Rep. Brett Miller and I hosted a bridge dedication ceremony in honor of Maj. Gen. Edward C. Shannon, a local historical figure raised in Columbia. Claire Frances Storm, a community member whose activism helped bring the ceremony to fruition, was also in attendance and spoke at the ceremony.
The ceremony marked the naming of the bridge that crosses U.S. Route 30 and connects to Route 441 in honor of Edward Casswell Shannon, a Columbia military leader and public servant.
Maj. Gen. Shannon began his military career in 1889 when he enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard. He advanced through the non-commissioned officer ranks and obtained a commission as a second lieutenant in 1893. By the time he volunteered to serve in the Spanish-American War, he had attained the rank of captain and command of a company.
Maj. Gen. Shannon was affectionately referred to as “Two Yard” because of his reputation of leading his men from the front, two yards ahead, during their attacks on German positions. That is the true measure of a leader, someone we can all respect and admire.
Decades later, he was elected prothonotary of Lancaster County and also served as lieutenant governor.
Read his full biography from the Columbia History Preservation Society here.
For additional photos from the bridge dedication, click here.
To watch my remarks during the ceremony click here. To watch the full ceremony click here.
