Phil Hesser will talk about the first projects to transport coal down the Tioga River and how investors in the Twin Tiers backed the new technologies of canals and railroads to make it happen. Join us on November 8 at 1:00 PM at the History Center to see how Tioga coal made its way to the North Atlantic and to California gold fields thanks to the 19th century transportation “moon shot” undertaken by the tech-savvy shareholders of the Tioga Navigation Co.

Phil Hesser has focused on the history of Chesapeake Bay and its watershed following a career with an international NGO and at universities in two continents. He is the author of many articles and two books: What a River Says – Exploring the Blackwater River and Refuge (2014) and with co-author Charlie Ewers A Guide to Harriet Tubman’s Eastern Shore – The Old Home Is Not There (2021).