the Susquehanna" bridge-burning reenactments sponsored by Rivertownes PA USA.

In 1875, a new three-story grand [[town hall]] opened, featuring a second-floor [[auditorium]] that seated over 900 and was used as an [[opera house]]. The second floor's ceiling was higher than those of the first and third floors; each level contained 60 windows. The building also included office shops, [[town council|council]] chambers, storerooms and market stalls. A {{convert|140|ft|m|adj=mid|-high}} [[bell tower]], holding the town clock, crowned the building. The clock was visible from all over the borough, and its bell was audible throughout the surrounding countryside. The building was destroyed by fire in February 1947, but was rebuilt as a one-story municipal building that exists today.

[[Tram|Trolley]] service for the borough and surrounding area was established in 1893, allowing Columbians to take advantage of economic opportunities in Lancaster and other nearby towns. Between 1830 and 1900, the borough's population increased from 2,046 to 12,316.